A reflection on a life well lived—Doug Walker

Dean Lisa J. Graumlich reflects on the many contributions of Doug Walker, a philanthropist, champion of nature and people, and friend.

UW climate scientists to give free talks at Mt. Baker ski area

After a day enjoying the powdery snow on the slopes east of Bellingham, skiers can sit down with fondue and hear about the future of our region under climate change. The University of Washington and Mt. Baker Ski Area are collaborating this month to present “The 1.5 Degrees Series, and What We Can Do to Help.” The free 20-minute talks by UW faculty members will take place three consecutive Saturdays at 3:30 p.m.

Rivers, lakes impact ability of forests to store carbon

Below the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River.

Forests help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by storing it in trees, but a sizable amount of the greenhouse gas actually escapes through the soil and into rivers and streams. That’s the main finding of a paper to appear Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It’s the first study to comprehensively look at how carbon moves in freshwater across the entire U.S.

Dating historic activity at Oso site shows recurring major landslides

The large, fast-moving mudslide that buried much of Oso, Washington in March 2014 was the deadliest landslide in U.S. history. Since then it’s been revealed that this area has experienced major slides before, but it’s not known how long ago they occurred. University of Washington geologists analyzed woody debris buried in earlier slides and used radiocarbon dating to map the history of activity at the site.

Op-Ed: We must take action now for a healthy Puget Sound

In a Seattle Times op-ed, Dean Graumlich and leaders at the Puget Sound Partnership call for continued investment in the future of Puget Sound.