Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Animal-Sediment Relationships Reexamined, A Meta-Analysis, Christine Franzen

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The patterns associated with the influence of grain size on the spatial variation of the deposit and suspension-feeding groups have been studied since the late 1950s. The foundational paper for the theory, Sanders (1958), proposed that a higher proportion of clay and silt-sized grains in the sediments correlates with a higher proportion of deposit feeders compared to suspension feeders. This theory has become widely accepted and taught in textbooks despite subsequent papers indicating differing observations. Through a meta-analysis, this study examines whether the observation from Sanders (1958) was indicative of a general rule or an anomaly. Additionally, this study aims …

Strengthening Collaboration Between Washington State And British Columbia, Ginny Broadhurst, Laurie D. Trautman

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

There are a variety of benefits that arise from collaboration across the Canada-US border. In some sectors, the value of collaboration is measurable. For example, travel or trade volumes can be equated with specific economic benefits. This is the case with tourism and supply chain networks. There are traceable benefits associated with cross-border business integration and the development of a shared ‘innovation ecosystem’. However, how does one measure the value of having good relations with neighbors? Or the benefits that result from developing more resilient environmental and economic conditions that are created by joint responses to shared natural disasters? The …

How Much Noise Is Too Much For Southern Resident Killer Whales In The Salish Sea? The Case For A Carrying Capacity Study., Rob Williams, Cindy R. Elliser, Ginny Broadhurst

Institute Publications

Background and rationale for the need of a carrying capacity study that will provide the necessary data to understand what amount of vessel noise is acceptable, while at the same time allowing marine life to maintain healthy populations.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Hydroxy-Functionalized Copper Indium Disulfide Quantum Dots, Julia Schexnayder

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Quantum dots offer tunable electronic and optical properties due to the quantum confinement effect, making them desirable for various applications. However, their native hydrophobic form requires surface chemistry modification for certain applications. This research explores the method of ligand exchange using 11-mercapto-1-undecanol for improving the stability of copper indium disulfide (CIS) quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles in polar environments. The effects of this ligand exchange on QD chemical composition, optical properties, hydroxy-reactivity, and hydrodynamic radius are characterized. Analysis of characterization results indicates successful surface modification through hydroxyfunctionalization, as confirmed by 1H-NMR and IR spectroscopy. The desired optical properties of the QDs …

Using Mineral Magnetism To Characterize Compositions Of Fe-Ti Oxide Phases Of The Sulphur Creek Lava Flow (Kulshan), Elika Zilis

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The aim of this study is to examine variations in the composition of Fe-Ti oxide minerals in the Sulphur Creek lava flow (SE margin of Kulshan), using magnetic techniques and electron microscopy. Geochemical and petrological data from these rocks dated ~9.8 ka may be a product of two distinct magma pulses (Garvey, 2002) with two distinct compositions: andesitic basalt and basalt. The composition of cubic oxides (magnetite and ulvöspinel) is influenced by the geochemistry of the crystallizing magma and can be used to provide information about the chemical evolution of these magmas, but also to help frame future paleomagnetic studies …

Lake Whatcom Monitoring Project 2021/2022 Report, Angela Strecker, Michael Hilles, Joan Pickens, Kathryn Queen, Emily Flarry, Robert Mitchell, Robin A. Matthews, Geoffrey B. Matthews

Lake Whatcom Annual Reports

This report describes the results from the 2021/2022 Lake Whatcom monitoring program conducted by the Institute for Watershed Studies at Western Washington University (www.wwu.edu/iws).

The major objectives in 2021/2022 were to continue long-term baseline water quality monitoring in Lake Whatcom and its major tributaries; collect storm runoff water quality data from representative streams in the watershed; and continue collection of hydrologic data from Austin and Smith Creeks.

Freshwater Algae In Northwest Washington, Volume Iii. Desmids, Part A, Robin A. Matthews

A Collection of Open Access Books and Monographs

No abstract provided.

Salmon Against Humanity: Are Hatcheries A Part Of Salmon Recovery?, Janine Fong

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Salmon hatcheries have been in place since the late 1800s, but they are controversial parts of salmon recovery. Evidence has been found that hatcheries may be producing weaker fish and harming naturally-occurring populations. However, many of these issues can be addressed with hatchery reforms. There are also external factors to consider, such as the needs of those who depend on salmon and the loss of habitat. In the larger scheme of things, hatcheries appear to be important tools that can be utilized better in order to conserve salmon more effectively. This paper explores the hatchery controversy, from tribal rights to …

Digital Archaeology: Detection Of Archaeological Structures Using Convolutional Neural Networks On Aerial Lidar Data, Katie Larue

