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Lumber Support

For the annual Sustaining Our World Lecture, coming up on April 10 from 6-7 p.m. in Kane Hall 210, we're extremely pleased to welcome Michael Green of Michael Green Architecture! In his talk, “PLANT CUT BUILD REPEAT: Natural solutions to complex problems,” Green will explore the possibilities of building tall with wood—including structures up to 30 stories high—and the importance of using local, renewable resources as an integral component of sustainable design. The lecture is free and open to the public, but please RSVP in advance to make sure we have enough seating!

BLOG BITS

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Video: Growing Gardens in Peru

High in the desert hills on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, a team of UW designers and researchers worked with community members to design and construct 29 household gardens. The work is part of a parallel project involving Professor Susan Bolton and her fog-catching research in Peru, so take a look!

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Alumni Career Mentoring Event: April 16

From 4 to 6 p.m. in the Forest Club Room, Xi Sigma Pi and the SEFS Alumni Group will be co-hosting a career mentoring session for students to network with alumni working in the public and private sectors, including representatives from Weyerhaeuser, King County and the Stockholm Environmental Institute.

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Video: Farm to Table at the UW Farm

Last week, UW Housing & Food Services released a fun video that introduces the UW Farm and the students and staff who work to bring the food from the farm to the various dining locations on the UW campus. Check out the short clip!

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Video: The Ecology of Fear

Want to know how wolves are shaping local ecosystems in the forests of eastern Washington? Then check out a great new video from QUEST, which features Professor Aaron Wirsing, one of his graduate students, Justin Dellinger, and some of their research exploring why wolves and other top predators are crucial for healthy ecosystems and biodiversity.

UPCOMING EVENTS


Mar. 31, 2014:

Wildlife Science Seminar, 3:30-4:30 p.m., ARC 137

April 1, 2014:

SEFS Seminar Series, 3:30-4:30 p.m., AND 223

April 10, 2014:

Sustaining Our World Lecture, 6-7 p.m., Kane 210

April 27, 2014:

SEFS Spring Gathering, 4-7 p.m., CUH

 

GET INVOLVED

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ANNOUNCEMENTS & KUDOS

In case you missed the announcement last Friday, we were sad to report the departure of Ellen Matheny, who has accepted an administrative position with the Washington Student Achievement Council in Olympia. Matheny has been director of education and outreach at the Olympic Natural Resources Center for 11 years, and she leaves a big hole in the SEFS community. Her last day was Friday, and we wish her the very best in her new position!

In happier news, the kudos have been coming in fast and furious lately, and we hardly know where to start. But since we have to begin somewhere, we’ll kick things off with some resounding kudos for the UW Botanic Gardens Education Team, which was nominated for a UW Distinguished Staff Award! This tremendous crew includes Jessica Farmer, Wendy Gibble, Katherine Harrington, Sarah Heller, Sasha McGuire, Patrick Mulligan and Lisa Sanphillippo. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on April 3, so wish them luck!

We also have some big kudos for four of our undergrads who mentored young students as part of the 2014 Bryant Elementary Science Fair! For this program, which involves community outreach during an eight- to nine-week period, mentors provide their expertise in the scientific process and serve as inspiring role models for the students, who greatly benefit from exposure to adult mentors who are planning to pursue a career in the sciences. We had four ESRM majors participate this year: Sang Cho, Danielle Flanagan, Ben Saari and Alison Sienkiewicz. Fantastic work!

We’ll keep the kudos rolling with some hearty congratulations for SEFS undergrad Sophia Winkler-Schor, who was recently awarded a Mary Gates Research Scholarship. Winkler-Schor is one of several students working with doctoral candidate Jason Scullion in the Vogt lab, and this scholarship award is for her 2014 summer research. It will support her travel to Peru and Bolivia to participate in the development and implementation of several projects related to Scullion’s research.

One final round of kudos belongs to Professor Monika Moskal and the Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis Lab (RSGAL), which earned a SILVER level in the UW Green Laboratory Certification Program. Nicely done, RSGAL! They join Professor Sharon Doty’s Plant Microbiology Lab (SILVER) and the DeLuca Lab (GOLD). Are we missing any others?

On the hiring front, we are excited to announce the search for an Outreach & Communications Specialist! The position, posted as full-time, temporary (12 months to start), will help plan and organize a range of school events, forums, seminars and other initiatives, as well as expand outreach for these programs. Please pass the job posting to friends and colleagues who might be a great fit!

Down in Olympia on March 12, four SEFS faculty members, including Professors Bruce Bare, Ivan Eastin, John Perez-Garcia and John Marzluff, made presentations before the Washington State House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. They were updating the committee on three research projects that are partially supported by McIntire-Stennis funds. The presentations are available for download at the Institute of Forest Resources.

Check out the spring schedule for the Wildlife Science Seminar, which kicks off on Monday, March 31. Professor Chris Grue of the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences will be leading the course this quarter, and topics range widely from killer whales to bats in the Peruvian Amazon to birds in suburban Seattle. The seminars are held on Mondays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Architecture (ARC) Hall, Room 147.

In other news, our friends at the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS) passed along word of some training opportunities this spring to become a Native Plant Steward and help restore King County’s forests!

PUBLICATIONS

Don’t forget to send in publications involving you or your students!

SEFS IN THE PRESS

Same goes for news clips—lots of media out there, so don’t hesitate to send along any stories you come across, whether in a small town newspaper, magazine, website or major daily!

ALUMNI UPDATES

The annual SEFS Alumni Spring Gathering is coming up on Sunday, April 27, at the Center for Urban Horticulture. This year’s event will be a potluck-style barbecue from 4-7 p.m., and in addition to other activities we’ll be honoring the career of Jim Brown, class of ’62, for his decades of work in forestry. Look for more information out later this week, but it is not too early to RSVP, and you can email Cynthia Welte, one of the event organizers, with any questions!