Agenda
WORKSHOP DATES: August 17th – August 26th, 2023
This is your daily agenda for the workshops, the readings links are hyperlinked, you are expected to do them to prepare for the next day, but feel free to do the readings ahead of time, even before you leave for Seattle.
Upon arrival you will be provided with a copy of “Field Guide to the Cascades & Olympics“ by Rob Sandelin and Stephen R. Whitney. Begin by reading the introductory section. This guide should be in your daypack during the workshop so you can use it for plant and animal identification.
Kick-off Meetings:
Dr. Moskal’s students Anthony Stewart and Lindsey Skidmore spoke with the workshop students in early June and presented their research on the Olympic Peninsula and in Mount Rainier National Park (MORA). The recording can be found here: Anthony & Lindsey Presentation Recordings
Professor Moskal hosted a zoom meeting on August 2 to go over the syllabus, agenda, and trip logistics including what you will need to pack. The meeting was recorded for those who could not attend. The recording can be found here: Kick-Off Meeting Recording
| Thursday, August 17 | |
| Morning | Arrive at Seattle International Airport (Sea-Tac).
The UW Professor (L. Monika Moskal) and assistants (Yely Ismatullayeva and Lindsey Skidmore) will meet you at Baggage Claim 1 and walk together to our chartered bus. The UW and Chiba group will visit a nearby City of Des Moines Park Conservation Area can have lunch, stretch legs, get to know each other, and wait for the Nanjing group. Once both groups have been collected at Baggage Claim 1, the participants will be transported to the UW/SEFS Pack Forest near Eatonville, WA where we will spend the next 3 nights. Students will be assigned to one of the historical Pack Cabins. No laundry facilities are at this location – please do not hang wet gear/clothes in the bathrooms. The computer lab has networked computers. |
| Drive from Seattle airport to Pack Forest (2 hours): Geology discussion on the drive, including volcanic activity in the region (Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens), for example we will point out the lahar flows from one of the Mt. Rainier eruptions (more on this topic here) visible in a road bank-cut near Pack Forest. Ecology will focus on suburban, light agriculture to forests landscape transitions. We will discuss forest types, wildlife habitats, from salmon to elk, wolfs and bears. We will also touch on riparian habitat, shading and water quality. Human issues we will touch upon include transition of land use as we leave Seattle as well as population growth in PNW and the drivers of that growth. We will touch on industry from origins in forestry to today’s technology sector. We will conclude with a discussion of American Indians of the PNW. | |
| Afternoon | If time allows, we will have TLS acquisition at UW/SEFS Pack Forest (1-1.5 hours) with SEFS Students. Dr. Greg Ettl, the Director of Pack Forest and Chase Beyer, Forest Manager, will discuss the management and research operations at this experimental forest and Center for Sustainable Forestry. We will be hiking and working in the stand shown in this kmz file. |
| 6:00 PM | WELCOME DINNER salmon and native berries will be served, and a dinner discussion will focus traditional native foods in the Puget Sound; here is a story related to this issue, and another here. |
| 7:30 PM | Evening hike around Pack Forest, welcome from Chase Beyer, Forest Manager. |
| 8:30 PM | We will meet in the Pack Forest computer lab (MacBride Hall 107) and discuss participant assignments and grading. Participants will work in 3 groups: Geology, Ecology & Human Impacts. You can use Scott Hall for this activity or the computer lab (MacBride 107). |
| Friday, August 18 | |
| 6:30 AM | BREAKFAST & PICK UP YOUR OWN BAGGED LUNCH |
| 7:15 AM | Depart for a 1 hour drive to Mount Rainier National Park (MORA), Paradise Visitors Center (webcam), we will spend most of the day in the park. In the morning, we will learn about Human recreational opportunities and social trail usage in the park. We will see a water reservoir and evidence of historic logging along highway 7 at Alder, WA, as well as evidence of abandoned railways in Elbe, WA |
| NOON | BAGGED LUNCH at Paradise Visitors Center and after lunch lecture by Dr. Meghan Halabisky from UW (we will meet her inside of the Center) on wetland Ecology, function, mapping and conservation under climate change. Short hike to a wetland discussed in this paper, and hopefully we will spot some polymorph salamanders. We will also discuss topography (and microtopography), in relation to existing Geology and how it drives some of the functions of the wetlands. |
