Master of Environmental Studies at Evergreen

Capitol Land Trust is accepting applications for a one-year position as a Board Fellow on the Capitol Land Trust Board of Directors. The purpose of this position is to broaden the range of voices setting policy for Capitol Land Trust and to provide an enrichment opportunity for a student interested in non-profit governance and natural resource conservation.

We are seeking a current (2022-2023 academic year) graduate or undergraduate college student who is committed to conservation values and is interested in developing skills in non-profit governance. There are no academic discipline restrictions. Capitol Land Trust will support structural requirements for course credit, when desired, in accordance with university procedures. Minimum total time commitment is around 8-10 hours a month.

The application deadline is Thursday, September 30, 2022 and the position starts in October of 2022.
Learn more here https://capitollandtrust.org/seeking-2022-2023-board-fellow/

Capitol Land Trust is accepting applications for a one-year position as a Board Fellow on the Capitol Land Trust Board of Directors. The purpose of this position is to broaden the range of voices setting policy for Capitol Land Trust and to provide an enrichment opportunity for a student interested in non-profit governance and natural resource conservation.

We are seeking a current (2022-2023 academic year) graduate or undergraduate college student who is committed to conservation values and is interested in developing skills in non-profit governance. There are no academic discipline restrictions. Capitol Land Trust will support structural requirements for course credit, when desired, in accordance with university procedures. Minimum total time commitment is around 8-10 hours a month.

The application deadline is Thursday, September 30, 2022 and the position starts in October of 2022.

Learn more here https://capitollandtrust.org/seeking-2022-2023-board-fellow/

Every MES student completes a thesis during their final year to demonstrate their knowledge and technical skills while developing project management abilities. Completing a thesis will demonstrate to future employers students' ability to analyze and communicate research in a chosen field, as well as manage large projects.

Interested in what the past MES thesis topics have been researched? Check out the MES Institutional Repository to see thesis topics from our graduates by visiting https://collections.evergreen.edu/s/repository/item-set/2252

Thurston County will have Cooling Centers remain open throughout the week! Stay cool and updated on emergency alerts at Thurston County Emergency Management https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/em/Pages/default.aspx

Looking for a job in environmental work? Check out the MES Weekly Jobs Blog for job postings, internship and volunteer opportunities, fellowships, grants, webinars, conferences, and more!

Visit https://sites.evergreen.edu/mesweekly/

This is a resource curated for MES Students & Alumni, as well as to our wider community! Sign up for the MES Weekly Digest to receive a weekly email with all our new postings!

Looking for food resources over the summer? Stop by the Evergreen State College for a pop up food bank July 26th, August 9th & August 23rd from 2pm-4pm! Located in the C parking lot!

Stop by the Evergreen State College for a pop up food bank tomorrow ! July 12th from 2pm-4pm! Located in the C parking lot !

Shared from the US Forest Service:
This outreach is being used to solicit interest in a potential Biological Scientist-crew leader vacancy in eastern WA. Outreach response will help us to determine a duty station location that has the greatest interest. Depending on outreach response, these positions may be filled non-competitively. To be considered, all respondents MUST include a resume.

About the position:
The PNWRS FIA unit is part of a nationwide program which collects, processes, analyzes, evaluates, and publishes comprehensive information on forest and other related renewable resources. Administration for the data collection team is located in Portland, Oregon and field crews are remotely stationed throughout Washington, Oregon and California. Crew leaders work under the direction of a state coordinator and lead a two to four person field crew.

These positions will support sampling field plots located on a systematic grid across all land ownerships and will be almost entirely field based. A wide variety of information is collected in the inventory, including: tree measurements; forest pathogens; understory vegetation composition and structure; stand treatments and disturbances; down woody material measurements; and land ownership. The areas sampled for the Forest Inventory by the PNW Research Station cover a diversity of ecological communities.

