In this episode of ‘In the Woods’ by Oregon State University’s Extension Service, host Jake Barker discusses assisted migration and assisted gene flow with Jess Shamek, a field botanist and researcher focused on the adaptive capacity of Oregon White Oak. The conversation covers the definitions and importance of these practices in the context of climate change, best management practices, and the interconnectedness of forestry, farming, and ecology. They also discuss several tools and frameworks, such as the RAD framework, ClimateNA, and the Seed-lot Selection Tool, for planning and decision-making in forest management. Throughout the episode, there is an emphasis on understanding the risks, increasing genetic and species diversity, and learning from past introductions of non- native plants.

”I work with a lot of land managers who ask questions like ‘Should I be doing this? Should we be doing assisted migration, and should we be doing assisted gene flow?’” – Dr. Jess Shamek

At that point, people said, “I don’t know. Now you’re really asking a lot.” We were one of the few voices in the room that said, “These people are out there. The forest managers, the mills behind the logs are out there. We can make this happen. We can make it happen locally, and we’ll even give you one more. Not only can we have it come from these forests, but we can trace it back to the forest.”