Read — FIELDNOTES

The Battle of the Monarch Butterfly: Difficulties with Migration and Habitat Loss

Monarch butterfly populations are rapidly declining as a result of habitat loss, climate change, and limited food supplies. To secure their future, immediate conservation measures, cutting-edge technologies, and habitat restoration are crucial.

FieldNotesMarch 23, 2025monarch butterfly, monarchs, migration, ecology, milkweed, climate change, mexico, united statesComment

Return of the Little Red Fish

After years of decline, record numbers of kokanee salmon returned from Lake Sammamish to spawn this past winter. Their resurgence is credited to King County’s Lake Sammamish Kokanee Work Group, recently energized by an emergency order to save the landlocked salmon from extinction.

FieldNotesMarch 17, 2025salmon, washington, lake washington, kokanee, ecology, conservationComment

Predicting UW's Hottest Attraction Using Cherry Blossom Models

UW students develop a model to predict when the university’s famous cherry trees will bloom. Their efforts are producing valuable data for climate research and spring tourism alike.

FieldNotesMarch 11, 2025seattle, university of washington, washington, cherry blossoms, ecology, modeling, environment, university, cherryComment

Don’t Hold Back: Washington’s Shoreline Restoration Embraces the Tide

Much of Washington State’s shoreline is armored against erosion, which degrades important intertidal ecosystems. The funding of sustainable alternatives is making waves throughout the state, converting armoring on both private and public land.

FieldNotesMarch 9, 2025restoration, ecology, sea level rise, climate change, ocean warming, chesapeake bay, seattle, washington, virginia, eelgrassComment

From Ashes to Life: Lessons from the Yellowstone Fire

The 1988 Yellowstone Fires devastated the park but proved that even the most scorched landscapes can thrive again.

FieldNotesMarch 6, 2025wildfire, fire, climate change, policy, environmental policy, yellowstone, yellowstone fire, national parkComment

Too Smart to be Farmed: Diving Into the Octopus Industry

To address rising demand, a Spanish company has begun plans to construct a large-scale octopus farm. Activists around the world question the ethics of farming such intelligent creatures.

FieldNotesMarch 4, 2025octopus, octopi, fisheries, aquaculture, spain, seattle, washington, environment, marine biology, ecologyComment

Tweets over Traffic: Noise Pollution in the Seattle Arboretum

To many, the Washington Park Arboretum is a sanctuary outside the stress of the Seattle city. Scientists now know that birds don’t have that luxury and are facing challenges due to traffic on the 520 bridge.

FieldNotesFebruary 27, 2025seattle, washington, birding, birds, noise pollution, pollution, arboretum Comment

Restoring the Path: Culvert Replacement and its Implications for the “Salmon People"

State agencies are racing against time to restore salmon passages and culverts. What does this mean for the future of salmon and the tribes that depend on it?

Butterflies or Bust: The Debate Over Tropical Milkweed in California

Conservationists and scientists debate over the efficacy of banning tropical milkweed from California backyards.

To Net-Pen or Not to Net-Pen? Debates Over Industry Termination in Washington State

Net-penning has been a long-contested issue, as advocates for its promotion of local jobs and economies clash with those exhibiting concern for marine ecosystem health.

FieldNotesFebruary 13, 2025net pen, aquaculture, ecology, salmon, fish, indigenous, indigenous peoples, puget sound, washington, seattle, washington stateComment

Creating Green Cities: Native Plant Restoration in Urban Environments

Environmental studies student Tess Petrillo shares their experience creating a guide to improve habitat restoration and ecological equity in urban environments.

The Cold Truth of Ice: Is the Canadian Arctic Disappearing?

Two major glaciers in the Prince of Wales Icefield are receding as air temperatures warm, and the implications for global sea level rise are major.

FieldNotesJanuary 17, 2025climate change, global warming, canada, canadian arctic, arctic, glacial melt, glaciers, prince of wales icefield, ice, seattle, sea level riseComment

UW Students Battle Invasive Ivy in Yesler Swamp

UW Student Klara Hulick details their experience in UW’s chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) and the process of removing invasive plants from local sites around Seattle.

The Rainforest Microbiome: Exploring Symbiosis Between Trees and Microbes

Second-year undergraduate student Madeline Glaser describes her experience in a Costa Rica-based UW study abroad program focused on rainforest microbial ecology.

FieldNotesDecember 8, 2024symbiosis, microbes, microbial biology, ecology, study abroad, costa rica, biodiversity, rainforest, conservation, educationComment

Abundant in Food Yet Scarce in Nutrition: The Underrepresented Dichotomy of Urban Food Swamps

Food Swamps–urban areas containing a 4:1 ratio of unhealthy food options to healthy ones–are a widespread phenomenon throughout the United States. Community-led solutions are striving to amend the nutritional deficits plaguing these areas.

FieldNotesOctober 28, 2024food, food deserts, food swamps, nutrition, accessibility, urban sprawl, urban developmentComment

The Buzz About Colony Collapse: What's Killing Washington's Honeybees?

Colony Collapse Disorder and a multitude of other factors are plaguing honeybee colonies, and researchers are trying to figure out how to mitigate their impacts.

Conservation Challenges: Salmon, Pinnipeds, and the Impact of Human Activities

Pinnipeds are being blamed for declining salmon abundances throughout Washington and Oregon waters, but evidence suggests that numerous other anthropogenic factors are primarily responsible.

FieldNotesAugust 31, 2024Comment

Connecting Over Sea Cucumbers: The Cuc Squad’s Holistic Science Education Program

Reshaping undergraduate research structures with an interdisciplinary approach to educating the next generation of climate change problem-solvers.

FieldNotesJuly 12, 2024education, science education, outreach, sea cucumbers, marine biology, marine ecology, ecology, environmentComment

The Climate Change Generation: How Climate Anxiety Affects Young Scientists

UW student provide insight on climate change and how it impacts their lives and mental health.

FieldNotesJuly 8, 2024climate, climate change, climate anxiety, environment, environmental science, ecologyComment

Perpetual Smoke in the Methow Valley

Drier conditions and rising temperatures are driving more wildfires in the North Cascades, and local communities are finding ways to combat the worsening air quality.