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Archaeology is a field that is mostly done by hand. Archaeologists explore remote and unknown areas of the world to find undiscovered civilizations that will give us any idea about how people lived in the past. To speed up this process, Airborne light detection and ranging or LiDAR systems have been used to great effect to speed up this processing. However, we still require domain experts to annotate this information to confirm structures. Deep learning has the potential to speed up this process and the following presentation is a basic overview of machine learning, popular types of deep learning models, …

Silicon And Oxygen In Earth’S Core: Applications Of Machine Learning To Metal-Silicate Equilibria And Core Formation, Ruben Keane

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Within Earth’s core, light elements (Si, O, C, S, N, H) are known to make up a small fraction of the total mass of the core with respect to heavy elements. The degree to which these elements exist in the cores of terrestrial planets have geophysical and geochemical implications, most notably the presence of core convection and a geodynamo, thermal conductivity within the core, and core temperature. Comparison of the composition of chondrites to Earth’s mantle composition and the Preliminary Reference Earth Model have given an estimation of about 10 % light elements in Earth’s core. The concentrations of each …

Friends Of Acadia Intern, Jacob Haertel

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Completing numerous different projects and living in a national
park allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how different environmental non-profits
operate, as well as the National Park Service. Not only did I have administrative duties that
involved researching other organizations, organizing and archiving project files, and researching
former state bills, but I got to experience different field trips to other non-profits who work in the
area around Acadia, attend many different organizational meetings, and go to different sorts of
events. All of this while being within walking distance of the park itself allowed my
understanding of the conservation …

City Of Bellingham Parks Volunteer Program Internship, Jordan Ng

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The Parks Volunteer Program (PVP) operates within Parks and Recreation and is a public-facing municipal program that engages community members in environmental restoration and education. Throughout the year, regularly scheduled work parties are held, many of which are in partnership with other local environmental groups. Frequent community partners include the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), Whatcom Million Trees Project (WMTP), and LEAD, an environmental restoration program

Taylor Shellfish Farms + Sakari Farms, Rosalie Potvin

College of the Environment Internship Reports

I would work up to 6 days a week during the low tide to harvest, plant, and transplant clams and oysters. My time at Taylor Shellfish Farms introduced me to a sustainable form aquaculture as I split my time between Clam and Oyster Crews.

Septic Designer In Training, Gabriel Mcguire

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The objectives of this role consisted of two main components: fieldwork, and
design work. The fieldwork included collecting data to design a septic system or evaluate the site given the parameters of the project. Soil quality, critical areas, setbacks from existing utilities, and available space were all important parameters to consider.

Washington Conservation Corps Intern, Suzanne Krasle

College of the Environment Internship Reports

WCC is an AmeriCorps program under the Department of Ecology for Washington State. Opportunities for service through WCC include working on a trail, spike, or restoration crew, or as an individual placement. I worked on a restoration crew. Restoration crews focus on native planting, invasive species removal and mitigation, and implementation of erosion control techniques. My crew consisted of six WCC crew members including me and our supervisor, and we worked alongside our sponsor the Skagit River System Coop (SRSC).

Washington Conservaton Corps Intern, Suzanne Krasle

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Restoration crews focus on native planting, invasive species removal and mitigation, and implementation of erosion control techniques. My crew consisted of six WCC crew members including me and our supervisor, and we worked alongside our sponsor the Skagit River System Coop (SRSC). Since January, we completed planting projects along with some brush-cutting of Himalayan blackberry. In addition to working on the restoration projects, my role within WCC was to document our crew’s daily work including site conditions and the number of trees planted.

Skagit Land Trust Steward Internship, Ian Anderson

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The core task of this internship was to participate in volunteer work parties. One of the ways that Skagit Land Trust works to conserve the plots of land they manage is with volunteer work parties, where volunteers sign up to come out and work on improving some aspects of the Trust’s properties. My role in this was to assist the stewardship coordinators in setting up the work parties and participating in the work parties themselves. This mostly consisted of landscaping work such as weed whacking, trail clearing, invasive species removal, data collection, and tree planting.

Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Sustainable Farm Education Intern, Sean Anderson

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to ensure the healthy recovery of salmon in the Hood Canal watershed, and through restoration, education, and research they aim to achieve this goal. Based at the Salmon Center in Belfair, I interned on the farm there aptly named Farm at Water’s Edge. They’re a certified organic farm meaning they don’t use any herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizer where runoff can be avoided to not affect the salmon, it’s a fantastic demonstration of sustainable farming practices.

Compost Manufacturing Alliance Data Eval And Testing Intern, Emma Anderson

College of the Environment Internship Reports

My role at CMA was multifaceted. One half of my work consisted of fieldwork, and the other half was working on recertifications and learning the operations of the company. Towards the end, my boss and I attempted to solve, or help solve, an issue about on-campus composting that was brought to my attention but had limited luck with contacting the composter and the managers of Aramark who source food ware materials.

