About ORBIC

The Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (ORBIC) is part of the Institute for Natural Resources (INR) and is based at Portland State University. INR is a cooperative enterprise of Oregon's public universities and has headquarters at Oregon State University and offices at Portland State University. INR's mission is to inform natural resources decision making by integrating knowledge and information. 

ORBIC leads INR's activities related to biodiversity and conservation. ORBIC's key function is to maintain, develop and distribute biodiversity information in the state. ORBIC also coordinates projects on biodiversity monitoring and provides technical assistance for the Oregon Natural Areas Program. ORBIC works with a variety of agency, non-profit, and private partners and is a member of the NatureServe network.   

Staff profiles are available on the Institute for Natural Resource's Staff Directory.

History

While its name has changed several times since its inception in 1979, the core goals of ORBIC have remained the same, and the office has always been located in Portland, Oregon. The center continues to work with partners to provide the most comprehensive information on plants, wildlife, fish, fungi, and vegetation throughout Oregon.

The program was originally named the Oregon Natural Heritage Program and was formed by the Oregon Legislature in 1979. The program was housed at The Nature Conservancy of Oregon, where it was later renamed to the Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center (ORNHIC).

In 2001 the Oregon legislature established the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University, and the program became part of INR-OSU in 2002. Staff became OSU employees, but the organization retained its physical location at The Nature Conservancy's Portland office. 

In 2010 the program physically and administratively moved to Portland State University and the program changed its name to the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (ORBIC). Staff are now a mix of OSU and PSU employees. As of 2015 the program is physically located in the Science and Education Center at Portland State University and is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. ORBIC continues to be part of the Institute for Natural Resources and works closely with the staff housed at the Corvallis office.

 

 

 

Employment


Research Assistant position now open: Invasive Species, Field Surveys, Seed Banking 

INR is hiring a Research Assistant to work with INR and other departments at PSU to perform a range of field and office based tasks related to invasive species, rare species, and seed banking. The full position description and how to apply can be found on the PSU Job Board, post #41122. Applications will be reviewed immediately with interviews scheduled later in March. Questions can be directed to Eleanor Gaines or Gabriel Campell.

Lotic AIM Seasonal Positions for 2023 Now Hiring

INR is now hiring seasonal positions for Lotic Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring field work for the 2023 season. Details and instructions on how to apply can be found in the position announcements: Botanist Announcement, Crew Lead Announcement, Field Technician Announcement. Questions can be directed to Matthew Foli, program manager.

Faculty and Staff Positions

Staff positions will be posted to the PSU and OSU job boads, when available.

Student Positions

We occasionally have paid student positions open. You must be enrolled as a student at PSU and taking either 6 or more undergraduate credits or 5 or more graduate credits to be eligible. Student positions are posted on PSU's Handshake careers site.

Volunteering and Internships

We are always looking for volunteers; if you are interested please contact us. PSU students may be eligible for course credit.