# Senior Restoration Botanist

**Organization:** Pacific Northwest Conservation Alliance  
**Location:** Portland, Oregon  
**Duration:** June 2020 - Present

## Position Overview
As Senior Restoration Botanist at the Pacific Northwest Conservation Alliance, I lead complex restoration projects aimed at preserving endangered plant communities throughout the Cascade Range. This role combines technical botanical expertise with project management and leadership responsibilities.

## Key Responsibilities

### Project Leadership
- Design and implement comprehensive restoration plans for degraded ecosystems with emphasis on rare plant conservation
- Lead field operations across multiple concurrent restoration sites covering over 2,000 acres
- Establish measurable success criteria and monitoring protocols for all restoration projects
- Conduct regular site assessments to track progress and adapt management strategies

### Native Plant Propagation
- Oversee native plant nursery operations producing 75,000+ plants annually
- Develop specialized propagation protocols for difficult-to-grow rare species
- Maintain detailed records of germination rates, growth metrics, and treatment effects
- Coordinate seed collection expeditions throughout diverse ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest

### Team Management
- Supervise a core team of 5 field botanists and up to 12 seasonal restoration technicians
- Conduct staff training on plant identification, restoration techniques, and field safety
- Facilitate weekly team meetings and monthly progress reviews
- Mentor junior staff and provide professional development opportunities

### Funding & Partnerships
- Secured $750,000 in grant funding for riparian habitat restoration projects
- Authored major sections of successful proposals to state and federal agencies
- Manage project budgets ranging from $50,000 to $250,000
- Cultivate partnerships with government agencies, tribes, and conservation NGOs

### Notable Projects
1. **Willamette Valley Prairie Restoration Initiative**
   - Restored 350 acres of native prairie habitat
   - Reintroduced 12 threatened plant species with 85% establishment success
   - Developed innovative seeding techniques that increased native diversity by 40%

2. **Mount Hood Meadow Rehabilitation**
   - Led post-wildfire recovery efforts in alpine meadow ecosystems
   - Implemented erosion control measures using native plant materials
   - Achieved 90% reduction in invasive species cover within treatment areas

3. **Columbia River Gorge Rare Plant Recovery**
   - Established new populations of 5 federally listed plant species
   - Developed habitat suitability models to identify optimal reintroduction sites
   - Created monitoring protocols adopted by multiple conservation organizations

## Achievements
- Received Excellence in Ecological Restoration Award from the Society for Ecological Restoration, Northwest Chapter (2023)
- Featured in Oregon Public Broadcasting documentary on native plant conservation (2022)
- Published 2 peer-reviewed articles on restoration techniques developed during project work