Lead Program Intern, Eva Araujo

College of the Environment Internship Reports

When I interviewed, Ava and Brandon introduced me to the Miyawaki Method. Their idea was to finish the invasive species removal of a severely overgrown site to the north of campus, and to replant it with an afforestation method which hasn’t yet been used in many places in the United States. It was developed by a Japanese botanist, Dr. Akira Miyawaki. The Miyawaki Method seeks to build a mini-forest, representative of what climatic forests of the natural environment would be like. To start, you build a list of the species which are typically found in an undisturbed forest. Then, you …

Nw Straits Foundation Rain Garden Intern, Margeaux Bailey

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The goal of the project was to not only create a green space within the bus loop where children are dropped off and picked up but to build a storm water filtration system to improve storm water quality before it enters streams and it’s final destination, the Salish Sea.This rain garden also provides continuous learning opportunities for the students at Mt. Erie Elementary School to gain knowledge about stormwater management practices and the opportunity to be environmental stewards. The Mt. Erie rain garden contains a variety of 130 plants including native species and benefits the Salish Sea through filtering up …

Deception Pass State Park Intern, Sarah Parker

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The Rosario Beach tidepools, which my internship centered around, get tens of thousands of visitors every summer. The main purpose of my position at Rosario Beach this summer was to connect visitors’ experiences to the natural resource that the tidepools are and use environmental education as a means to protect it.

Dfsw Fish Sampling Internship, Dylan Adams

College of the Environment Internship Reports

I was part of the Puget Sound Sampling Unit (PSSU) and aimed to enhance my knowledge of state biological data collection techniques and scientific data organization. The job responsibilities included interviewing recreational anglers, collecting data on salmon, marine fish, and shellfish catches, and obtaining specific biological data to support fisheries sampling goals.

Whatcom Transit Authority Senior Project Report, Kendall Jouett

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The current scenario of greenhouse gas emissions is expected to increase with global warming throughout the end of the twenty-first century. Organizations in the United States are actively working towards mitigation strategies that are beneficial in contributing towards the progress of the Biden Administration’s goal to cut back greenhouse gas emissions from the levels recorded in 2005 down by half by 2030. In order to accomplish this goal, counties are developing sustainability plans specialized to the area’s lifestyle uses of energy. A major focal point nationally is the transportation sector’s environmental impacts, and many are looking toward the development of …

Nsea - Gis Intern, Maximillian Yost

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Most of my work included updating, editing, and creating GIS feature layers and maps used by the NSEA restoration crews, and creating maps and story maps that could be viewed and easily digested by the public. With my role, I got to work on projects with both the educational and the field side of NSEA.

Whatcom Land Trust, De Oliveria Adriano

College of the Environment Internship Reports

This spring I worked with a local non-profit, the Whatcom Land Trust, as a GIS/GPS specialist in their stewardship department. Whatcom Land Trust aims to buy land for the main purpose of conservation. They also buy up conservation land easements, which are the rights to land development. This allows WLT to restrict any further development of land in the future, even if the landowner sells their property. As a nonprofit, they are heavily restricted by their available funding, and are forced to utilize mostly donations and State Grant funding. Even so, they own around 6,500 acres of property and are …

Mt Baker Snow School Intern, Katrina Doerflinger

College of the Environment Internship Reports

This February and March I volunteered as an environmental educator with the program. I brought students up on the mountain to different outdoor lessons hosted by the Snow School’s partners. I also had the opportunity to teach my own workshop on snow crystal formation in the atmosphere. This program is part of a 3-year-long education initiative called Snow to Sea to teach middle school students about our local watershed. We are their first exposure to this initiative at the very top of the watershed: Mt. Baker. It's so rewarding to see students, many of which have never been to Mt. …

Skagit County Public Works Intern, Cynthia Elston

College of the Environment Internship Reports

During my internship with Skagit County, I had the opportunity to participate in various programs contributing to the organization's mission of protecting and enhancing the natural resources in the county. The following paragraphs provide an overview of my involvement and contributions in each program.

Nsea Intern, Mckenna Varela

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The main focus of my position throughout this internship was to engage with the community members who volunteer on Saturdays from 9am - 12pm. Usually, there were only a handful of volunteers, maybe between 30 - 40; they would all have questions about the work we do, the importance of the riparian buffer along streams, and how each intern found their way to NSEA.

Wwu Research Assistant Intern, Itzel Perez

College of the Environment Internship Reports

My 2-credit research project focused on the degradation of polymers, such as Low-Density Polyethylene and Polycarbonate, within the human digestive system. Throughout my project I had been working with my advisor, Dr. Montaño, as well as my research partner, Ashlynn Lee, to develop an in-depth understanding of polymers. I first began doing research on polymers of interests and narrowed down to two specific plastics- Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and PC (Polycarbonate).