Nation-wide plant databases
- US Department of Agriculture Plants Database - includes photographs and technical details on both native and non-native plants
- US Forest Service Fire Effects Information System - literature reviews by species including biology, ecology, management and response to fire
Washington plant databases
- University of Washington's WTU Herbarium - large collection of photographs and species information including detailed distributions and bloom time
- Washington State Natural Heritage Program - houses rare plant descriptions, a rare plant field guide and ecological community summaries
Restoration ecology databases
- Conserve Online Library - coordinated by the Nature Conservancy
- Global Restoration Network - coordinated by the Society for Ecological Restoration International
Environmental organizations
- Native Plant Salvage Project - provides free training for South Sound residents on native plant topics, organizes plant salvages, promotes wise resource use, sponsors plant sales, etc. SNP partners with the Native Plant Salvage Project frequently
- Society for Ecological Restoration - for both professionals and lay-people interested in the science of restoration ecology and its implications in management, education and culture
- Institute for Applied Ecology - supports PNW restoration projects, provides training for lay people, offers K-12 environmental education resources, and houses the Native Seed Network
- Society of Wetland Scientists - for professionals involved with wetland delineation, mitigation and restoration
- Washington Native Plant Society - supports the appreciation and conservation of Washington's native plants
- Northwest Biocarbon Initiative - the biocarbon solutions advocates forhealthy forests, soil-building agriculture, greening communities, recycling organic residues, and restoring coastal ecology
Native plant propagation
- Native Plant Propagation Protocol Database - organized by species, state and propagation technique, coordinated by the Native Plant Network
- Native Seed Network - includes availability information on native seed by state for both propagation and restoration, compiled by the Institute for Applied Ecology
- Reforestation, Nursery and Genetic Resources Team - includes propagation publications and a plant materials directory, coordinated by the US Forest Service
Noxious/Invasive weed control
- Center for Invasive Plant Management - database compiling information on weed identification and management coordinated by Montana State University
- Clark County Weed Management - weed ID and best management practices by species
- Global Invasive Species Team - compiled by the Nature Conservancy, this website has been dismantled due to budget constraints. Remaining, however, is a handful of links to material previously presented.
- King County Noxious Weed Control Program - weed of the month posting, weed control tips by month and best management practices by weed
- Pierce County Noxious Weed Control Board - includes weed photos, noxious weed lists and the 'Backyard Guide to Selected Obnoxious Weeds'
- Thurston County Noxious Weed Control Agency- noxious weed map and list with photographs, along with a weed management publications request list
- WSU Integrated Weed Control Project - resources for integrated weed control methods including biological controls
Gardening with native plants
- Pacific Northwest Native Wildlife Gardening - species list, photograph gallery and archived listserv discussions
- Wallace W. Hansen's Native Plant Nursery Gardening with Natives Webpage - species lists by site, suggestions for gardening for wildlife and lots of photographs
- 12,000 Rain Gardens - resources to help Puget Sound area homeowners plan and build rain gardens
Soils
- Natural Resource Conservation Service Soils Website - includes the web soil survey, a soil taxonomy text and a glossary of soils terms
- WSU Soils Information - tons of great resources on soils and soil testing from Washington State University
- Soils for Salmon - includes best management practices for soils on construction sites, information on improving soil as part of existing landscapes and a compost amendment rate calculator
Wildlife management
- Non-lethal Beaver Management - compiled by King County, includes a discussion on beaver biology, needs for management and control options
- Beavers, Wetlands & Wildlife - suggestions for protecting plantings, managing flooding, and co-existing with beavers
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Living with Wildlife Series - organized by animal, includes both how to attract and how to deter
Environmental regulations
- WA Department of Ecology Laws and Rules - includes indices of laws and rules and a searchable publications database
- King County's Critical Area, Stormwater and Clearing and Grading Ordinances - includes helpful fact sheets summarizing various regulations
- Pierce County Planning and Land Services - includes links to various ordinances, applications and forms
- Thurston County Resource Stewardship Department - includes links to various ordinances, applications and forms
- WA State Governor's Office of Regulatory Assistance- Environmental Permitting - environmental permit handbook and an environmental service center that can direct individual business and property owners to regional assistance leads
Low Impact Development (LID)
- Washington Stormwater Center - Statewide resource center for LID/green infrustructure, with many useful links
- Low Impact Technical Guidance Manual for Puget Sound' - The technical manual from Puget Sound Partnership updated in 2012, includes explanations of various LID techniques and case studies
- Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington - Step-by-step instructions for designing, building and maintaining a rain garden, updated in 2013
- Puget Sound Rain Gardens - a source of information on rain gardens from WSU Extension Snohomish County
- Habitat Friendly Development Practices - a City of Beaverton, OR site that includes site assessment tips, LID techniques and case studies
Restoration resources for private landowners
- US Fish and Wildlife Coastal Program - provides incentives for the stewardship of fish and wildlife habitat through voluntary conservation and restoration of coastal public and private lands. (Fact sheet on the Puget Sound Coastal Program)
- US Fish and Wildlife Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program - provides financial and technical assistance to foster voluntary restoration projects on private land that benefits listed species
- Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Programs - programs offered include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program among others
- Shore Friendly Program - Resources for shoreline property owners, including technical assistance and financial grants and incentives
- WA Department of Natural Resources - various programs offered for small forest landowners through the Small Forest Landowner Office include the Forest Stewardship Program, Family Forest Fish Passage Program and the Forestry Riparian Easement Program
- Thurston Conservation District - Conservation Districts offer technical assistance and provide restoration resources to residents of their county. Services offered vary by county but may include consulting services, soil testing, equipment rental and native plant sales. Browse the web to find your county's conservation district.
- Hood Canal Coordinating Council - works within the Hood canal watershed and manages a Community Nearshore Restoration Program that provides landowners with stewardship training, technical assistance and plant material in exchange for extending what they have learned to the greater community through workshops, meetings and other events
- Non-profit organizations that offer restoration services to private landowners through conservation easements include the Nature Conservancy, People for Puget Sound and many other land trusts and non-profit environmental organizations.
- Consider donating to a land trust. In the south sound area, Capitol Land Trust, Nisqually Land Trust, and Bainbridge Island Land Trust are busy conserving and restoring local habitats..
Restoration ecology web tools
- Plant Quantity Calculator - an interactive webpage on our website
- King County Native Plant Guide - very useful tool for selecting native plants based on their growth form, physical traits, and environmental requirements
- Plant Identification Key - search the University of Washington's WTU Herbarium online photographic collection through this web form
- Winter Tree and Shrub Key - search the University of Washington's WTU Herbarium online photographic collection through this web form targeting plant characteristics visible during the winter
- Irrigation Schedule Calculator - developed by the Irrigation Water Management Society for the Seattle area, enter the type of irrigation system and plant material and this web page will calculate the ideal irrigation schedule
- Starflower Education Resources - Archived education resources from the defunct Starflower Foundation, curated by the Washington Native Plant Society, include K-8 habitat lesson plans and activities, native plant ID cards, and an extensive image library