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    March 2022

    Feature Story

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    Mar 4, 2022
    • Weather
    • Ecology

    Spring blooms to watch for in the Seattle area

    Cherry blossoms UW
    A cherry tree in bloom on the UW Quad

    Though Seattle’s weather can be fickle in the spring, with fleeting hints of warmth between long spells of cold and rain, the Puget Sound region is home to stunning buds and blossoms that remind locals summer is just around the corner.

    “Spring is my favorite time of the year for observing plants, because I love the anticipation and getting to watch things change week to week,” said Ray Larson, curator of Living Collections at the UW Botanic Gardens. “Summer weather is the best, but in terms of flowers, everything gets really good between February and May.”

    Not too hot, not too cold

    The old saying goes that summer doesn’t start in western Washington until the 5th of July. Our famously long, sometimes dreary springs might not be much fun for humans in search of sunny hikes and picnics, but they’re ideal conditions for a wide variety of plants.

    “Our long springs generally result in longer flowering times for a lot of these plants,” Larson explained. “We warm up earlier than other places, but more gradually, so leaves expand a little slower and when flowers bloom they hang around for quite a while.” Non-native plants also benefit from this temperate climate, making the area west of the Cascades prime real estate for decorative species from across the globe.

    To bloom, or not to bloom?

    But how do flowers and leaves know it’s safe to come out? “For most plants, it’s largely dependent on the amount of daylight, and they’re pretty good at sensing those changes,” Larson said. “Most of the variation we see from one year to the next is due to temperature fluctuations — particularly soil temperature, because the roots are much more sensitive than the buds and bark that are exposed all winter. If we have a particularly warm or cold winter and early spring, buds might emerge a few weeks earlier or later than average.”

    Sometimes, though, warm weather early in the season can cause plants to jump the gun and bloom too early. When cold weather returns, many will go dormant again until it passes, and heavy frosts can kill off the flowers they spent so much energy producing.

    “It can really be a problem some years, especially when you start dealing with agricultural plants,” Larson said. “A false spring that lasts a long time can cause big losses in seed or fruit production later on.”

    Fortunately, though, most plants can tolerate a year or two of these setbacks, and return with their usual displays the following spring.

    What to look for each month

    From the understated green clusters of the native bigleaf maple to the magnificent Japanese cherry blossoms on the UW quad, the western Washington landscape offers something new every month.


    February


    SnowdropCommon snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)

    When they bloom: February
    What to look for: These understated bulbs produce drooping, bell-shaped, snow-white flowers atop short stems.
    Native to: Europe

     

     

    DaffodilDaffodil (genus Narcissus)

    When they bloom: Mid-February
    What to look for: There are many varieties of daffodils, but the most common ones display a trumpet-like flower surrounded by a ring of tepals, often in yellow or white.
    Native to: The Mediterranean region

     

     

    Cornelian cherryCornelian cherry (Cornus mas)

    When they bloom: Late February
    What to look for: This dogwood species (not a true cherry) is a large shrub that produces clusters of small, yellow flowers early in the season before its leaves emerge.
    Native to: Southern Europe and southwestern Asia


    March


    TulipTulip (genus Tulipa)

    When they bloom: March to early May, depending on varietal
    What to look for: One of the most iconic spring bulbs, the tulip’s distinctive, cup-shaped flowers come in countless colors and patterns thanks to centuries of selective breeding.
    Native to: Southern Europe and central Asia

     

     

    Purple leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera)

    When they bloom: Early to mid-March
    What to look for: This is one of the earliest trees you’ll see blooming in large numbers around Puget Sound, with lots of small, fragrant, white or pale pink flowers.
    Native to: Southeast Europe, western Asia

     

     

    Red flowering currantRed-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

    When they bloom: Early to mid-March
    What to look for: This west-coast native shrub produces dangling clusters of red flowers, or racemes, that are a favorite of hummingbirds, butterflies and bees in early spring.
    Native to: Western North America

     

     

