4 people using white squares to count the plants in an area

Engaging Science: Research

One of the primary ways we meet our mission is through collaborative research. Responsible stewardship means seeking to understand the interconnected processes that sustain the land and allow it to flourish. We constantly share with and learn from colleagues throughout the region on best practices, new techniques and more.

Taking time to deeply examine the natural world both inspires us to care and helps us grow in the knowledge and wisdom to care for it effectively. In a time of rapidly changing social and climate conditions, we understand more than ever that resilience is inseparable from diversity. In our study of the natural world, we learn how to best to protect the biodiversity on which the beauty and stability of our shared environment depends.

At PRI, we are committed to sharing our findings with the community. All research will eventually be made available on this website.

Our Research Partners

Research at PRI is typically conducted in concert with at least one other institution or agency.

Interested in collaborating?

Past and current research partners:

Washington State University
Washington Orchid Society
University of Oregon
Institute for Applied Ecology
US Fish and Wildlife Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
University of Washington

Weather Data, Plots and Station Info (washington.edu)

Pacific Northwest Seismic Network

Ongoing Research Projects

Restoration Techniques

We have partnered with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Washington since 2007 for research on best techniques for restoring abandoned agriculture land to native prairie. You can the final analysis here. We continue to manage the research plots and collect data, while gradually "absorbing" them into our native prairie expansion. Through this program until 2013 we also assisted in the management of the UW research site on land owned by The Nature Conservancy on Ebey's Bluff.

Garry Oaks

We collect data on our Garry oaks to determine the impact of deer browse, vole borrowing, and other factors on the ability of these native trees to survive. Garry oaks have been planted on this site since 2001 for savannah enhancement and extension at the edges of both our north and east forests, as well as in our southwest corner. The original support for oak planting was provided by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. PRI has out-planted an additional 75 oaks from 2019-2022.

2 people putting up fencing around a plot of land.

Nutrient Network

Nutrient Network - Since 2007 our prairie is a study site for a collaborative effort called the Nutrient Network or "Nut-Net" (pronounced "noot-net". You can view a press release regarding the research here. A recent published paper is also available upon request. The Nutrient Network experimental site at PRI is managed by Dr. Jon Bakker of the University of Washington, and you can see the fencing near our southeast corner, north of Morris Road by a few hundred yards.

Completed Research

The Collins Project

From 2007-2010 our site was part of a multi-site study by The Nature Conservancy and the Institute of Applied Ecology from Oregon to determine best methods of suppressing non-native herbaceous plants in remnant prairies.

A Townsend vole, (small brown mammal) nibbling on plants

Small Mammals

For over eight years we have conducted research on our prairie to gauge the ebb and flow of small mammal populations. In particular, we have been able to track the cyclical population changes of Townsend's vole (Microtus townsendii). Voles impact the prairie habitat as both predators and prey. Being very prolific, their populations occasionally become very dense, followed by a "crash" in numbers. Their characteristic trails, about 2" wide and as circuitous as a road map of Los Angeles, give them away - especially after mowing. This vole we have here on Whidbey Island only exists in the extreme northwest of the lower 48 states and extreme southwest of British Columbia.

A white camas with an insect pollinating it.

Native Pollinator research

In partnership with the Center for Natural Lands Management and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, native pollinator research has been conducted on the PRI prairie and several other prairies throughout the Puget Sound region to understand more about their behaviors, populations, plant preferences and more.

Climate Change and Native Prairies

From 2015 to 2019 our site was part of a "Whidbey Island to San Diego" research study conducted by the University of Oregon comparing climate, climate changes and health of native ecosystems.