You can visit the PNW-FIA program team website for more information about the program: https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnw/program/rma/

For more information about the duties and work conditions of this positions, please contact:
PNW-FIA program coordinators at [email protected], or 620 SW Main St, Ste. 502 Portland, OR 97205.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED...
•Please use the attached response form to express your interest.
•Include a resume tailored for this opportunity to be considered for this position without competition
•Send your repsonse electronically to: [email protected] (subject line “CREW LEADER” )

Resource Monitoring and Assessment | Pacific Northwest Research Station | PNW - US Forest Service Urgency is growing among legislators, conservation organizations, and the wood products industry to better understand how forests store carbon and...

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is glad to announce that Panama has been selected to host the third edition of the Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress (SRI), the world's largest transdisciplinary meeting for the global sustainability community, to be held in June 2023.

The National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (Senacyt Senacyt) will host the congress in collaboration with its co-host, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), a collaboration that is welcomed given the exhaustive process carried out by the organizers to define the venue for the 2023 congress. SRI brings together more than 2,000 world leaders in sustainability research, government and civil society experts, as well as funders and innovators, to inspire action and promote sustainability transformation.

This joint global initiative of Future Earth and the Belmont Forum aims to generate meaningful conversations, provide a platform for sharing innovative ideas, and create an inspiring and inclusive space for collaboration and action. In that sense, SRI 2023 will offer a program of interactive sessions, workshops, trainings, networking events, innovation demonstrations, satellite events and much more.

Find more information about the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the 2023 Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress (SRI) https://www.iai.int/?p=22042&lang=en

Congratulations to MES faculty Kathleen Saul for the recent publication on her article Electricity Disconnections: Pursuing the Goal of 100% access to electricity in the United States.

Read the full article by visiting https://freefutures.org/electricity-disconnections-pursuing-the-goal-of-100-access-to-electricity-in-the-united-states/

Intro: World Bank data assure us that 100% of people in the United States have access to electricity. Yet, as the Center for Biological Diversity reports, families in this country have had their electricity turned off more than 3.6 million times since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. And that figure only includes those served by public utilities in the 33 states and Washington, D.C., for which data are available. In the state of Washington, a moratorium on utility disconnections prevented public utilities from leaving customers in the dark. Still, those customers remained on edge each time the moratorium expiration date approached. Would they continue to have lighting and heating, or power for the internet service that had become vital for schooling and working during the pandemic? The governor had to act to extend the moratorium.

In 2022, the Washington Building Code Council adopted a new code that requires builders to install energy efficient electric heat pumps and hot water heaters in new commercial and large multifamily buildings; gas hookups will not be allowed (https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/wsr/2022/02/22-02-076.htm). Governor Inslee has also signed legislation targeting 2030 as the year when all vehicles sold, purchased or registered in Washington state will have to be electric vehicles (Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5974, Chapter 182, Laws of 2022, 67th Legislature, 2022 Regular Session). While these measures will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, they will also add to the electricity burden for customers already struggling to pay their bills and at risk of disconnection. What can we do to ensure all residents of Washington have access to electricity today and in the future?

Congratulations to the MES cohort of 2022! This is the first time in 3 years that MES was able to host a hybrid in-person and virtual graduation ceremony. Thank you friends and family for showing up to support our graduates as they start the next exciting chapter in their lives as Masters of Environmental Studies!✨🎉

Congratulations to the MES graduating class of 2022!

One week away and we couldn’t be more excited!! Register at the link in our events! 🌿
🎥 film team: Chelsea Murphy] s a n j a n a]
💃🏾 characters: Karen Francis-McWhite] Nikky] Chelsea Murphy]
🎵 music by
🎤 original songs by Nikky]
🖋 contributing writers: Karen Francis-McWhite] s a n j a n a]
🎙 voiceover by
🎛 audio mix

One week away and we couldn’t be more excited!! Register at the link in our bio 🌿

🎥 film team: Chelsea Murphy] s a n j a n a]

💃🏾 characters: Karen Francis-McWhite] Nikky] Chelsea Murphy]

🎵 music by
🎤 original songs by Nikky]
🖋 contributing writers: Karen Francis-McWhite] s a n j a n a]
🎙 voiceover by
🎛 audio mix

Expedition Reclamation is a documentary seeking to redefine “outdoorsy” and reclaim belonging in the outdoors for Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color by highlighting their joyful, resilient, & transformative relationships to outdoor recreation. First Peoples Multicultural, Trans and Q***r Support Services, The Outdoor Program (TOP), and the Master of Environmental Studies Student Association (MESA) are collaborating to bring this incredible film to Evergreen.

