In case you missed the SEFS Graduation fun last Friday, we had a packed ceremony followed by a terrific reception in the Anderson Hall courtyard–where beaming families and friends enjoyed perfect sunshine and enough cupcakes to put their kids in orbit for a week!
We put together a brief slideshow to capture some of the energy, so take a look at the final send-off for our latest graduating class!
Photos © Karl Wirsing/SEFS.
What better way to end the academic year and kick off the graduation celebrations than with one more thesis defense!
You are invited to join Katherine Wyatt as she defends her research, “Riparian Vegetation Structure and Composition in the Fire-Dependent Ecosystem of Eastern Washington,” on Thursday, June 13, at 11 a.m. in Bloedel 292.
Centered in the fire-dependent ecosystem of Eastern Washington, this study explores patterns of riparian vegetation structure and composition as well as the relative role of natural and anthropogenic processes. Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project photo-interpreted resource aerial photos, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) were used to compare riparian to upland areas, summarize the range of vegetation conditions present in the second half of the 20th century, and correlate vegetation with processes on the landscape. The spatial extent of the study was the Tapash Sustainable Forest Collaborative, offering multiple agencies the local best science needed for effective management. This field of work contributes not only to our understanding of a historically fire-dependent ecosystem, but also to the role of riparian areas within them.
Wyatt’s committee chair is Professor Ernesto Alvarado, and her other members are David Peterson and Richard Harrod.
Photo © Katherine Wyatt.
For the SEFS graduation celebration this Friday, June 14, we are extremely pleased to welcome Professor Thomas Maness, Dean of the College of Forestry at Oregon State University, as the keynote speaker. A SEFS alumnus, Maness is a leading voice in forestry research and education, and he brings an incredible wealth of professional and academic experience from across the United States and Canada.
Thomas Maness
We caught up with Dean Maness this week as he prepares to address the latest class of SEFS graduates. Reflecting on his time as a doctoral student at UW in the 1980s, he spoke of the promising career landscape today’s students can find in the forestry and natural sciences fields.
“Right now there’s a huge opportunity for graduates because so many people who had started their careers in the 1970s and ‘80s are retiring now,” says Maness. “I remember when I graduated, the problem was that the pipeline was full and it was difficult to get promoted. That’s not true now. You see it everywhere, in land management and public agencies or private companies, it’s all the same—there are a lot of opportunities for promotion and career advancement.”
One of the keys to success as a new applicant or employee, he says, will be your approach to work. “I think attitude is everything. Graduates are coming out and they now know the language, but they have to learn the culture. They have to work hard, be responsible and want to learn. That’s what companies are looking for: People who can socialize into their organizations really quickly and be decision-makers.”
Just as important in this profession is being able to present yourself and your ideas, he says. “I think communication is key. To survive in natural resources, you have to have really good communication skills. It doesn’t matter if you’re an economist or an ecologist, you’ve got to be able to connect with people.”
We won’t scoop his talk any further, and we look forward to hearing more on Friday!
The SEFS Graduation Celebration will run from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Kane Hall 120. A reception will directly follow in the Anderson Hall courtyard.
About the Speaker
Maness, who lives in Corvallis, Ore., with his wife Nicole, earned his Bachelor’s degree in forest management from West Virginia University in 1979, and then a Master’s in forest operations at Virginia Tech in 1981. He then headed west to work for Weyerhaeuser Company as a forest engineer in the Klamath Falls region of Oregon. His responsibilities ranged from developing forest-planning models, to conducting financial analyses for large-scale capital projects, to designing and installing manufacturing optimization systems for West Coast sawmills.
From Weyerhaeuser, Maness returned to school and earned his doctorate in forest economics from the College of Forest Resources at UW (now SEFS). He then joined the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia, where he served in various capacities for 20 years.
His career highlights are many, including founding the Canadian National Centre of Excellence in Advanced Wood Processing, as well as the BC Forum on Forest Economics and Policy. He led an effort to design and implement a completely new undergraduate program at UBC, which won the Yves Landry Foundation Award for the most innovative Canadian university-level manufacturing technology program in 2002. Later, in 2008, Maness served as senior policy analyst with the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C., researching and writing on climate mitigation and wood energy policy. He joined OSU’s College of Forestry in 2009 and in 2012 became dean of the College of Forestry and director of the Oregon Forest Research Laboratory.
Maness’ research interests include developing innovative forest policies and practices to balance the production of traditional forest products with society’s expanding need for ecosystem services, energy and climate mitigation. He has also developed and taught courses in Forest & Conservation Economics, Sustainable Forest Management and Quality Management.
Photo of Dean Maness © Oregon State College of Forestry
At 9:30 a.m. tomorrow on Tuesday, June 11, Rosemary Baker will be presenting her Master of Environmental Horticulture research in the Douglass Classroom at the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH): “Elwha Revegetation Project: 2012 Lake Aldwell Seeding Trials.”
