A new video promotes the hard work and commitment of Nature Conservancy scientists and collaborators who everyday provide the knowledge crucial for a future where people, lands, and waters thrive in balance.
Wisdom of the Summer Solstice
On June 21st, the Sun will swell to a dramatic crescendo on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, Summer Solstice. Across history, cultures and geography, humans have paid special attention to this annual event, holding it as a day of ritual and reverence. The Summer Solstice stands as a threshold between Spring and Summer, marking a time to savor abundance and fresh starts.
From PNW to PNG: A Climate-Focused Q&A with Dr. Ailene Ettinger
Every Tree Helps
Through our GRIT work, we are finding that temperature declines linearly with tree canopy cover. Because this relationship is linear, it suggests that there is no threshold tree cover required to affect air temperature; instead, every bit of additional tree canopy seems to help reduce local air temperature on hot days.
A Fellowship for Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change
This trip was part of an internal TNC fellowship with the Natural Climate Solutions Prototyping Network. Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) provide climate change mitigation via conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of forests, wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands in ways that are consistent with biodiversity conservation and human rights.
Watch the Video: One Million Trees
The Greening Research in Tacoma project (or G.R.I.T.) is an effort to understand more about how human
health and increased greening intersect in South Tacoma. This unique collaboration of the Tacoma Tree
Foundation, The Nature Conservancy in Washington, the University of Washington, and the City of
Tacoma is funded by an award from the Puget Sound Partnership and a grant from the U.S. Forest
Service.
Hitting the Pavement to Track Temperature in Tacoma
Rebuilding an Urban Tree Canopy: On the Ground with GRIT
A unique research project, Greening Research in Tacoma (GRIT) brings together community partners and perspectives to paint a more detailed picture of how neighborhood residents *actually* experience green infrastructure, like tree plantings.
In partnership with the @City of Tacoma, @Tacoma Tree Foundation, and @University of Washington, GRIT’s community-minded approach will shape how we design and plan greening initiatives to be more equitable and effective for people everywhere.
Partners are Working to Build GRIT in 'Grit City'
Science at Home: A Video Series to See Our Work, Meet our Scientists
Why I study Phenology
I study phenology, or the timing of seasonal biological events such as such autumn leaf death and spring budburst. The transition to spring is a particularly exciting event to witness. It’s also an incredibly complex process, involving cellular pathways and genes that are not well understood, and affected by winter temperatures, spring temperatures, and day length, among other things. The beauty apparent in observing phenology in nature and the complexity of biology underlying phenological events fascinate and ground me.
Two-minute-takeway: What is Phenology?
Phenology is the study of the timing of recurring biological events.
You’ve probably heard the expression “timing is everything” and, indeed, when events such as flowering or insect emergence occur can determine life or death. If a tree bursts its buds too early in the spring, for example, frost may damage or kill the new leaf tissue. If it bursts its buds very late, on the other hand, it may be at a competitive disadvantage compared to other trees that began photosynthesizing and growing earlier in the season.
