Corina Yballa interned with Young Women Empowered for her Capstone, where she led a backpacking trip for young women of color to build connections with each other and with nature.

Double major Rachel Fricke is using iBobber, a sonar fish-finding tool to distinguish pathways for invasive aquatic species, including the areas where recreational fishing occurs.

This summer, Brooke Stroosma interned with Waste Management, the largest environmental solutions provider in North America. She learned all about effective waste disposal and conducted outreach to encourage citizens to organize their trash correctly.

Joy Shang is interning with the WA State Parks Foundation to examine possible disparities between Washington’s increasingly diverse population and park visitors. She’s creating infographics to be shared with the public and policy makers in an effort to raise more funds for our state’s beautiful parks.

Carly Lester’s summer Capstone internship led her to work on a farm in the Netherlands and learn the ins and outs of direct farm marketing. She gained extensive knowledge about the challenges and opportunities of sourcing locally and has big plans for her future career in food.

Program on the Environment student Ziyi Liu interned with Seattle Neighborhoods Greenways for his Capstone project, to learn why so few people bike in Seattle’s Chinatown International District, and what factors prevent people from traveling on two wheels.
Ziyi’s research question asked: “How does bike infrastructure affect cycling safety in the Chinatown-International District?”
His findings revealed that safety was a huge concern, and that in the International District there are very few protected bike lanes, compared to other busy neighborhoods in Seattle. 

Program on the Environment’s Spring 2018 Capstone Symposium featured 38 projects that addressed an array of environmental challenges students worked on for 9 months. From greening UW’s sport facilities to assessing water quality, piloting waste management plans and exploring the impact of environmental education, students shared their work with passion and finesse.
The symposium, held twice a year, drew colleagues, faculty advisors and students from across campus as well as parents and community (Capstone) partners. 

The Program on the Environment will host our Spring 2018 Capstone Symposium on May 23 at the Fisheries Sciences Building. We welcome all to attend and support students as they present on the culmination of three quarters of hard work.

How does funding affect access to state parks in Washington? How can more people get to the parks using public transportation? Environmental Studies major Shelby Logsdon is on a mission to find out, through her senior Capstone project.
Shelby is interning with Washington State Parks Foundation to collect and analyze data comparing Washington’s state parks to parks in other states, looking at how funding plays a part in facilitating community access and keeping parks well managed. 

Last week’s Capstone Symposium presenters did not disappoint. With an array of oral and poster presentations showcasing work with business, campus, nonprofit and government partners on topics ranging from global conservation to implementing sustainable practices in corporations, choosing winners was tough.
The results are in though (thanks to faculty and alumni judges), and the winning presenters have bragging rights for life.