Join us on Thursday, May 26th with doors at 5:30 pm show at 6:00 pm in the Recital Hall in the COM building for a live screening followed by a live panel discussion with filmmakers and film characters. There is also an option to join the screening and panel virtually. Register at https://forms.office.com/r/vqGf47fQJC

Learn more about the film and The Brave Space Project at bravespaceproject.org

🎥 film team:

💃🏾 characters:

🎵 music by

🎤 original songs by

🖋 contributing writers:

🎙 voiceover by

🎛 audio mix



TRIBAL LANDS IN THIS FILM

Coast Salish / Lummi, Skagit, Stillaguamish, Skagit, Tulalip, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Nooksack

Yakama / Wenatchi (P’Squosa)

Indigenous Roots & Reparations Foundation

https://www.indigenousrrf.org/

The Evergreen community is invited to attend a public lecture "Compounding Disasters: Preparing Resilient and Socially Equitable Communities" by Claire Connolly Knox, Ph.D.
Join us on May 2nd, 2022 at 4:30 PM in person in Sem II Building C room 1105 or virtually at https://evergreen.zoom.us/j/88323866115

Claire Connolly Knox, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Director of the Master in Emergency and Crisis Management Program in UCF's School of Public Administration. Her research interests include environmental vulnerability and disaster response, environmental policy and planning in coastal zones, and Habermas' critical theory. She teaches Disaster Response and Recovery, Environmental Planning and Policy, Environmental Policy and Management, and Managing Emergencies and Crises courses. Dr. Knox's interdisciplinary research applies a discursive theory lens to language underlying environmental and emergency management plans and policies. This is important because narrative analysis provides alternative explanations for contradictions and anomalies affecting policy change and implementation outcomes.

This event is Sponsored by MPA, MES and Center for Climate Action and Sustainability.

The Master of Environmental Studies Student Association (MESA) couldn't have asked for better spring weather for our guided visit to the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge! Thank you to Davy Clark for being our guide as we saw so many songbirds, water fowl, turtles, frogs and possibly a hybridized mallard-wood duck!

Join the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team (DERT) Community Forum: Human Water Cycle Part II – Tuesday, April 19th, 2022 @ 6PM (Virtual)

Join at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89136792913?pwd=THB1cTFSVFVUdVNmNmtCU3FPUkRqQT09

Join us for part II of the Human Water Cycle featuring guest speakers:

-Dave Peeler, DERT Board of Directors
-Sean Dixon, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance Executive Director
-Kevin Hansen, Thurston County Water Planning
-Matt Kennelly, LOTT’s Executive Director

These experts will present information on the topics below, followed by a half hour question and answer session:

+The Clean Water Act – it’s potential and limitations
+Nutrient Pollution in Puget Sound
+Department of Ecology’s Nutrient General Permit
+Onsite Septic Systems
+LOTT’s Budd Inlet Treatment Facility, upgrades to nutrient removal, and plans for the future
+& more!

Water goes on a remarkable journey across our planet, continuously shifting form, cycling between the atmosphere, land, and oceans, falling as snow on mountain ranges, melting and flowing into streams and rivers that meander towards the sea, coursing through soil, plants, and animals, and nourishing life along the way. The water cycle is a global system that connects all life on the planet.

The human water cycle accounts for the ways that human development obstructs the natural processes of water while adding an array of pollutants along its course. Over a relatively short period of time humans have dammed countless rivers, forced streams into pipes, buried wetlands, armored shorelines, and compacted native soils and covered them with impervious surfaces. As more and more water is diverted for human uses, groundwater stores are depleted and instream flows are diminished. Myriad contaminants are picked up and transported by water as it flows through the human water cycle, threatening fish, wildlife, and human communities alike.

