Jul 1, 2023

S1 E8: Maple Syrup Day with Mount Rainier Institute and the UW Bigleaf Maple Syrup Program

A student collects maple sap in Pack Forest

Episode 8 features the Mount Rainier Institute (MRI), an education program at located at the foot of Mount Rainier providing regional schools with in-depth programs focused on forest science and STEM education in an outdoor classroom setting. MRI operates out of the Charles Lathrop Pack Experimental Forest, part of the UW School of Environment and Forest Sciences, which encompasses 4,300 acres of working forestland providing the resources to discover, teach and demonstrate the concepts of sustainable forestry.

School of Marine and Environmental Affairs celebrates 50th

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) turned 50 this academic year, so we asked Nives Dolšak, professor and director of SMEA, and Dave Fluharty, professor and longest serving SMEA faculty member, for their perspectives on this milestone. With 11 core faculty and strong support from professors of practice, adjunct, affiliate and emeritus faculty, SMEA offers a two-year, interdisciplinary, in-residence program with graduates receiving a Master of Marine Affairs degree.

Whodunnit? Uncovering the mystery of a tiny toxin killing shellfish in Puget Sound

Around 50 years ago, Pacific oysters in the Puget Sound started dying at noticeably increasing rates during the summer, causing residents and scientists to wonder why. Researchers in what is now the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences investigated many factors that may cause mortalities such as bacteria, reproductive stress related to spawning and changes in other environmental conditions. The evidence collected pointed towards stress on the animals when they spawn, as the Pacific oyster spends a lot of their energy on reproduction.

Scientists seek to grow the field of eDNA research ‘without squelching creativity’

The eDNA Collaborative team. From left to right: Program manager Cara Sucher, director Ryan Kelly and chief scientist Eily Andruszkiewicz Allan.eDNA Collaborative

A new effort at the University of Washington aims to accelerate eDNA research by supporting existing projects and building a network of practitioners to advance the nascent field. Called the eDNA Collaborative, the team is based in the College of the Environment with leadership and program staff from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. For about a decade, scientists have honed the craft of using genetic material in the environment — known as eDNA — to detect and monitor organisms for environmental science and conservation.

New story map unites sea gardens around the Pacific and shows the importance of revitalizing Indigenous mariculture practices for food sovereignty and resilience

Indigenous people have been stewarding the ocean for thousands of years. This stewardship has appeared in many different forms around the world, all of which represent a reciprocal relationship between humans and the sea rooted in deep, place-based knowledge. From octopus houses in Haida Gwaii to fish ponds in Hawai’i, an Indigenous mariculture renaissance is making waves as groups across the Pacific seek to revitalize these ancient techniques and traditions.