    Cherry blossomsCherry (Prunus subgenus Cerasus)

    When they bloom: Late March
    What to look for: You can find countless varieties of “true cherries” in Seattle, but perhaps the most famous are the Japanese cherry trees on the UW Quad, which produce huge quantities of pink, aromatic blossoms in March.
    Native to: Asia, North America, North Africa and Europe

     

     

    Chinese magnoliaChinese magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana)

    When they bloom: Late March to early April
    What to look for: This hybrid magnolia tree, also known as the saucer magnolia or tulip magnolia, sends out large (4-8 inches across) pink, maroon and white flowers on its leafless branches.
    Native to: China

     

     

    Callery pearCallery pear (Pyrus calleryana)

    When they bloom: Late March to early April
    What to look for: A medium-sized deciduous tree, the Callery pear produces clusters of small, white flowers while its leaves are still developing.
    Native to: China and Vietnam

     

     

    Bigleaf maple flowersBigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)

    When they bloom: March through April
    What to look for: Though this staple of the Pacific Northwest is most famous for its enormous leaves, the clusters of small, pale green flowers it sends out alongside the young leaves are equally fascinating.
    Native to: Western North America


    April


    Full-moon mapleFull-moon maple (Acer japonicum)

    When they bloom: Early April
    What to look for: Take a close look at this Japanese maple in the spring and you’ll be treated to dainty clusters of small, deep red flowers, often crawling with happy bees and hummingbirds.
    Native to: Japan, Korea

     

     

    Korean dogwoodKorean dogwood (Cornus kousa)

    When they bloom: Late April to early May
    What to look for: Notable for producing its blossoms well after its leaves have filled out, this medium-sized dogwood tree develops white, modified leaves, known as bracts, in groups of four in late spring.
    Native to: Korea, China and Japan


    May


    RhododendronsRhododendron (genus Rhododendron)

    When they bloom: Early May
    What to look for: Many varieties of Washington’s state flower (and its relative, the azalea) grow in the UW Botanic Gardens’ Rhododendron Glen, where their blooms vary widely in size and shape, with most being white, pink or red in color.
    Native to: North America, Europe and Asia

     

     

    Pacific DogwoodPacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)

    When they bloom: Late May
    What to look for: The Pacific Northwest’s native dogwood is a later bloomer than most, making its large, white flowers even more prominent in late spring.
    Native to: Western North America

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    Mar 3, 2022
    • Ecology

    Farms following soil-friendly practices grow healthier food, study suggests

    A person holds soil from a regenerative farm (blacker soil on the left) for comparison with soil from neighboring, conventional farm (right).
    David Montgomery/University of Washington
    A person holds soil from a regenerative farm (blacker soil on the left) for comparison with soil from neighboring, conventional farm (right).

    Everyone knows eating fruits and vegetables is good for your health. But these days, stores offer a dizzying array of options: organic, conventional, CSAs, local agriculture. Which ones are best for your health?

    A new study, published in January in the journal PeerJ, looks at how regenerative farming practices — soil-building techniques that minimize plowing, use cover crops, and plant diverse crops — affect the nutritional content of the food.

    Results of the preliminary experiment, which included 10 farms across the U.S., show that the crops from farms following soil-friendly practices for at least five years had a healthier nutritional profile than the same crops grown on neighboring, conventional farms. Results showed a boost in certain minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals that benefit human health.

    “We couldn’t find studies that related directly to how the health of the soil affects what gets into crops,” said lead author David Montgomery, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences. “So we did the experiment that we wished was out there.”

    Montgomery designed the study during research for his upcoming book, “What Your Food Ate,” due out in June.

    Read more at UW News »

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    Mar 10, 2022
    • Awards and Honors

    Tim Essington to serve as director of the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences

    Aquatic and Fishery Sciences' Tim Essington.The UW College of the Environment is pleased to announce that Professor Tim Essington has agreed to serve for a five-year term as director of the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, effective July 1, 2022.

