Who We Are

Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship was created out of a deep love for the natural world and a commitment to its care, preservation, and restoration. On PRI campus, we actively work to restore endangered Washington prairie through careful monitoring, invasive species management, and the introduction or supplementation of native species. In addition to engaging in practical care, PRI is open to the community as an educational center and offers its expertise and resources to other organizations involved in the vital work of restoration and reconciliation with the land.

Our Mission...

PRI is commited to engaging science, culture, and community for ecological restoration.

Notable Species

Golden paintbrush

(Castilleja levisecta)

Placed on the endangered species list in 1997, the golden paintbrush was delisted in Washington state in August of 2023. PRI now has over 90,000 plants on our prairie and restored sites.

Common camas

(c̓abid, Camassia quamash)

Camas bulbs are a traditional food source for the Coast Salish tribes who traditionally managed and gathered from sites on Whidbey Island, including the land PRI manages.

Closeup of a woolly sunflower / Oregon sunshine flower

Woolly Sunflower/Oregon Sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum)

Woolly sunflower is one of the host plants for Golden paintbrush. Its bright yellow flowers attract multiple pollinators including beetles, bees, moths, and butterflies.

Spring-gold/biscuit-root

(Lomatium utriculatum)

Another traditional food source for Coast Salish tribes, spring-gold begins blooming early in the year before the stems extend over the following months. One of the first flowers to begin blooming.

Garry oak

(čaʔadᶻac, Quercus garryana)

Garry oaks are native to the region. PRI is working with Sound Water Stewards to support the restoration of Garry oak savannas on PRI property through the growing, caging, and watering of the young trees.

Chocolate lily,

(č̓aʔliq̓ʷ, Fritillaria affinis)

Chocolate lily is another staple food of the Coast Salish tribes. The dark speckled petals have given the plant its names chocolate lily and checker lily, while the bulb gives it the name rice-root lily.

Showy Daisy,

(Erigeron speciosus)

Showy daisy blooms from June to August, making it a perfect mid- to late- summer flower for pollinators.

Nodding onion in bloom with multiple flowers on one stem.

Nodding Onion,
(Allium cernuum)

Nodding onion is another staple food of the Coast Salish tribes as all parts of the plant are edible. The plant attracts pollinators while being deer resistant.

Pretty Shooting Star,
(Primula pauciflora)

Shooting stars bloom from April to June, making it a perfect early flower for bumblebees.

Our Partners