Wren Nectar Network Prairie Enhancements

The Marys River Watershed Council works with landowners in the community of Wren to conserve native prairies which are an important habitat for the Fenders Blue Butterfly and its host plant the Kincaid’s lupine. The Watersheds Council’s prairie conservation work has been supported by local landowners, the community of Wren, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bonneville Power Administration, and Benton County. Work throughout Wren has enhanced habitat quality and connectivity for the butterfly and other native meadow species.

The Wren Community is located in the Marys River watershed and the transitional area between the Coast Range and Willamette Valley lowlands. The region supports native oak savanna ecosystems. Oak Savannas became significantly rarer after the Willamette Valley was developed and seasonal burns were suppressed. Researchers estimate that only about 2% of the historic Oak Savanna ecosystem remains. High quality habitat fragments are often small and separated by areas of human development and forests. Populations of plants and animals in habitat fragments are often smaller and more fragile than those with larger ranges. Reconnecting prairie fragments can increase the range available to native species and allow genetic mixing and dispersal which increases the viability of previously isolated populations.

Both the Fender’s Blue Butterfly and the Kincaid’s lupine are federally listed under the Endangered Species Act. The Kincaid’s Lupine is the Fender’s Blue Butterflies primary host plant and is required for butterfly populations to thrive. The Butterfly is only found in the Willamette Valley and was presumed extinct until the rediscovery of small populations in the 1990’s. After rediscovery incredible effort was put into its conservation and reintroduction into historic habitats. butterfly populations have grown from around 4000 individuals in the 2000’s to more than 30,000 but still only occupy a fraction of their historic prairie habitat.

Wren Nectar Network Prairie Enhancement projects range from coordinating and connecting with local landowners to planting endangered Kincaid’s lupine and other native prairie species. The Watershed council assists with research and monitoring of Kincaid’s lupine patches and Fender’s Blue Butterfly populations to ensure population health. Noxious weeds were mechanically removed and encroaching trees were selectively thinned to ensure the connectivity and persistence of remaining habitat. Field trips hosted by the Watershed Council in the Wren Prairie Restoration Area bring students into nature to learn about local habitats and ecosystem conservation. 

Bonneville Power Administrations power line cuts provide flyways for the Fender’s Blue Butterfly and the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly. Continued maintenance of the areas around the power lines allows the butterflies to persist in the area and move between suitable neighboring habitats. The institute for Applied Ecology monitors each species with a focus on the Taylor’s Checkerspot and conducts restoration and conservation research on Willamette Valley prairie habitats. Work by the Watershed Councils, private landowners, agencies, and other environmental nonprofits in the Willamette Valley led to the downlisting of the Fender’s Blue Butterfly from endangered to threatened on the Endangered Species List.