    Essington is a fisheries ecologist, whose research focuses on the application of ecological knowledge to sustain fisheries and ecosystems. He has an active research program in Puget Sound examining consequences of climate change, hypoxia, and nearshore restoration on food webs, and he is also well known for his global syntheses of fish and fisheries data to reveal ecosystem responses to fishing. Essington also has extensive leadership experience within the School as a former Associate Director, member of School Council, Graduate Program Coordinator, and Director of the Center for Quantitative Science.

    “The Search Committee highlighted the shared recognition that while the School is an influential leader in fishery research and education and is deeply engaged with stakeholders, there is a strong sense that the people of SAFS and the mutual respect and admiration among them are the School’s greatest strength,” said Dean Maya Tolstoy. “I look forward to working with Tim and all of you to help maintain the excellence of the School within a culture that welcomes and supports all faculty, postdocs, staff and students.”

    The search committee included John Marzluff (professor, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences), Michele Conrad (Director, Finance & Administration), Suzanne Hawley  (Professor, Department of Astronomy) and Daniel Schindler (professor, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences).

    The College would also like to thank André Punt for his service as the outgoing director.

    “André has held this role since 2012 and in the short time I have worked with him, I have really appreciated his thoughtful and collaborative leadership style, and the humor, energy, and enthusiasm with which he supports the work at SAFS,” said Tolstoy.

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    Mar 3, 2022
    • Marine Science
    • Ecology

    Moon jellies appear to be gobbling up zooplankton in Puget Sound

    This aerial view shows the RV Rachel Carson inside a moon jelly aggregation on August 25, 2021, in Quartermaster Harbor. The concentration of tiny marine life known as copepods inside the moon jelly aggregation was as low as a quarter of the levels in other parts of the bay.
    University of Washington
    This aerial view shows the RV Rachel Carson inside a moon jelly aggregation on August 25, 2021, in Quartermaster Harbor. The concentration of tiny marine life known as copepods inside the moon jelly aggregation was as low as a quarter of the levels in other parts of the bay.

    Swarms of jellies have been seen more frequently in Puget Sound over the past several decades, and some biologists speculate these fast-growing jellyfish will do especially well in the warmer oceans of the future.

    Moon jellies, or Aurelia labiata, are unique among the various jellyfish species inhabiting Puget Sound in that they form vast blooms. When populations spike, they can take over a single bay — creating a dramatic sight.

    University of Washington-led research suggests moon jellies are feasting on zooplankton, the various tiny animals that drift with the currents, in the bays they inhabit. This could affect other hungry marine life, like juvenile salmon or herring — especially if predictions are correct and climate change will favor fast-growing jellyfish.

    The team, which included researchers at Highline College, Western Washington University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, presented this work March 2 as a poster at the Ocean Sciences Meeting.

    “These aggregations can contain thousands to millions of individuals, and they can cover a broad range of space,” said lead author Haila Schultz, a UW graduate student in oceanography. “It’s kind of really amazing to see these aggregations when you run into them, oftentimes in protected bays.”

    Read more at UW News »

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    Mar 16, 2022
    • Awards and Honors

    Becky Alexander reappointed as director of the Program on Climate Change

    A headshot of Becky Alexander on the left, and a headshot of LuAnne Thompson on the rightBecky Alexander has agreed to be reappointed as director of the Program on Climate Change (PCC), effective Sept. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2025. Alexander is expecting to take a one-year sabbatical for AY22-23, so LuAnne Thompson will be serving as acting director, effective Sept. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2023.

    Alexander is an atmospheric chemist in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences who studies the feedbacks that arise between climate change and the chemical composition of the atmosphere. In addition to serving as the PCC Director since 2019, she was initially hired by the UW as one of a number of new faculty hires spearheaded by the PCC to promote interdisciplinary climate research and teaching.

