Welcome to Exploring Nature, an illustrated blog series that (re)discovers the natural world through art, science, and observation. Illustration by Erica Sloniker, Marketing and Visual Communications Transcript: Yellow Island Bloom at Yellow Island Preserve Thursday, June 25, 2024 Nestled in the western half of the San Juan Islands, a prolific display of wildflower color saturates Yellow Island every year. This small 11-acre prairie island has been shaped by many human hands since time immemorial, in order to witness my observations today. Multiple flower species caught my attention as well ..read more

“Harnessing statistics to monitor and maintain healthy ecosystems.” I am a Postdoctoral Scholar working jointly with The Nature Conservancy and the University of Washington. I earned a Ph.D. from the Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management program at the University of Washington, where my research focused on forest disturbances (primarily bark beetle outbreaks and wildfires) and their implications for forest resilience in the context of climate change. I greatly enjoy harnessing quantitative methods to address ecological questions and that aid in natural resource management and decision ..read more

“Connecting people and science for stronger relationships and better conservation actions.” As a Science and Conservation Specialist with The Nature Conservancy, I advance our team’s science work through our partnership with the University of Washington and through research on landscape-scale changes over space and time. I hold a M.S. degree from the University of Maryland where I studied soil carbon dynamics in freshwater wetlands, examining the often-fuzzy edges where forests become wetlands. My ecological research career has taken me to varied landscapes all at the forefront of environment ..read more

“Ideally in a pond with turtles” © Hannah Letinich As a research scientist I aim to bring the best available science to conservation decision making. I was classically trained in wildlife, fish, and conservation biology at UC Davis. I later earned my masters and PhD from Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (now School of the Environment). Prior to coming to TNC, I was a senior research scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife where I managed a team of researchers in studying some of the state’s most pressing biodiversity and ecosystem conservati ..read more

Last week, The Nature Conservancy in Washington (TNC) and community partners celebrated a major milestone in the effort to protect Cle Elum Ridge in Kittitas County in central Washington. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small and Congresswoman Kim Schrier came to Cle Elum to announce a $15.3 million federal Forest Legacy Program grant that will enable Washington state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to protect this beloved forested land above the communities of Cle Elum, Roslyn and Ronald. Ten years ago, in 2014, Plum Creek Timber ow ..read more

Stormwater runoff is just as certain as the rain that falls in the Puget Sound. When rain falls on impervious surfaces, like roads and rooftops, it picks up pollution and carries the pollution on a journey that ends in our waterways and ecosystems. This pollution is a lethal threat to salmon and contaminates our environment and food. One of mother nature’s invisible superpowers, infiltration, has inspired a type of nature-based solution called Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI). Infiltration is when water on top of the ground flows into the soil – just like when rain falls in our forests an ..read more

By Catalina Burch, Washington Sea Grant Marc Hershman Marine Policy Fellow The Shellfish Growers Resiliency Fund (the Fund), was created as part of the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR) program, by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and The Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew), to advance the development of a resilient and sustainable shellfish industry that provides benefits to marine ecosystems and local communities. Recently, the SOAR program announced 47 new recipients of the Fund, providing a total of $898,000 to projects in 18 coastal states, including 4 awards to projects in Washing ..read more

By Todd Reeve, CEO of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and James Schroeder, Director of Conservation for The Nature Conservancy in Washington Earth Day ignited our collective awareness of challenges facing people and nature, and spurred unparalleled legislative action bringing us cleaner air and water. Five decades later, Washingtonians face an important crossroad: our climate future will be on the ballot this November as Initiative 2117 which would repeal Washington’s most comprehensive climate legislation, the Climate Commitment Act (CCA). From mega wildfires to declining salmon runs ..read more

The general manager of Tacoma’s KBTC Public Television, and TNC in Washington trustee, on the power of storytelling to engage people in conservation and create a better future for the next generation.   By Anya Blaney  An awe-inspiring Northwest event shaped DeAnne Hamilton’s approach to storytelling, community involvement, and the natural world. After working her way from receptionist to producer at KATU, the ABC affiliate in Portland, she had the chance to produce both her first and last show before moving to San Francisco. The story? The eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980, which t ..read more

Welcome to Exploring Nature, an illustrated blog series that (re)discovers the natural world through art, science, and observation. Illustration by Erica Sloniker, Marketing and Visual Communications Transcript: Spring Frogs at Moses Coulee Preserve Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Nestled in the cliffs in Moses Coulee is an import desert water source that every spring 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. Pacific Tree Frog Facts: Male tree frogs a ..read more