Major elements of the human water cycle include: infrastructure, water withdrawals, stormwater runoff, wastewater, climate change, and water laws and policy. There is great potential for positive change within each element of the human water cycle. Unfortunately, the elements of the water cycle are treated in a fragmented and uncoordinated approach. In order to address the growing threats of water scarcity and pollution in our region, it is crucial that we act in a holistic and collaborative manner.

DERT’s human water cycle forum will explore the different elements of the human water cycle while emphasizing the connections that exist between them. The aim of this forum is to inspire collaborative actions necessary to address water issues among community members, governmental agencies, and other organizations.

Evergreen Equity Symposium 2022
Tending This Moment: Community Care and Connection
Tuesday, April 12 through Thursday, April 14, 2022

In Emergent Strategy, our keynote speaker adrienne maree brown calls on us to tend to the life-codes of the present moment, recognize our interconnectedness, and be resilient like water. This year’s Equity Symposium experience is designed to help us respond to what our community needs most right now: connection and care. The idea is that this moment, with all its challenges, is our moment and that what we create from this moment can help us sustain and support our community. As we tend to this moment, to each other, and to the natural world, we create new possibilities together.

Students, staff & faculty can register and see the full schedule at https://www.evergreen.edu/equity/evergreen-equity-symposium-2022

Congratulations to MES faculty John Withey for the recent publication on his co-authored article "A novel model to accurately predict continental-scale timing of forest green-up."

View the full article at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0303243422000733

Abstract
The yearly cycles in vegetation greenness are among the most important drivers of ecosystem processes. Predictive models for the timing of vegetation greenup and senescence are crucial for understanding how biological communities respond to global change. Greenup timing is closely tied to climate and also tracks yearly variability in temperature, and the strength of this relationship varies spatio-temporally. Local studies have been useful in understanding underlying mechanisms but they are insufficient in explaining larger scale variabilities. Large-scale studies using remotely-sensed data have the potential to harness regional dynamics, even if underlying mechanisms remain unknown, Yet predictive power using these approaches is low. Here, we predict vegetation phenology across Eastern North America via a novel class of Bayesian regression model. Our modeling framework provides continental-level peak greenup time predictions with high accuracy using satellite observations from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). In addition to taking into account temporal structure at individual sites, our models make use of information from the entire study extent regardless of their spatial proximity.

Models were built from 2000 to 2016 and showed high prediction accuracy (R2 > 95%). Out-of-sample predictions for the years 2017 and 2018 showed accuracy within days of the predicted peaks, even though yearly greenup timing can vary by up to 30 days across the study region. Performance was remarkably high across deciduous and mixed forest types. Our method is generalizable to temperate forests across the globe and provides a basis for backcasting and forecasting forest greenup for any time periods where daily temperatures, whether directly measured or modeled, are available.

Happy Spring Equinox--the first day of Spring, and the first day of student's spring break!

Third Round Deadline: June 1st, 2022!

Admission Decisions: July 15th, 2022.
This is the final deadline to submit Fall 2022 applications. Apply at https://www.evergreen.edu/mes/apply-mes. Please contact Assistant Director, Averi Azar at [email protected] with any questions.

UW SRP and the NW Toxic Communities Coalition are excited to announce the 2022 NW Toxic Communities Summit on Saturday, March 26, 9 am–4 pm PST.

Register at https://washington.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fTWGOau2Thea9tN901QmQw

This year's theme is "Together We Can – Scientists and Advocates Working Together for Environmental Health" – our speakers include Joel Clement (Harvard University), Robert Martin (former EPA Ombudsman), Jill Witowski Heaps (Earthjustice), Rhonda Kaetzal (ATSDR), Millie Piazza (WA Dept of Ecology), and Denise Trabbic-Pointer (Sierra Club).

Congratulations to MES faculty member Shawn O. Hazboun on her recent publication as co-author on the research article "Risk-benefit perceptions of natural gas export in Oregon."

