Vision and Values: reflecting on the past and future of Vesper Meadow
Program Director Jeanine Moy tours a group of partners and supporters through the creek restoration demonstration area at the Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve during the 5 year anniversary celebration (2024).
Interviews with Vesper Meadow Staff (part 1)
Jeanine and Stasie check in about the past, present, and future of Vesper Meadow restoration and programs
Stasie Maxwell, Indigenous Partnerships Program Manager: We just celebrated the 5th anniversary since Vesper Meadow was established, how has the vision or programs of Vesper Meadow changed?
Jeanine Moy, Founder and Program Director: Since the founding of Vesper Meadow, the vision has always been of uniting diverse strategies and perspectives for supporting land restoration and community development. Not much has changed per se, yet there has been a bit of an evolution in how we think and talk about it.
Through growing networks with other restoration practitioners and learning from Indigenous partners, we have come to name our work as biocultural restoration. This framework integrates land restoration with a culturally significant context and fosters a holistic resilience, allowing communities to reconnect with traditional practices, and actively participate in the stewardship. This reciprocity benefits ecosystems and strengthens community ties, building a sustainable future that honors both people and place.
SM: In thinking about the first 5 years of programs and restoration work at Vesper Meadow, what stands out the most?
JM: Our work spans so many different realms; from on-the-ground restoration projects, to publishing educational materials, to building community networks…so it’s hard to pick just one thing. If I could pick my top three off the top of my head it would be:
On the land: establishing a restoration demonstration site with beaver-based creek restoration (aka Low-tech Process Based Restoration) throughout three miles of waterways, and successfully established dozens of native grassland plots for pollinator habitat and First Food restoration.
Volunteer land stewards learn to construct a beaver-based restoration structure in Latgawa Creek at Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve (2022-ongoing).
Local PBS Station coverage of Beaver Based Restoration at Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve
Progression of creek restoration and willow staking accomplished through community stewardship days between 2018-ongoing.
2. Reaching wide audiences through education: A year and half ago we published the Fire Ecology and Cultural Fire Curriculum together with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. This 4th – 10th grade curriculum provides teachers with an outstanding resource that is Oregon-based, Native-informed, and emphasizes Traditional Ecological Knowledge, biodiversity, land-use history, climate change, and social impacts as they relate to wildfire. We have held several well-received teacher workshops that have been attended by educators from Washington, Oregon, California, and British Colombia. It has also been a great honor and learning experience to collaborate with the Traditional Ecological Inquiry Program and co-host three years of Cultural Fire Inquiry camp for Native families from around Oregon.
Fire Ecology and Cultural Fire Curriculum published 2022, Vesper Meadow and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.
Joseph Scott, Director of the Traditional Ecological Inquiry Program presides over a cultural burn at Vesper Meadow during the first annual Cultural Fire Inquiry camp (2022) for Native families from around Oregon.
3. Creating networks for biocultural restoration: it’s hard to quantify the exact value of community building work, but when we lead with both our heads and our hearts, we know that this work is one of the most important aspects of our work. Vesper Meadow has become a hub for restoration practitioners, State and Federal agencies, Tribal members, students, artists, scientists, and community land stewards. The cross-pollination of different ideas and the mutual learning that occurs here is really the foundation needed for long-term sustainable relationship between people and the land.
The foremost example of this work is the Indigenous Gardens Network: Established in 2020, a hub of collaborative Indigenous-led land projects that restores Indigenous habitats in SW Oregon and make culturally significant plants accessible to Tribal partners. In 2025 we will deepen our networking by growing a related network of conservation non-profits that support this work.
Siletz Newsletter article (2019) about Healthy Traditions, Tribal youth program visiting Vesper Meadow to connect with First Foods, a precursor to the IGN.
Jefferson Public Radio article (2022) about the IGN
Siletz Tribal member harvests Camas Lily bulbs prior to the IGN Camas Camp, an inter-Tribal cultural camp for 60+ families organized by IGN members, hosted by Vesper Meadow (2024)
SM: Is there anything new that people can expect from Vesper Meadow in 2025?
JM: Yes, of course! We are getting excited about a few things:
Growing art residency and art programs: this winter we will be gearing up our capacity to host artists for week long Meadow as Muse retreats as well as host interdisciplinary Restoration + Art education programs for all ages. This means that we are talking to partner organizations, artists, educators, and developing a program strategy in the next few months….We are excited to reflect and share our restoration work through the eyes of artists, stay tuned!
Furthering our education work with local partners for the Healing Landscapes and Fire Ecology and Human Relationship Curriculum based programs. In working with Native led organizations like the Red Earth Descendants, Indian Education Program of the Southern Oregon Education Service District, and Traditional Ecological Inquiry Program, we have grown holistic educational programming that integrates ecological restoration, community wellbeing and individual mindfulness, and Indigenous worldview. We are looking forward to consulting with our partners soon and going deeper with place-based projects at Vesper Meadow and creating culturally-specific learning resources.
Launching the collaborative “Tending the Homelands” project. Building upon the last few years of networking with conservation partners to support Tribally led initiatives, we are going to start creating useful materials and taking practical steps toward more Tribal access and involvement in land management in southwest Oregon. This will involve coordinating partner land managers to streamline efforts for Tribal reconnection on their homelands, initiating restoration projects for First Food habitat, and continuing a collaborative learning journey for being respectful Tribal partners.
Cabin in the works: This past fall a tiny-cabin exterior was built, and we are going to be constructing the inside in the next several months. This has long been our dream for a space that will be able to host special guests like art residents, Tribal families, visiting scientists, summer interns and other VM Program related folks. If you know anyone who has extra lumber, insultation/ drywall, or a small woodstove…let us know!
SM: As usual, there is so much going on at Vesper Meadow. How can people get involved now and in 2025?
JM: Well, snow is starting to fall at Vesper Meadow…which means restoration projects are on hold for the season while we do our ‘winter work’ of planning programs, talking to partners, and fundraising. We are kicking off our year-end fundraiser right now and thanks to a couple of Vesper Meadow supporters we are already halfway to our goal of $60k! We are excited to share a gift of hand-printed Vesper Meadow tote bags for everyone that donations $50 and up.
Otherwise, its a great time of year to think ahead! Help grow the restoration community by sharing our social media posts and emails from Vesper Meadow with friends, and signing up as a volunteer on our website.