In Our Nature

The University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences wants to know: What does climate change mean to you? Show your vision with a short three-minute video, and you could win a $5,000 prize!

The SEFS contest is open to all high school and undergraduate college students in the state of Washington. Videos can be up to 3 minutes long, and can be in any format you choose: Claymation, music video, film noir mystery, ballet, stand-up comedy routine, rock opera, documentary...and everything else in between.

Prizes will be awarded in high school and undergraduate...

Image credit: TNT: Jeffrey P. Mayor

In December 2014, reporters from The News Tribune and The Olympian teamed up to explore the impact of climate change on Mount Rainier in a nine-part online multimedia report titled, "Losing paradise: climate change is changing Mount Rainier." In the extensive and multi-faceted report, the research of many students and faculty from multiple universities is highlighted, including several UW students, faculty, and staff...

This year UW Tacoma gained a new centerpiece designed to connect the campus with and enhance the surrounding urban environment. The Prairie Line Trail provides a new path to walk and bike through campus, and also creates a new common space for the UW Tacoma community.

UWTV's latest episode of UW 360 takes a look at the trail, exploring the history of Tacoma and the railroad line that formerly occupied the space which is now the Prairie Line Trail.

Watch:

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The University of Washington has been awarded the 2014 Grand Award for Higher Education in the Green Cleaning Awards by American School & University magazine. This is the third time the UW has been honored with a Green Cleaning Award - the university also won the Grand Award in 2007 and a Co-Grand Award along with the University of Georgia in 2010.

The magazine cited ...

Season's Greetings from Sqwatch and the team at UW Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability!

Two different projects from members of the UW community are using crowdfunding to help make sustainable ideas a reality.

One team of former UW students is using Kickstarter to produce an environmentally friendly trekking pole. The company they formed, Uphill Designs, claims their bamboo trekking pole is not only made from sustainable materials, but it also stronger and more resilient than aluminum. With just a couple days to go, the...

The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at University of Washington (DDCSP@UW) is looking for 25 freshmen and sophomores to participate in an eight week immersion course this summer. The goal of the multi-year conservation immersion program is to broaden participation within conservation, and diversify what it means to be a "conservation professional."

The student housing at Mercer Court includes a number of sustainability projects (like the UW Solar project on the roof). One feature takes advantage of Seattle's rain to help make doing laundry more environmentally friendly:

A new exhibit at the Nordic Heritage Museum titled Imaging the Acrtic showcases a collaboration between UW polar researcher Kristin Laidre and watercolor artist Maria Coryell-Martin as a unique way to communicate climate science.

Kristin Laidre, a scientist at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory Polar Science Center and the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences,...

The University of Washington was a proud sponsor and participant of the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's annual conference held in Portland, Oregon, at the end of October. Dozens of representatives from across the University attended the conference, including UW’s Associate Vice President Ruth Johnston who serves as a board member for AASHE, UW professors and academic directors, and staff members from UW Recycling, Housing & Food Services, and Environmental Stewardship &...