Abstract:

Public perceptions of fracking and natural gas have received significant scholarly attention recently. However, opinion research is scant with respect to natural gas export (the transport and sale of natural gas from one country to another via pipeline or ship) and its associated economic benefits and environmental risks. Understanding public views on export, particularly in places where export facilities are proposed, is important because the U.S. has rapidly increased its natural gas exports overseas in the wake of the shale revolution. Moreover, such facilities have been targeted by anti-fossil fuel and climate activists as a weak link in the chain of the fossil fuel economy, particularly on the U.S. West Coast where proposals for export terminals have proven unsuccessful. Using a web-based opinion survey in the state of Oregon (n = 500), we evaluate risk and benefit perceptions of natural gas export and the role of socio-demographic, political ideology, and place-based factors in shaping these perceptions. We find that men, conservatives, urban residents, and those who perceive that their community’s economic identity is tied to extractive industries are less likely to perceive risks and more likely to perceive benefits from natural gas export. Respondents with a bachelor’s degree and those who perceive that their community’s economic identity is tied to renewable energy are more likely to perceive risks and less likely to perceive benefits. Whereas much of energy social science is focused on sites of extraction, our results contribute to the growing understanding of the social dimensions of energy export.

Check out the full article at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13549839.2022.2040470

Risk-benefit perceptions of natural gas export in Oregon (2022). Risk-benefit perceptions of natural gas export in Oregon. Local Environment. Ahead of Print.

We are now accepting applications for tuition waivers, fellowships and scholarships that Evergreen can offer MES students who are starting the program in the 2022-2023 academic year.

You will need to use your Evergreen student email and password to complete the application process. If you have not already activated your new student email and setup your password, please do so before starting the application at: activate.evergreen.edu.

The deadline to complete and submit your scholarship application is March 11, 2022. Scholarship recipients will receive award notifications no later than April 1st, 2022 to your evergreen.edu student email.

Learn more about the funding opportunities available at the MES Costs and Financial Aid page or check out the MES Scholarship Application, 2022-2023 https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=98-tIm_ApkmPIFBxHEDdqv-tROIVy-VJo6q6t0RGopNURUI4MVFaS1pQUklXTThZSExQM05ZS082RC4u

Please reach out if you have any questions at (360) 742-8746 or [email protected].

Curious about what past MES students have researched for their Master thesis work? Take a look at the MES Institutional Repository, our thesis archive, and check out the amazing variety of research students have taken on from an interdisciplinary approach.

http://collections.evergreen.edu/s/repository/item?fulltext_search=&property%5B0%5D%5Bjoiner%5D=and&property%5B0%5D%5Bproperty%5D=&property%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=eq&property%5B0%5D%5Btext%5D=&resource_class_id%5B0%5D=&item_set_id%5B0%5D=2252&numeric%5Bts%5D%5B

CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Carri LeRoy for receiving a 2021 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), the highest honor in the nation for U.S. science and mathematics mentors.

As a core faculty member in MES (2011-2014), Dr. LeRoy taught integrated community and ecosystem ecology, advanced statistics, research design, and freshwater ecology. She advised many MES students as they completed their thesis research. Dr. LeRoy also mentored many MES students as co-director of the Sustainability in Prisons Project at Evergreen (2011–2017).

Please join us in celebrating an amazing colleague, teacher, mentor, and friend on this well-deserved recognition.

Join the event live on YouTube at 11 a.m. PST on Friday, Feb. 11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtRsPdHg3n0. .

PAESMEM Virtual Announcement

Happy Black History Month 2022! At MES students engage in interdisciplinary coursework that addresses both environmental and social issues through an equity lens. During the month of February, we are reminded that there is much work to be done in addressing the lack of diversity in the environmental movement, and that dismantling systems of violence and injustice in our institutions is a responsibility for all.

