The Fall Rosmond Evening Talk Calendar is Out!  

Did you miss a talk? Check out the latest presentations below. If you want to hear about all upcoming evening talks, email Courtney Bobsin at cbobsin@uw.edu to be added to our listserv.

The Rosmond Family Education Fund

The purpose of this endowment shall be to provide support for the Olympic Natural  Resources Center located in Forks, Washington, which is currently managed by the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment. It is the donor’s preference that distributions be used to support education and/or outreach programs at or under the direction of the center.

This endowment was originally created in 2007 to honor Frederick B. Rosmond. Fred was raised on a dairy farm and attended schools in Oakville and Montesano, Washington. He earned a degree in logging engineering from the University of Washington School of Forestry in 1939, and met his beloved wife Mary while attending the university. In 1945, Fred and his family moved to Forks, Washington, where he and his two  brothers, John and Robert, built and operated the Rosmond Brothers Lumber Company, until they sold the business in the early 1980s. They shipped high quality Western Red Cedar products to many parts of the world.

Fred received the Golden Award from the Society of American Foresters in 2000 to commemorate his 50th anniversary as a member of the Society. The Rosmond Family desires to memorialize Frederick Rosmond’ s dedication to the field of applied forestry science and education, and to perpetuate these values through this endowment.

The Rosmond Family also seeks to honor Fred’s nephew, Dr. Thomas E. Rosmond, who made substantial financial contributions to this endowment. He also supports the community of Forks, Washington through his generosity, and has made significant contributions to science throughout his career as a world renowned expert in numerical weather prediction. It is for these reasons the donor has chosen to rename this endowment the ROSMOND FAMILY EDUCATION FUND.

Tom received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in oceanography and his Ph.D. degree in atmospheric sciences, all from the University of Washington. Tom worked for the U.S. Navy for over 30 years. In 2007 he received the Fred E. Saalfeld Award from the Chief of Naval Research for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Science, awarded to a naval research scientist for extraordinary lifetime achievements that contributed substantially to the knowledge and capabilities of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, and the nation.

Upcoming Evening Talk: November 12, 2024 at 7pm

Join us either in-person in the Hemlock Forest Room, 1455 S. Forks Ave, Forks, WA or via zoom:https://washington.zoom.us/j/3834334539

What Are Earthquakes, How Do We Monitor Them, and How Do We Receive Forewarning?

Presenter: Mickey Cassar from the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network

Synopsis: The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, a collaborative effort between the Earth & Space Sciences department of the University of Washington, the US Geological Survey, and the University of Oregon, is responsible for monitoring earthquakes and volcanoes across the states of Washington and Oregon. In fulfilling their obligations to the public, the PNSN designs, installs, and maintains seismic equipment and communications networks which generate and transport seismic data; operates and administrates the computing infrastructure responsible for storing and processing seismic data; and develops and collaborates on software and other products used to disseminate critical information relevant to emergency managers and the public at-large. In Washington and Oregon, the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system relies almost entirely on PNSN operations in order to generate critical alerts in the event of major seismic events. This discussion is intended to inform a broad audience about the basics behind earthquakes and earthquake generation, the operations of the PNSN and the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system, and how the public can interface with these resources.

Bio: Mickey Cassar is a Field Engineer with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and an alumnus of Western Washington University’s Geology Department. Mickey has over a decade of seismic network experience, having worked with the US Geological Survey; the California Institute of Technology; the University of Nevada, Reno; and in his current position at the University of Washington since 2019.


 Where’s Waldo Western Redcedar Edition: Locating Cedar Using UAV LiDAR and Multispectral Imagery

October 24, 2024

Presenter: Ally Kruper with the University of Washington

Synopsis: Western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) is an iconic Pacific Northwest species with great cultural, economic, and ecological importance. Unfortunately, the abundance of western redcedar on the landscape today is a fraction of what it was historically. Accurate mapping of current western redcedar locations can aid in its management and cultural uses. And remote sensing, such as LiDAR and multispectral imagery, can help achieve this work on larger spatial coverages. This talk will discuss results from a master’s thesis on using UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) multispectral imagery and LiDAR to train a model to identify and map western redcedar trees on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula, focusing on the T3 Watershed Experiment in the Olympic Experimental State Forest. Talking points will include the background and motivation for the study, an overview of methodology and results, uses and importance of the results, and a discussion of the benefits and challenges of using remote sensing for this type of forestry application.