    Thompson, a Lowell A. and Frankie L. Wakefield Endowed Professor in the School of Oceanography, uses climate models along with satellite observations to untangle the role that the ocean plays in moving and storing heat and chemicals in the climate system. She also has a long-standing relationship with the PCC. In addition to serving as the PCC director from 2011-2017, she has been a member of the PCC community since the inception of the program.

    “The PCC is particularly well aligned with my priorities for the College of Environment in building interdisciplinary bridges across units and across the university, ensuring we are more than the sum of our parts, and in the training and work around climate and environment justice,” said UW Environment Dean Maya Tolstoy. “I was especially impressed with the PCC strategic plan that was recently developed under Becky’s leadership and look forward to working with both Becky and LuAnne to help implement this plan. Please join me in congratulating and thanking these two individuals for their willingness to serve in this leadership role.”

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    Mar 11, 2022
    • Ecology

    Birdwatching in the wintertime

    Olivia Sanderfoot birdwatches at the Center for Urban Horticulture
    Olivia Sanderfoot birdwatches at the Center for Urban Horticulture

    Where do birds go during the colder months? Do we see different species of birds here in Seattle during the winter versus during the summer? Where are the best spots to catch a glimpse of birds? Luckily for bird enthusiasts, winter in the Pacific Northwest is just as great for bird watching as summer, but with some key differences. Olivia Sanderfoot, who recently defended her Ph.D. in the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences guides us on what to expect when birding in the winter and fills us in on her favorite places to observe her feathered friends.

    A flock of their own

    In the summertime, birdwatchers can expect to see a lot of migrants passing through the Pacific Northwest, resulting in a stunning array of species that are engaged in breeding activity. A different set of species inhabit the Pacific Northwest in the winter: species that breed in the Arctic, resident species, and large flocks of waterbirds like herons and cormorants. Birders hoping to find species like scoters and redpolls that breed in the Arctic and escape the harsh winters by migrating south to seek warmth will only see them in the wintertime.

    Birders hoping to see a wide variety of birds should head to a location that offers a wide range of habitats, such as the Center for Urban Horticulture or Discovery Park here in Seattle. Different habitats support different species, so these places allow birdwatchers to see and hear a lot of species in a short amount of time. Sanderfoot also recommends checking out shores and coastlines  to observe big rafts of mixed flocks with waterfowl wintering in Seattle.

    Birding at home

    For birders who prefer to stick closer to home, Sanderfoot encourages the use of bird feeders in backyards to attract both migratory and resident species. She notes that hummingbird feeders may have allowed some local hummingbirds to expand their range northward, which highlights one of many ways humans create and alter bird habitat in urban areas.

    For those worried about birds becoming dependent upon bird feeders for survival, Sanderfoot offers reassurance. “Birds will not become dependent on your feeders,” she says. “If you decide to take down the feeder, you don’t need to worry that a bird is not going to be able to find something to eat — they are very good at foraging on their own for food.” In fact, studies have shown that even with bird feeders in play, birds still get about 50% of their food from natural sources. Bird feeders are especially helpful during the toughest, most frigid winter days or during storms, but bird feeders don’t affect the way birds feed day-to-day.

    Sanderfoot also stresses the importance of cleaning backyard bird feeders. “You can’t just keep a feeder and expect that it’s a low-maintenance gardening activity,” she says. “You do need to be good about cleaning the feeders because they can spread disease between birds.”

    Feeders should be cleaned every couple of weeks, or more often in humid conditions. Here are the steps to cleaning and disinfecting bird feeders:

    1. Throw away any remaining bird feed, then disassemble the feeder.
    2. Clean with soap and water. Make sure to scrub the inside so that there’s no remaining feed.
    3. Soak in a diluted bleach solution for about 10 minutes (9 parts water, 1 part bleach)
    4. Dry feeder completely before refilling.

    Diligently cleaning bird feeders will help prevent the spread of disease among birds. It’s also important to pay attention to local nonprofits’ advice about when to take down bird feeders in the event of a disease outbreak.