Lake Aldwell/Elwha River, 2012
Landmark restoration of the Elwha River by the Olympic National Park and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe began in 2011 and involves planting native woody trees, shrubs, grasses and forbs throughout two recently exposed reservoirs. Revegetating by direct seed application supplements these efforts and is intended to speed ecosystem processes by quickly adding organic matter and building soils on fine and coarse glacial sediments. Revegetation efforts are expected to reduce sediment erosion on valley walls and terraces and assist in the natural succession process within the context of restoring relatively pristine riparian habitat for the return of salmonids following a 100-year absence from the Elwha River.
Practical seeding methods and several species mixes were tested on the shoreline of former Lake Aldwell in 2012 and monitored for successful germination, initial growth and resulting stand densities through the summer drought period. Colonization by priority weeds and native tree and shrub recruitment was also assessed.
So make your way to CUH to hear Baker talk about her work during the past two years and its context within the restoration of the Elwha River. All are welcome!
Image © Rosemary Baker.
A group of University of Washington (UW) students—led by the College Greens and the Student Association for Green Environments (SAGE)—is calling on the University to divest its endowment from fossil fuels and take concrete action against climate change.
Two students leading the charge of the “Divest UW” campaign are Sarra Tekola from the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and Robert Marsh from the Program on the Environment. They and other supporters are running a petition and gathering further backing, on top of their endorsement from the ASUW Student Senate, in the run-up to a presentation before the UW Board of Regents on Thursday, June 13, at 12:30 p.m., and a simultaneous rally on the HUB lawn. Regents meetings are open to the public, and organizers are hoping to pack the room to exercise their political voice as students in favor of divestment.
What is divestment? Championed by Bill McKibben and 350.org on the national scale, the divestment movement seeks to effect broad social change by shifting investment away from fossil fuel companies and other direct drivers of climate change. McKibben is widely known for his “Do the Math” tour, during which he traveled the country stressing that if we’re going to keep global temperatures rising less than 2°C, then we can only allow about 565 gigatons more CO2 into the atmosphere in the next four decades or so before reaching a tipping point, after which life as we know it will be fundamentally altered. However, says Tekola, the amount of carbon contained in the proven coal, oil and gas reserves of national oil companies and private corporations is about five times higher than that—roughly 2,796 gigatons—and burning all of it would have disastrous results.
The Divest UW campaign, in turn, is focusing on the UW’s reputation for environmental sustainability and stewardship—and how taking a stand on divestment would make a huge statement about the importance of investing in a cleaner energy future right now.
It’s true, says Tekola, that the UW’s direct investment in fossil fuel companies—which is variable, but right now represents about $10 million of a total $2.2 billion endowment—won’t make a big individual impact on the profitability of these companies. But hurting stock prices isn’t the immediate goal. The deeper aim, she says, is to revoke their social license and to put public pressure on these industries. And the only way to combat the financial and political leverage these companies hold is with a mass movement, and with universities at the forefront of social change. Seven other colleges have already divested, and another 300 other campuses have campaigns going on just like Divest UW, so the momentum is growing. On top of that, Tekola says that Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has pledged to divest the city’s general fund from fossil fuels.
Tekola and Marsh cite multiple studies that divestment won’t harm the UW’s endowment or endanger its financial viability. To the contrary, they argue that divestment will put UW on safer long-term financial ground. The Divest UW campaign is designed to hedge against increased risk and potential profit losses, and to preserve the health of the endowment for future generations of students.
A similar divestment tactic, says Tekola, was effective with the tobacco industry, which had stymied health science, label laws and taxes through incredible congressional influence until scientists and universities joined forces to sound the alarm of the dangers of cigarettes.
Now, the Divest UW campaign is hoping to overcome the assault against climate change science. Their message is clear: There is no possible way fossil fuel industries can continue business as usual while preserving a stable climate, and investing in a business-as-usual scenario presents incredible financial, social and ethical risks to the UW endowment.
“Climate change isn’t something that only affects polar bears,” says Tekola. “It will submerge Harbor Island and the shores of West Seattle and South Park, and we are already seeing the impacts. Last year the Atlantic Ocean was in the subways of New York City, on top of it being one of the hottest years on records, there is no denying climate change is here. Continued support for the use and investment in fossil fuels is signing a blank check for the destruction of our home. There are many better alternatives, but first we have to take a stand. Supporting divestment is about protecting our future.”
Divest UW is an entirely student-led initiative, and you can find more information, sources for statistics and information, and studies regarding the impact of divestment on an endowment financially on the group’s Facebook page or website.
Camila Haristoy
Want to see the forest from a different perspective? Then strap in for some high-flying research as Camila Haristoy defends her dissertation in the Forest Club Room this Monday, June 10, at 10 a.m.!
“Above and Below the Canopy of Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum): Canopy Soils, Litterfall and Decomposition in an Old-Growth Temperate Rainforest”
Epiphytes play critical functional roles in ecosystems by capturing rain, transforming nutrients and providing habitat for canopy-dwelling organisms that are often habitat specialists. Few studies have examined the transfer of epiphytes from the canopy to the forest floor, or how decomposition differs between the canopy and forest floor environment in coastal temperate forest ecosystems.
