Welcome to the first episode of Seeds for Change, a podcast by the Institute for Applied Ecology! Today’s episode is special not only because is it the first full episode of our podcast, but it also features the person that made all of this possible. And that person is none other than Tom Kaye. Tom Kaye is the Executive Director of the Institute for Applied Ecology. He founded our growing conservation nonprofit back in 1999. You’ll hear him say it in this episode, but as he recalls it, IAE started with him, a couple of grad students, and a dream of studying rare plants here in Oregon. Tom has been called (including by us) a "superstar botanist" of Oregon, and you’ll hear him humbly deny it, but we still think it’s true. We’ll hear from him about his journey through academia and summer jobs all the way to where he is now, leading an organization dedicated to conservation and restoration ecology across 10 bioregions. Listen in to learn about Tom's journey, and how IAE got started. Please share and help us get the word out about Seeds for Change! We are looking forward to highlighting a variety of conservation topics and guests over the next year, with a focus on the work we do collectively to conserve native ecosystems on-the-ground. We are grateful for your listenership and support as we begin this journey through the conservation field with all of you! Stay tuned for Episode 2—which will feature an interview highlighting the work of restoration ecologists in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Music is provided by Scott Holmes under a free Creative Commons License: https://scottholmesmusic.com/