By Frank Hanson

Olympic Natural Resources Center opens this fall’s “Evening Talk” series on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. We have the opportunity to hear from Dr. Michael M. Pollock, Research Fish Biologist, from NOAA Fisheries. This presentation will be in the Hemlock Forest Room at the ONRC at our usual time of 7 p.m. As an ecosystem analyst, Dr. Pollock has been studying forest, stream and wetland ecosystems for over a decade. During this time he has engaged in a diverse set of scientific studies including: the influence of disturbance and productivity on biodiversity patterns in riparian corridors, the influence of beaver habitat on Coho smolt production and ecosystem function, the historical patterns of riparian forest conditions in the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of riparian forest to maintain stream habitat. Dr. Pollock will be speaking to us about his current research on the use of BIOJAMS — Working with beavers to restore salmon habitat. His work has an emphasis of restoring connections between a channelized stream and its floodplain which can increase habitat complexity in both the stream and its associated riparian area. Please join us for this presentation on his research findings where beaver dams could promote enough aggradation to reverse channel incision and improve the ecosystem for fish species.

Please join us! Evening Talks at ONRC are funded through the Rosmond Forestry Education Fund, an endowment that honors the contributions of Fred Rosmond and his family to forestry and the Forks community. Refreshments will be served and a potluck of your favorite dessert is encouraged. For more information contact Frank Hanson at 360-374-4556 or fsh2@uw.edu.