Learn more from individuals who are working to uplift the underrepresented voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the outdoors and challenge public perceptions of environmentalism by dismantling the stereotypes of what a biologist, botanist, or naturalist looks like in National Environmental Education Foundation - NEEF's article “More Than a Movement: Black Women Seek Diversity and Equality in the Outdoors.”

https://www.neefusa.org/more-movement-black-women-seek-diversity-and-equality-outdoors

More Than a Movement: Black Women Seek Diversity and Equality in the Outdoors More Than a Movement: Black Women Seek Diversity and Equality in the Outdoors

Shared from Birdability
Join Birdability and American Bird Conservancy for Episode 5 of Birdability Birders: Conversations about Birding with Access Challenges, on Tuesday February 1st from 6-7.30pm Eastern. We'll be talking with Day Scott (she/her) about the challenges of living with a traumatic brain injury, and how birds, birding and bird photography has helped her navigate unexpected life changes as a result of her acquired disability.
Day is a certified California and Wyoming naturalist, wildlife photographer, writer, and environmental educator. Her passion in ornithology has led to amazing opportunities including her work being featured on Discovery and BBC America in addition to teaching a bird photography workshop at The Biggest Week in American Birding festival. Though still navigating through her traumatic brain injury (TBI) recovery and adjusting to a lifestyle with disabilities, she’s discovering her voice for storytelling, an affinity for birds and the bravery to stand out and dare greatly through it all.
Closed captions and an American Sign Language interpreter will be provided. The event is free to attend, and will be recorded; donations to Birdability are greatly appreciated. Register at https://act.abcbirds.org/a/birdability-day-scott
🐦🧑🏾‍🦯👩🏼‍🦼🚶‍♀️👨🏽‍🦽🦾🌿
[Image description: Graphic with a photo of a Black woman smiling at the camera, holding a camera with a large telephoto lens. Text reads: Birdability Birders: Conversations about birding with access challenges. Episode 5: Day Scott, Birding with a Traumatic Brain Injury. Tuesday February 1st, 6:00pm ET. Co-hosted by Birdability and American Bird Conservancy.]

Join Birdability and American Bird Conservancy for Episode 5 of Birdability Birders: Conversations about Birding with Access Challenges, on Tuesday February 1st from 6-7.30pm Eastern. We'll be talking with Day Scott (she/her) about the challenges of living with a traumatic brain injury, and how birds, birding and bird photography has helped her navigate unexpected life changes as a result of her acquired disability.

Day is a certified California and Wyoming naturalist, wildlife photographer, writer, and environmental educator. Her passion in ornithology has led to amazing opportunities including her work being featured on Discovery and BBC America in addition to teaching a bird photography workshop at The Biggest Week in American Birding festival. Though still navigating through her traumatic brain injury (TBI) recovery and adjusting to a lifestyle with disabilities, she’s discovering her voice for storytelling, an affinity for birds and the bravery to stand out and dare greatly through it all.

Closed captions and an American Sign Language interpreter will be provided. The event is free to attend, and will be recorded; donations to Birdability are greatly appreciated. Register at https://act.abcbirds.org/a/birdability-day-scott

🐦🧑🏾‍🦯👩🏼‍🦼🚶‍♀️👨🏽‍🦽🦾🌿

[Image description: Graphic with a photo of a Black woman smiling at the camera, holding a camera with a large telephoto lens. Text reads: Birdability Birders: Conversations about birding with access challenges. Episode 5: Day Scott, Birding with a Traumatic Brain Injury. Tuesday February 1st, 6:00pm ET. Co-hosted by Birdability and American Bird Conservancy.]

Shared from First Peoples Multicultural, Trans, and Q***r Support Services

No Man’s Land Film Festival is coming to the Evergreen State College! The Outdoor Program (TOP) & First Peoples Multicultural, Trans, and Q***r Support Services are collaborating on two nights of No Man’s Land Film Festival. Each night will feature different collections of short films that feature women-identified athletes with an aim to undefine feminine in adventure, sport, and film.

Register at the link in our bio to be notified as our information is updated!

Questions? Email [email protected]

No Man’s Land Film Festival is coming to the Evergreen State College! The Outdoor Program (TOP) & First Peoples Multicultural, Trans, and Q***r Support Services are collaborating on two nights of No Man’s Land Film Festival. Each night will feature different collections of short films that feature women-identified athletes with an aim to undefine feminine in adventure, sport, and film.

Register at the link in our bio to be notified as our information is updated!

Questions? Email [email protected]