    Sanderfoot strongly advises against feeding birds while out on a hike or on a neighborhood stroll. “I never hand feed birds,” she says. “In general, I think that is a bad idea because if birds learn to associate food with people, that can lead to greater human-wildlife conflict. Plus, sometimes people feed birds food that’s really not good for them, like bread.” 

    Where to bird watch

    Seattle offers a plethora of amazing locations to go bird watching during the wintertime. Any place with a diversity of habitat will support a diversity of species, allowing viewers to see and hear lots of different birds. Sanderfoot recommends checking out shorelines and wetlands to observe big rafts of mixed flocks, specifically calling out the Center for Urban Horticulture and Discovery Park as her favorite birding locations in Seattle. Outside of Seattle, anywhere along the Washington coast will offer views of sea ducks and other water birds wintering in the Pacific Northwest. So grab your binoculars, bundle up and enjoy all the bird life you’ll find here in the winter months!

     

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    Mar 22, 2022
    • College of the Environment
    • Students

    Join us for Husky Giving Day on April 7, 2022

    The University of Washington’s annual Husky Giving Day will be held on April 7, 2022. Husky Giving Day is a 24-hour period during which alumni and friends come together to support the people, programs, projects and causes they care about most at the University of Washington.

    Our greatest strength is our community. We hope to inspire UW alumni and friends around the world to participate in celebrating the power of philanthropy at the UW. Philanthropy is an essential resource for the UW — it helps enhance the student experience, drive our public service, empower innovation and expand our impact around the world. Private support makes a real and lasting difference.

    The funds for each of UW Environment’s units are:

    Climate Impacts Group Climate Impacts Group Innovation Fund
    Dean’s Highlighted Fund College of the Environment Scholarship Fund
    Department of Atmospheric Sciences Friends of Atmospheric Sciences Fund
    Department of Earth and Space Sciences Friends of Earth and Space Sciences Fund
    Earthlab EarthLab Core Impact Fund
    Friday Harbor Laboratories FHL Discretionary Fund for Excellence
    Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies CICOES Discretionary Fund
    Nature and Health Nature and Health Fund
    Program on the Environment Environmental Community Legacy Endowed Scholarship
    Quantitative Ecology & Resource Management QERM Fund for Excellence
    School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences SAFS Centennial Boots in the Mud Fund
    School of Environmental and Forest Sciences Friends of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences Fund
    School of Marine and Environmental Affairs Friends of SMEA – McKernan Fundv
    School of Oceanography Director’s Fund for Excellence in Oceanography
    UW Botanic Gardens UW Botanic Gardens Director’s Priorities
    Washington Sea Grant Friends of Washington Sea Grant
    Marine Biology Friends of Marine Biology Fund
    Program on Climate Change Program on Climate Change Graduate Education Fund

     

    Join us on April 7! »

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    Events

    Calendar Icon

    April 7, 2022

    "Staring Into the Fire: Using Observations to Understand Wildfires and Smoke" with Emily Fischer, CSU

    Calendar Icon

    May 3, 2022

    2022 UW College of the Environment Spring Celebration

    Calendar Icon Check out our calendar for more events

    News From Around the College

    • Q&A with Dr. Lisa Graumlich, winner of the 2022 Seattle Aquarium Sylvia Earle medal, Seattle Aquarium / Environmental and Forest Sciences
    • WA creates first sea grass and kelp sanctuary off Everett, Seattle Times / Friday Harbor Laboratories
    • UW Botanic Gardens selected for Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks 2022 Partnerships Lab, UW Botanic Gardens
    • WA would invest millions to retrofit schools against earthquakes under bill awaiting Inslee’s signature, Seattle Times / Earth and Space Sciences
    • Eating seafood is about as climate-friendly as eating plants, study finds. Here’s why, San Francisco Chronicle / Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Marine and Environmental Affairs
    • What new projections of sea level rise mean for Puget Sound and the WA coast, Seattle Times / Washington Sea Grant, Climate Impacts Group
    • Once nearly extinct, resilient gray whales are again dying. But there’s hope., CNN / Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies

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