Date: May 21, 2010
Contact: Charles Beall, 360-854-7302
What: Origin of Fishes - why fishes are found where they are in North Cascades National Park
Who: Dr. Leo Bodensteiner, Western Washington University professor of environmental science; Ashley Rawhouser, North Cascades National Park aquatic ecologist
When: Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Duration: Approximately 30 minutes
Location: Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen, 601 West Holly Street, Bellingham
You are invited to join in the conversation at the next Tapping into Science with Western Washington University professor Dr. Leo Bodensteiner and North Cascades National Park aquatic ecologist Ashley Rawhouser, who will discuss the natural history of aquatic ecosystems in North Cascades National Park.
In the past 20,000 years the North Cascades have been covered with snow and ice, inundated with flood waters, ablaze with fire, cleared by logging, and are now faced with a warming climate. The fish that are found in its variety of aquatic ecosystems reflect the history of natural and human disturbances and are providing us with new insight into the role that singular events have in changing these ecological communities. Fish play an important role in the food webs of the lakes, ponds, and rivers in the North Cascades as well as providing a cultural, recreational, and aesthetic resource. A better understanding of how these various fish species interact within these communities has enabled us to implement new ecosystem-based management plans that conserve and protect the rich biological diversity of the region. The discussion will center around how fishes first arrived in these waters, what ecological roles they fill, and what the future holds for them.
Tapping into Science is a monthly forum created by North Cascades National Park and Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen to facilitate conversation about park research. It is just one of many “science cafes” (http://www.sciencecafes.org/find.html) established across the United States, Canada, and Europe to engage the public in scientific activities.
The preservation of our national parks requires good research. Further, it requires that this research is shared with both scientists and non-scientists. Thus, the goal of Tapping into Science is to help people learn more about their national parks and encourage further inquiry. This series explores, in an informal way, a sampling of the vast array of current research that takes place in our national parks – which, as protected areas, are natural laboratories for study.
These free conversations are held in a family-friendly environment at the Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen on the last Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Directions are available at http://www.chuckanutbreweryandkitchen.com.
Coming Up
June 30: Adaptive Management of Invasive Species In the Face of Global Climate Change
Learn about strategies to manage invasive plant species from National Park Service Exotic Plant Management Team Coordinator Todd Neel.
