Activity Report Explorer

Polly Dyer – Seattle • Entered by Penelope Peterson on April 29, 2023

Broadband Meeting

March 2, 2023 – March 2, 2023

Key Issue: Wildlife Protection
Activity Type: Broadband Meeting (prep, implementation & follow up)
Key Partners: Kris Ernst, Professor at Central Washington University
Landscape/area: North Cascades National Park (504781 acres)

Short Description of Activity

We held this meeting via Zoom and invited guest speaker, Dr. Kris Ernest, to join us for the beginning of our meeting. Kris is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Central Washington University. She studies population and community ecology with a particular interest in ecological connectivity. Currently, she is investigating ecological connectivity by studying pika populations in the central Washington Cascades across Interstate 90. Kris was involved with the Washington Department of Transportation in helping to construct the world-famous wildlife corridors across Interstate 90 . Kris sent us a link to this video to view before the meeting:
Critter Crossings in the Cascades: 2021 video about I-90 project from WSDOT, by Ted Grudowski https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf5nMLrlgW4&t=4s.

Here is the agenda for our Business Meeting:
Advocacy
1. Advocacy for old-growth forests and urban forestry (Genia)
2. Lower Snake River Dams subcommittee report (Penelope, Susan K, and Merrilee)
3. Update on Alpine Lakes issues (Barb M. and Janna)
4. Update on Icicle Creek (Janna)
Education
1. For our next book club on March 30 at 7 p.m., we decided to read, Of Men and Mountains by William O. Douglas, a liberal Supreme Court Justice, a contemporary of Polly Dyer, and an early figure in the environmental movement.
2. Please check out the daily posts from Penelope on our Facebook page, “Polly Dyer Seattle Great Old Broads for Wilderness,” for educational articles that Penelope posts.
3. Let Penelope know if you have suggestions for speakers for our next meeting.
Stewardship
Save the date–Earth Day–April 22nd for a stewardship activity. Details forthcoming.
Fun
Please come to this meeting prepared to tell us if you plan to attend our campout this summer at Camano Island State Park on July 17 and 18th. We need to know if you plan to attend, and if so, what kind of accommodation you want–cabin, RV, or tent site. (Barb M)

Other Items
Next Meeting via Zoom at 7 pm April 6th or April 20th–which date works better?

Reflection/Evaluation

Rather than give a formal presentation, Kris responded to questions from us and engaged in a discussion. Everyone had watched the video ahead of time and came prepared with a question or two to pose to Kris. The video stimulated a lot interest about wildlife corridors across Interstate 90, and we learned a lot that we had not known before. All in all, it was an extremely educational evening?

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Minutes of the March 2 Broadband Meeting