In her study, Haristoy examined canopy soils, epiphytic litterfall and decomposition of materials associated with bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) in an old-growth temperate forest at the Queets River watershed, Olympic National Park. An enhanced understanding of the movement of epiphytes can provide ecological insights into processes and dynamics of these complex forest ecosystems, and provide conservation strategies for managers.
Haristoy’s committee is co-chaired by Professor Darlene Zabowski and Nalini Nadkarni, and other members include SEFS Professors Bob Edmonds and Jerry Franklin, along with Marcia Ciol.
Images © Camila Haristoy.
Like the last bite of birthday cake, or the day after Christmas, you knew the good times had to end. Beg and plead as you might, the SEFS Seminar Series for the Spring Quarter could not go on forever. But we do have one last hurrah, one final romp through the fields of discovery, this Wednesday, June 5, at 3:30 p.m., when Michelle Trudeau takes the stage!
Trudeau, director of Student and Academic Services, will be exploring the long-term patterns and trajectory of SEFS enrollment. Are we on a rollercoaster or climbing a mountain? Why do enrollment figures change so much, especially with our undergraduate numbers? How and why have our programs evolved into what we offer today, and how do these changes relate to our enrollment? For these answers and many more, come join Trudeau and get a glimpse of where we stand in comparison to our peer institutions around the nation.
What: “SEFS Student Enrollment: Past, Future and National Trends”
When: Wednesday, June 5, 3:30-4:20 p.m.
Where: Anderson Hall, Room 223
Who’s Invited: It’s open to the public, and all faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend!
Come out and join your colleagues, and then head over to the Forest Club Room afterward for a casual reception from 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Undergraduate Enrollment Report, 1989 to present
This Thursday, June 6, from 2 to 4 p.m., stop by the Forest Club Room to check out the fruits of a wide range of undergraduate research projects!
It looks like we’ll have at least 17 senior Environmental Science and Resource Management (ESRM) majors presenting posters, and they’ll be on hand to talk about their research—covering everything from endophytic yeasts to barred owls and storm water. Which is to say, there will be something for everyone!
Check out the poster below for specific presentations and student presenters:
Coming up this Thursday, June 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., the University of Washington Restoration Ecology Network (UW-REN) invites you to join in their 14th Annual Capstone Symposium and Celebration!
Multidisciplinary teams from three UW campuses have been working for eight months to restore damaged ecosystems for community-based clients in the Puget Sound area. At the event, capstone participants will lead a poster and multimedia presentation of the restoration projects they designed, organized and installed, and you’ll be able to examine the innovative, science-based approaches our students developed and used. Their projects are part of an award-winning capstone program that has involved more than 450 students, 38 community partners and 84 restoration projects during the past 14 years.
Opening remarks will begin promptly at 6 p.m. at the Douglas Research Conservatory Greenhouse at the Center for Urban Horticulture (3501 NE 41st St., Seattle, WA 98105); see map below.
No RSVP required, and refreshments will be provided. So come learn about all of the amazing restoration work your friends and colleagues have carried out this year!
If you have any questions, please contact Lindsey Hamilton, symposium coordinator.
Two weekends ago, a group of eight SEFS students headed out to the Methow Valley, north of Lake Chelan in eastern Washington, for two days of focused field study with Professor Emeritus Tom Hinckley.
Students coring a Ponderosa Pine.
Helping to lead the course (ESRM 491B) were two SEFS alumni: Susan Prichard, a fire and landscape ecologist stationed in Winthrop, and Connie Mehmel, a forest entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service at the Forest Insect and Disease Service Center in Wenatchee. Prichard and Mehmel worked with the students to understand eastside forest dynamics and the roles that climate, introduced and native insects and diseases, fire and fire suppression have on forests—from the stand to the landscape level. Students contrasted an unmanaged stand with a stand undergoing a recent forest restoration prescription, and how these two different stands would have different vulnerabilities to fire, insects and pathogens.
The next day, students met with Brian Fisher of the Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation to learn about riparian systems and human impacts (positive and negative) on these systems.
It was the first time Hinckley had organized this particular field trip, which he offered as an offshoot of his long-running “Spring Comes to the Cascades” course. The crew drove out late Friday afternoon and returned Sunday evening, and the goal was to focus more intensively and comprehensively on one study area.
“Usually, when I do field trips and we’re out walking, we don’t ever stay in one place for more than 20 minutes,” says Hinckley. “But we stayed in this one location for close to four hours. We cored trees, looked at the soil, measured and identified all the trees and seedlings, and identified all the coverage of the understory plants. Students really gained some firsthand knowledge in how to do a study.”
The class represented a wide range of backgrounds and majors, as well as undergrads and graduate students. Depending on their feedback, Hinckley says there’s potential to expand the course in the future, or to venture to new regions of the state—such as the North Cascades Base Camp.
Photo © Tom Hinckley.