| 3:00 PM | We will depart Paradise Area for Pack Forest by 3:00PM; the drive back is about 1.5 hours. On the drive back: Stop at Longmire Parking Lot, to discuss snow melt and run off on the Nisqually River (inside the MORA park) on our way to Paradise Visitors Center. Afterwards, we will stop at the Naranda and Christine Falls on our way up to Paradise to further discuss fresh water related issues in the PNW. |
| 6:00 PM | DINNER Lecture on general geography of the PNW and go over the trip details including a video about Mt. St. Helen’s eruption (time permitting, this is 47 minute video). |
| 7:30 PM | Free time in the Pack Forest computer lab to work on assignments and readings; instructors will be available. |
| Saturday, August 19 | |
| We will spend the day exploring hydrological features in the park. We will learn about Ecological functions of riparian zones, from a wildlife habitat perspective (salmon), but also from Human water resources side and population safety side (damn vulnerability and need for woody debris monitoring). We will talk about the public water for the city of Seattle, the Cedar River Watershed and relationships with snow-pack and hydrology of the region; here is a recent story. Also, on the drive back we will address volcanic activity and earthquakes in the PNW (Geology). | |
| 6:30 AM | BREAKFAST & PICK UP YOUR OWN BAGGED LUNCH |
| 7:15 AM | Depart for a trip on the Crystal Mountain Gondola; 2 hour drive |
| NOON | BAGGED LUNCH after our bagged lunch we will depart for a trip on the Crystal Mountain Gondola (weather permitting, hours of operation 8:30am-8:30pm on Saturdays). Across from the ski resort, we will get a change to see the regeneration at the 2017 Norse Peak Fire, where one of our SEFS Professors, Dr. Brian Harvey started a new research project. This will allow for a discussion about human use of the landscape and ecological consequences as well as interactions such as wildland fires, related to this landuse. |
| 3:00 PM | We will leave for Pack Forest at 3:00 PM; the drive back is about 2 hours. |
| 6:00 PM | DINNER |
| 7:30 PM | Lecture and lab on remote sensing by Dr. Zheng and LiDAR lecture and demo of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS which can be used for gathering forest inventory and leaf area index) by Dr. Akira Kato. Scott Hall. |
| Evening | All groups are expected to post their first blog stories from the 3 perspectives of Geology, Ecology and Human Issues. |
| Sunday, August 20 | |
| 6:30 AM | BREAKFAST & PICK UP YOUR OWN BAGGED LUNCH |
| 7:15 AM | Pack bags, check out, and depart for NatureBridge Conference & Retreat Center (Olympic Peninsula Location), an education partner of the National Park Service. Participants will spend 3 nights at this location. Room assignment will occur upon arrival. Wi-Fi is available at this location but coverage can be spotty. We will have access to wired computer labs. Very limited coin-operated laundry facilities are also available here. PLEASE NO FOOD IN ANY OF THE CABINS! Storage for food items will be provided in the dining hall. |
| 7:30-10:30 AM | On our drive between Pack Forest and NatureBridge, we will make several stops. Along the way, we will discuss road-side Geology, Ecology and Human landscape use as we travel through the landscape and transition to the Olympic Peninsula. We will also talk about marine wildlife including the Southern Resident killer whales (orcas). |
| 10:30AM | First we will stop at the Quinault National Fish Hatchery in Humptulips, WA where John (Ed) Lemieux, a Quinault tribal member who has worked at the hatchery for over 51 years will give us a tour. |
| NOON | BAGGED LUNCH ON THE BUS |
| 12:30 PM | Next we will stop at Quinault Rain Forest Ranger Station in the Olympic National Park where rangers will take us on a ~1 mile interpretative walk. We will tour the rain forest discussing the Geology and the Ecology of this region. The Quinault Rain forest is similar to the very popular Hoh Temperate Rain Forest. |
| 2:00 PM | We will depart for NatureBridge at 2pm. If time allows, we will stop briefly at Ruby Beach. We will discuss tsunami Human risks in the region and the Geology such as earthquakes, involved in creating these risks. |
| 4:00 PM | Arrival and check in at NatureBridge. |
| 5:00 PM | DINNER |
| 6:30 PM | Storm King Hall: Potential movie and popcorn night: Twilight. Students will also have time to work on their second blog post. |
| Monday, August 21 | |
| 7:00 AM | BREAKFAST, MAKE & PACK YOUR OWN BAGGED LUNCH
At breakfast, NatureBridge will provide food for making your own lunches (sandwiches). Make and pack your own lunch for the day, and pack in your daypack. |
| 9:00 AM | Salish canoe paddle on Lake Crescent with a guide from NatureBridge. |
| NOON | BAGGED LUNCH ON THE BUS
Depart for a 1 hour drive to Rialto Beach (NOTE: High tide is at 4:08 PM). On our way back we will stop at the Forks Timber Museum if time allows (hours of operation: M-F 10am-5pm). |
| 5:00 PM | DINNER at NatureBridge.
