It might be impossible, and perhaps undesirable, to recreate the landscape of the region as it was hundreds of years ago. But there is a benefit in emphasizing native plants over imports, encouraging the growth of green things that have proven to be acclimated to our region. And that, in a nutshell, is the driving force of The Understory Initiative, headquartered in Medford.
The basic goal is the restoration and conservation of native species habitat, with multiple partners and members of the community involved. Kathryn Prive is Board Chair and Executive Director at TUI, and she visits the JX with details of the vision and the work.