Bio: Ally Kruper is a recent Master of Science graduate from the University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Ally has been involved with forestry research at the Olympic Natural Resources Center since starting as an intern in 2020 and is currently a full-time researcher at ONRC. She has worked on a variety of forestry-related projects for ONRC, culminating in the completion of her master’s study in June. Her research specialties include remote sensing, forest ecology, collaboration, and adaptive management.


West Fork Environmental: A Small Business with Big Ties to the Olympic Peninsula

September 17, 2024

Presenter: Phil Peterson from West Fork Environmental

Synopsis: Small business owner and senior scientist at West Fork, Phil Peterson, will provide an overview of natural resource research and monitoring activities his company is involved in on the Olympic Peninsula. West Fork Environmental is a small, veteran owned business incorporated in Washington State since 2004. They are a natural resources consulting firm working extensively in the Pacific Northwest and with job sites in British Columbia and across the US. They apply scientific and technical expertise to the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, and forestry resources. West Fork’s skilled technicians and seasoned field biologists collect fish, wildlife and habitat data. They design and implement targeted studies and analyze and model data for a variety of research and monitoring purposes. West Fork specializes in the acquisition and management of remote data including LiDAR and multispectral and thermal imagery. They also have staff dedicated to the use RFID technology including the design and fabrication of unique antennas for installation in dams and fishways as well as large open channel environments. Learn more about the work they have been doing on the Olympic Peninsula at the September Rosmond Evening Talk.

Phil Peterson is a professional fisheries biologist (MSc University of Washington 1980) with over 40 years of experience specializing in Pacific Northwest water, land use and fisheries subjects. He has a broad background in Pacific salmon biology, stream and riparian ecology, and geomorphic processes. His career spans employment periods with the State of Washington, University of Washington, Green Diamond Resource Company and presently he is the owner and senior scientist at West Fork Environmental.


ONRC Internship 2024: A Perfectly Perilous Summer

August 13, 2024

Presenters: Olivia Anderson, Kate Giesen, Sophie Goodson, Maggie Koontz, and Wyatt Mojo

Synopsis: The 2024 ONRC intern crew will present an evening talk on their experience working on several forest ecology and management research projects this summer. The crew collected tree seedling and understory data at the ethnoforestry field trials, re-measured one of the long-term ecosystem productivity study sites in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon, and completed the first round of post-harvest monitoring on the Type 3 Watershed Experiment. Listen to their eventful summer experience navigating wildfires, seeing exciting wildlife, and learning a tremendous amount about the forests and people on the Olympic Peninsula.  


Can the Ocean Solve Our Carbon Problem? A Survey of Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Strategies

July 24, 2024

Presenter: Meg Chadsey from Washington Sea Grant

Synopsis: Evidence of climate change is all around us. Rising seas, forest fires and impacts to fisheries are just some of the effects coastal residents are experiencing. With these challenges feeling more urgent than ever, people are looking for new ways to tackle climate change that feel up to the scale of the problem.  Many are looking to the ocean, which covers 2/3 of our planet, as a potential source of solutions to our carbon problem. From nature-based methods like kelp farming, to more engineered approaches like ocean alkalinity enhancement, there’s no shortage of ideas (and enthusiasm) for the suite of ocean-based strategies collectively known as marine carbon dioxide removal or ‘mCDR’.  But how do we know what will work, and which would be a good fit for Washington’s outer coast? Most of these strategies are in very early stages of development, and many scientific questions remain. The public’s appetite for large-scale climate interventions is also uncertain. This talk will provide a high-level overview of the mCDR landscape, with an emphasis on approaches being explored in Pacific Northwest waters and consider what it might take for mCDR to succeed in our region.


Traditional Quileute Cedar Basket Weaving

April 25, 2024 

Presenter: Cathy Salazar from the Quileute Tribe

Synopsis: The art and process of making cedar bark baskets for both practical and decorative purposes have evolved over centuries. 

Cathy Salazar is enrolled in the Quileute Tribe. She has been weaving since 1997. Teachers have included Lillian Pullen, Norma Rodriguez, Sharon Pullen, Lela Mae Morganroth, Marian Schumack and Viola Riebe, although she has been influenced by many other weavers as well.

In this Evening Talk, she will briefly go over historic uses of cedar bark as it pertains to basket weaving, the process and timing of gathering red cedar in the spring, storage, and curing and preparing cedar to begin weaving baskets. Different styles, techniques and types of baskets will be presented along with many hands-on materials.

Cedar basket weaving is an important element of the Quileute Tribal culture and is an active, living and evolving traditional resource.


