Tim Billo, instructor of our Natural History of the Puget Sound Region course, practices what he preaches. He uses his research into the natural history of our local sword ferns as a way of introducing undergraduates to research, demonstrating to them that they can make important contributions to natural history, as well as to helping to solve pressing ecological issues. 

Read more in the Seattle Times

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.

More barren patches show increased fern die-off, this time in Kitsap forests. UW POE’s Tim Billo quoted.

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 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.

Sword ferns in Seattle’s Seward Park are disappearing and nobody really knows why. UW’s Tim Billo, Paul Shannon and national fern experts are investigating the phenomenon.

Sword ferns provide valuable ecosystem benefits, holding soil in place to prevent erosion and invasive plant growth. They also provide a habitat for forest birds such as the Pacific wren, and a food source for wildlife, such as mountain beavers. 

Communicating on Twitter about environmental topics and Capstone project experiences has become the new norm for Environmental Studies students in Sean McDonald’s three-quarter Capstone Course Series. Some are still skeptical of the power of social media, while others, like Amy Haymond, have taken to it, finding value in the access it gives to myriad environmental leaders and organizations. 

Shruti Parikh is a junior at UW, majoring in Environmental Studies and Environmental Sciences and Resource Management (ESRM), with a QSCI minor. She’s lived in Washington for the majority of her life and is passionate about good air quality. 

Professor Janneke Hille Ris Lambers at UW is seeking some Environmental Studies students to work with her this fall. Details below!
The HilleRisLambers lab studies the impacts of climate change on plant communities in the Pacific Northwest.