We will have a dinner talk Dr. Guang Zheng and Dr. Akira Kato, about their collaborations with the UW Precision Forestry Cooperative, on practical tools for collecting environmental field data such as forest inventory information with lidar. Much of the data we collect in the field follows the Forest Inventory Protocols of the USDA Forest Service, you can find more information on these protocols here. |
| 6:30 PM | Lab time to work on the second blog post by 3 groups. |
| Tuesday, August 22 | |
| 7:00 AM | BREAKFAST & PACK YOUR OWN BAGGED LUNCH |
| 8:00 AM | Depart for Neah Bay, WA (about ~1.5 hour drive) to tour the Makah Cultural Research Center and Museum(hours of operation 10am-5pm).We will explore the Native American culture and history of the region and the Human dimension of this area. We will also focus on the Geology of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the function it plays and an international boarder of Canada and USA, as well as the Ecological implications of this border specifically on the marine wildlife of this region, we will also discuss the concepts of invasive species and tropic cascades. |
| NOON | BAGGED LUNCH We will drive to the Cape Flattery Trail. From this very northwestern tip of the continental United States is a platform for viewing Tatoosh Island and where the Pacific Ocean and the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca meet. |
| 3:00 PM | Need to be back to the bus by 3PM for our return to NatureBridge. |
| 5:00 PM | DINNER |
| 6:30 PM | Additional lab time to work on second blog post by 3 groups.
Return of the river, a documentary about the Elwa dam. |
| Wednesday, August 23 | |
| 7:00 AM | BREAKFAST & PACK YOUR OWN BAGGED LUNCH |
| 8:00 AM | Pack bags, check out, and depart for Seattle. On the way, we will do a short stop at the Elwa river crossing (the road to the dam outlook is washed out right now) and discuss dam removals and the impacts we observed here. We will continue to Dungeness Spit National Wildlife Rescue from where we will be able to see the New Dungeness Lighthouse (unfortunately we will not have enough time to hike to the lighthouse), as we need to continue for another 1 hour drive from the Spit to the Kingston-Edmonds ferry. We will view from a far and discuss Hurricane Ridge – Olympic National Park. On the drive we will discuss the Geology of the region, including the formation of the Dungeness Spit and Hurricane Ridge, as well as the Ecological (such as wildlife) implications of these landforms. We will discuss economic trends and impacts on Human issues in the area including global shipping industry. |
| NOON | BAGGED LUNCH you will have an opportunity to eat your bagged lunch as we wait to board the WA State Ferry crossing of about 1 hour, or you can purchase your own meal on the ferry. |
| 3:00 PM | We will drive towards Seattle for ~2 hours and arrive at University of Washington (UW), Seattle.
At UW, you will check into Alder Hall, a UW dormitory. You will stay here for 3 nights. There will be free laundry, some Mac computers, a presentation hall with a projector hookup and wi-fi (no login) facilities at this location. Meals/Food at UW: You will receive a food purchase/meal card pre-loaded with $121 for purchasing all your meals while on the UW campus. Meal cards can be used at campus at dining facilities such as: the Alder District Market (located in your dorm, Alder Hall) and Local Point (located in Lander Hall, next to Alder) as well as Center Table (north campus) and the Oak District Market (north campus). Cards can also be used in on campus vending machines. Please note that Local Point will NOT be open for breakfast and will have limited options for lunch and dinner (pizza, hamburgers). Alder District Market will be open for breakfast. |
| 5:00 PM | DINNER will be on your own using your pre-paid meal card. |
| 6:00 PM | We will depart, from Alder Hall lobby, on foot at 6 PM for UVillage, where you will have 2-3 hour to explore the shops (closing time 9pm). |
| Thursday, August 24 | |
| 7:00-8:30 AM | BREAKFAST Use your UW dining card to purchase both breakfast and a packable lunch for the day. Please note that Local Point will NOT be open for breakfast and will have limited options for lunch and dinner (Pizza, Hamburgers). Alder District Market will be open for breakfast.
