SPROUT's mission is to develop the use of plants and plant material for environmental sustainability purposes, through the development of new techniques, new plants, and new propagation methods.

SPROUT will sponsor on-site research in this emerging field, engaging in partnerships with practitioners and researchers, and providing matching resource s for on-site research and demonstration. SPROUT will use the visibility of the Oregon Garden to provide outreach on research results, and will actively work to integrate research efforts with public policy and business development.

Vision

SPROUT’s larger purpose is to make Oregon an international center for the research and development of plants for environmental purposes, creating linkages between researchers and practitioners and creating new business opportunities. By advancing knowledge and encouraging new investment in this developing technology, SPROUT can play a critical role both in Oregon’s economy and in protecting our environment.

Oregon’s international reputation as an environmental leader makes SPROUT well positioned to become a center for new plant technologies and make a substantial contribution toward a more sustainable environment and economy. (Though the word “sustainable” can have many meanings, in this context it refer s to the long-term success of processes that integrate the needs of people and wildlife without impacting the environment beyond its point of self-recovery.)

Strategic Plan

A strategic plan was adopted by the Research Council in May, 2004 and addresses the following major areas:

1. The most appropriate research “niche” for SPROUT
2. The nature of the research partnerships
3. Choosing and funding research partnerships
4. Outreach targets and methods

 SPROUT is focused on integrating the efforts of scientists, practitioners, educators, and policy makers to identify problems, create solutions utilizing plant material, and make the solutions available for implementation. SPROUT begins by “putting plants to work”- utilizing the structural and physiological capabilities of plants to accomplish tasks in the environment. Through subsequent research and development of new techniques or new plant material, SPROUT can open up business opportunities for these new products/ services and become an important engine for sustainable economic growth. As the business opportunities are expanded, the new techniques/ plant material become more readily available to practitioners who are managing our natural resources. The increased use of these environmental plant solutions, by professionals and homeowners, will suggest or direct curriculum and policy changes that will enhance our large-scale environmental management abilities. In a whole systems approach such as this, there is no single ‘end result’ but instead a cycling of perpetual results that create a sustainable bridge between economic and environmental growth. Don’t forget the original hero here - the green plant.