Earth Day was born out of a movement to improve the lives of people and nature, inspiring sweeping legislative action and investments. Today, federal infrastructure funding and WA Climate Commitment Act are a continuation of this movement, investments making a tangible impact locally. As an example, Washington’s historic funding of the Floodplains by Design program is contributing to nature-based floodplain management across the state to reduce flood risk, protect communities and protect salmon habitat. These state and federal dollars are just the start of local climate action that will improve the daily lives and the future of all Washingtonians.
Meet DeAnne Hamilton: Learn how the general manager of Tacoma’s KBTC Public Television and TNC in Washington trustee, uses the power of storytelling to engage people in conservation and create a better future for the next generation.
Nestled in the cliffs in Moses Coulee is an import desert water sources that every springs attracts thousands of Pacific Tree frogs. I came to Whisper Lake for a night concert. It was anything but quiet. The chorus of frogs was soothing, calming—the quintessential sound of spring.
The Cle Elum Wildlife Project is improving our understanding of how wildlife use and move through protected forest landscapes, providing us with an opportunity to test how forest management practices impact wildlife and building an evidence base for permanent protection.
Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Congress and local leaders spent the day at TNC’s Port Susan Bay Preserve and Stillagumaish Tribe’s zis a ba II site to see ongoing restoration and discuss the impact federal infrastructure investments are having locally in Washington.
Drones have emerged as a groundbreaking tool extending our reach beyond the limits of human exploration. While many are familiar with seeing the possibilities in adventure photography or package delivery, the use of drones in conservation has become increasingly creative for those both out in the field and in the lab.
Using dynamite for restoration may seem like a paradox, but at TNC’s Port Susan Bay Preserve, we explored dynamite as a way to create estuary channels. The inspiration behind this method was to see if explosives could reduce the ecological impact of channel creation in comparison to using heavy machinery.
Two students from The University of Washington completed science internships with The Nature Conservancy over the summer. Stephanie Passantino and Eileen Arata worked with us on several projects including Ellsworth Preserve camera trap and tree reproduction research projects, an eastern forests literature review, Greening Research in Tacoma, and Port Susan Bay Preserve restoration.
Join us as both Eileen and Stephanie tell us about their experiences this summer in the field!
KCTS9-Crosscut interviews Dr. Emily Howe, Aquatic Ecologist at The Nature Conservancy for their “Human Elements” series where Emily talks about her personal connection to marshes and how she is working to restore these unique—and messy—ecosystems.
Participating in the adventures of field science as volunteer with Stewardship has taken me across the state, from Port Susan Bay to Moses Coulee. The experiences have been great opportunities to learn about the important and innovative studies we are doing at our preserves and a way to contribute to the bigger picture of conservation.