NOTE: Today will include a lot of urban walking (sidewalks, streets and paths). Be prepared to walk up to 8km. Wear comfortable shoes and bring your lunch and water. |
| 9:00 AM | We will meet in the lobby of Alder hall and tour the campus on our way to the UW Arboretum. We will do a walking tour and Profs. Zheng and Kato will talk about some of their research in the arboretum. We may use a terrestrial lidar scanner to collect data. |
| 12:00 PM | Eat your own LUNCH in the arboretum. Please be sure you buy a lunch to go at UW in the morning before the tour. Be sure to bring your filled water bottle, especially in hot weather. |
| 12:30 PM | Depart Arboretum for School of Environmental and Forest Sciences(SEFS), |
| 1:00 PM | Visit School of Environmental and Forest Sciences(SEFS), meet director Dan Brown and SEFS graduate students, work on blogs and projects. |
| 2:45 PM | Visit the Burke Museum and (if time permits) UW Book Store. |
| 5:00 PM | Walk back to UW dorms and get ready for dinner. |
| 6:00 PM | We will meet in the lobby of Alder Hall and be picked up by the bus and driven to Golden Gardens Park where we will have DINNER on the beach, catered by Pecos Pit BBQ. |
| 9:00 PM | Bonfire (if no burn ban) and sunset over the Olympic Mountains on the beach. Afterwards you should use your free time to work on your final blog and group presentation. |
| Friday, August 25 | |
| 7:00-8:30 AM | BREAKFAST will be on your own using your pre-paid meal card. Please note that Local Point will NOT be open for breakfast and will have limited options for lunch and dinner (Pizza, Hamburgers). Alder District Market will be open for breakfast. |
| 8:40 AM | We will meet in the lobby of Alder Hall at 8:40am. Today we will continue the campus tour, pointing out main attractions of the campus as well as locations of various departments and research centers. |
| 9:00 AM | Tour of the UW Pacific Northwest Seismic Network Facility, with Doug Gibbons and his staff. The facility is located in room ATG-146 (basement of the Atmospheric Sciences building (ATG), below the courtyard, not below the ATG tower). We will meet our guide at 9am the loading dock at the end of Okanogan Lane. |
| 10:00 AM | CANCELLED: We will continue our tour of UW on our way to the Natural Hazard Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) Rapid Experimental Facility with Dr. Jeffery Berman. A reading about the work conducted at facility is here. |
| 11:00 AM | Meet with Dr. Bo Zhao for a tour of the UW Department of Geography and learn more about the work Dr. Zhao’s lab is doing. Meet Dr. Zhao at 11am at the 4th floor lobby in Smith Hall. |
| NOON | LUNCH in one of the UW cafeterias. You will purchase your own lunch using your pre-paid meal card.
Note to Chiba students and faculty: You will be departing the next morning before the dining facilities and markets are open. Please purchase non-refrigerated items for breakfast for tomorrow morning at this time (bread, muffins, pastries, fruit). |
| 2:00 PM | Lab Time to work on the group projects and 3rd blog post. |
| 6:00 PM | FAREWELL DINNER of pizza and drinks in the historic SEFS Forest Club Room (Anderson Hall 207). |
| 7:30 PM | Final Group Presentations 3 presentations, 20 minutes each |
| Saturday, August 26 | |
| final morning | Pack bags & check out. Groups fly back to China and Japan.
BREAKFAST will be on your own using your pre-paid meal card. If you have any money left on your card, load up on snacks for your trip home! NOTE TO CHIBA STUDENTS AND FACULTY: You will be departing today before the dining facilities and markets are open. Please purchase non-refrigerated items for breakfast the day before (bread, muffins, pastries, fruit). NANJING STUDENTS AND FACULTY: You will be able to purchase breakfast when the dining facilities open. Please note that Local Point is not open on Saturday. BOTH GROUPS: Drs. Moskal, Zheng and Kato and Yely and Lindsey will meet you in the lobby of Alder Hall where you will then walk (with your bags) to the UW Husky Stadium Light Rail Station and depart for the Seattle Airport (SeaTac). Allow 20 minutes for the walk to the Light Rail Station and 1 hour to get from the station to the airport. SeaTac airport has been experiencing significant delays at check in and pre-flight security. Plan on getting to the airport AT LEAST 3 hours ahead of your flight. SeaTac airport also has many excellent gift shops and restaurants on the other side of security. |
| 7:00 AM | Chiba group will meet in the lobby of Alder Hall to depart for the airport |
| 10:45 AM | Nanjing group will meet in the lobby of Alder Hall to depart for the airport |