Protecting our Shellfish Harvest: A Deep Dive Into the Department of Health Marine Biotoxin Program

March 21, 2024

Presenter: Jerry Borchert from the Washington State Department of Health

Synopsis: Marine biotoxins are poisons that are produced by certain kinds of microscopic algae (a type of phytoplankton) that are naturally present in marine waters, normally in amounts too small to be harmful. However, a combination of warm temperatures, sunlight, and nutrient-rich waters can cause rapid plankton reproduction, or “blooms.” These blooms are commonly referred to as harmful algal blooms or “HABs” because of their potential to cause illness. Molluscan shellfish (shellfish with hinged shells such as oysters, clams, and mussels) are filter feeders and ingest any particles, both good and bad, that’s in the surrounding water. Algae is a food source for them, and HABs create a plentiful food supply. When shellfish eat toxin-producing algae, the toxin remains in their system; large amounts of algae means more toxin can concentrate in their tissue. Biotoxins don’t harm shellfish, but they can accumulate in shellfish to levels that can cause illness or death in humans and other mammals that eat them. This talk will cover how the Washington State Department of Health, Marine Biotoxin Program coordinates the collection of shellfish samples from the coast, coastal bays and Puget Sound for biotoxin testing, explain the different types of marine biotoxins in WA, biotoxin monitoring for Dungeness crab and provide resources for safe shellfish harvesting.


Toxic “red tides” of Alexandrium catenella: an emerging, climate-driven threat to subsistence communities and ecosystems in the Pacific Arctic

February 28, 2024

Presenter: Dr. Donald M. Anderson from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Synopsis:  The waters of western and northern Alaska, including the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas, are changing due to climate-driven warming, leading to an elevated risk of Alexandrium catenella blooms and paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs). PSTs are a recognized health concern in southeastern Alaska, but the distribution, dynamics and impacts of A. catenella blooms in the northern waters of the region are largely unknown. This talk synthesizes six years of observations and analyses (2018-2023). 


2023 ONRC Summer Intern Talk

Hybrid ONRC Evening Talk

August 15, 2023

Presenters: Paisley Blume, Evan Gray, Nina Perry, Jovanna Talarico, Anna Thario

Synopsis: The 2023 ONRC intern crew presented an evening talk on their experience working and living on the Olympic Peninsula this summer. The crew worked on several research studies, including the ethnoforestry field trials, the long-term ecosystem productivity study, and the Type 3 Watershed Experiment. Check out the recording of their presentation to learn more! 


Tsunami Preparedness 

In-person ONRC Evening Talk

September 12, 2022

Presenter: Elyssa Tappero, Tsunami Program Coordinator, Washington Emergency Management Division

Synopsis: With thousands of residents living along the coast, along with millions visiting each year,  a tsunami reaching the Washington coast would have serious impacts on communities and their wellbeing. In this presentation, Eyssa Tappero details how tsunamis work, what we could expect from this type of natural disaster, and ways we can prepare. Check out this great talk! 

2022 ONRC Summer Intern Talk 

Hybrid ONRC Evening Talk

August 16, 2022

Presenters: Delaney Skiles, Drew Blackwell, Josh Kim, Kyle Yasui, and Margaux Ranson.

Synopsis: The 2022 ONRC intern crew presented on their experience working on many long-term forest ecology and management projects on the Olympic Peninsula. The crew collected data on understory composition and seedling survival on the ethnoforestry field trials site in La Push, remeasured one treatment within the long-term ecosystem productivity study in Sappho, and worked on several monitoring projects on the T3 Watershed Experiment including creating tree and understory plots, collecting soil samples, and electrofishing. Check out their talk to hear more! 

2021 ONRC Summer Intern Talk

Virtual ONRC Evening Talk

August 2021

Presenters: Elise Mclane, Evan Terry, Jessie Cox, Shawree Zhang, and Will Browne

Synopsis: The 2021 ONRC Interns present on their summer field season on the Olympic Peninsula. The crew worked on numerous projects, including collecting pre-treatment data on the Type 3 Watershed Experiment, monitoring the ethnoforestry field trials site, and remeasuring tree plots in the long-term ecosystem productivity study. Check out their presentation to learn more and watch their short video to see what they experienced in the field.

2020 ONRC Summer Intern Talk

Virtual ONRC Evening Talk

August 25, 2020 

Through the trees and down the slopes to LTEP and T3 we go: A review of the ONRC 2020 field season

Presenters: 2020 ONRC Interns: Sarah Crumrine, Ally Kruper, Connor Lady

Synopsis: A review of the fieldwork conducted this summer by the ONRC interns and an update on the ongoing Sappho LTEP Early Seral Plots,  the brand new Ethnoforesty pilot project near La Push, and the recent T3 riparian watershed management project in the OESF.