Newsletter: September 2025

Welcome to Fall 2025!

As fall quarter begins, we’re excited to welcome classes back to the Environmental Education & Research Center. This season, students will engage in courses such as Learning Ecology through Storytelling (Dr. Cynthia Chang & Dr. Jennifer Adkison), Time in Socio-Ecological Systems (Dr. Veronica Cassone McGowan), and Don’t Stress Out! A Study of Stress from Molecules to Thought (Dr. Scott Shippy). We’re also thrilled to launch a new cohort of interns for the 2025–2026 academic year, continuing our mission of hands-on, place-based learning! Keep an eye out for posts on our social media about their work and projects.

Recap & September Highlights

Kenmore Oktoberfest Open House

We enjoyed hosting an open house during Kenmore Oktoberfest and welcoming community members to learn more about CoSEE. It was a wonderful chance to share our mission and connect with neighbors at Saint Edward State Park.

Right Plant Right Bird with Yard by Yard

We were glad to support Yard by Yard in their presentation on creating bird habitat with native plants. Don Norman (Go Natives! Nursery, Puget Sound Bird Observatory) and Ingela Wanerstrand (Green Darner Garden Design, Edmonds College) shared inspiring ways to make our gardens more welcoming to birds.

Tabling at DennyFest

We are grateful for our friends at the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance and all the incredible work they do in the community. DennyFest was a huge hit, and we were glad to connect with so many people throughout the day.

Last Nature Walk of 2025

We wrapped up our final nature walk of the season and celebrated seven months of exploring the natural beauty of Saint Edward State Park together. We are grateful to all who joined us and look forward to bringing these walks back in 2026. Huge thanks to Washington State Parks for co-leading these walks with us.

Birding at Dusk @ UWB

Thank you to UWB and Cascadia’s Sustainability and Outdoor Wellness programs for partnering with us on this event. Dr. Ursula Valdez led a fantastic evening of birdwatching around North Creek while sharing insights into local bird ecology.

Upcoming Events in October (& Beyond!)

Fall Open Houses

October 2, 2025 | 8:00am – 12:00pm
October 8, 2025 | 2:00 – 6:00pm

All faculty, staff, and students are invited to explore the learning, teaching, and research opportunities at the Environmental Education and Research Center at Saint Edward State Park.

Faculty & Staff:

• Explore CoSEE’s resources for supporting field and place-based learning.
• Join a guided trail walk to learn more about Saint Edward State Park.
• Share your research and teaching with the larger community.
• Connect your teaching and research to community partners.

Students:

• Learn about courses taught at CoSEE this year.
• Explore CoSEE-supported internships and research opportunities.
• Discover upcoming programming for students and the public.

Lecture: Salmon in Our Neighborhood (Zoom available)

Dr. Jeff Jensen
October 9 | 7:00 – 8:30pm
EERC (14445 Juanita Dr NE Kenmore, WA 98028)

Dr. Jeff Jensen will share insights from his research on native kokanee salmon. He’ll highlight the methods he uses to study these fish in our region and what they reveal about the health of local ecosystems.

Invasive Plant Removal @ Saint Edward State Park

October 11 | 10:00am – 1:00pm
Saint Edward State Park – Meet at the Playground

Join us for a hands-on community restoration day at Saint Edward State Park. Volunteers will help care for the park’s trails and natural areas, contributing to the health of this special space for all who visit. This month we will be focusing on specific trail restoration!

Lecture: Brilliance of the Natural World (Zoom available)

Dr. Veronica Cassone McGowan
October 16 | 7:00 – 8:30pm
EERC (14445 Juanita Dr NE Kenmore, WA 98028)

How would our teaching, learning, research, and everyday practices change if we viewed the more-than-human world as brilliant, sentient, and agentic? This lecture will explore:

• The brilliance of plants, animals, and other entities
• The limitations of traditional STEM methodologies in recognizing multispecies sentience
• Case studies of more-than-human brilliance
• How multispecies brilliance can help us address our world’s most pressing challenges

Reserve the EERC Classroom

14445 Juanita Drive NE, Kenmore, WA 98028
Monday–Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm (Fall Quarter)

The Environmental Education and Research Center (EERC) Classroom at Saint Edward State Park (Equipped with flexible seating, whiteboards, projector, Wi-Fi, and a kitchenette) is now available for reservation through the UW Bothell 25Live system.

Reservation Options:

• Half-Day: 9:00am – 1:00pm or 1:00pm – 5:00pm
• Full-Day: 9:00am – 5:00pm
• Outside reservation hours: $100/hour additional fee

Pricing Structure:

• Community Partners: $250 (Half-Day) | $500 (Full-Day)
• Corporate Partners: $500 (Half-Day) | $1,000 (Full-Day)
• UW Bothell Partners: $350 (Half-Day) | $700 (Full-Day)
• Reservations must be submitted through 25Live. A CoSEE staff member will be present during your event.

Other Community Events

Data Day: Oct. 6 at the North Creek Events Center

Data Day is an annual celebration of the many ways data shapes research, learning, and career opportunities across our community. The event is open to all. Visit the Data Day website for a complete schedule of activities.

This year’s schedule includes:

• A keynote address by Dr. Krystal Tsosie (Diné/Navajo Nation), geneticist and bioethicist, and co-founder of the Native BioData Consortium. Her talk highlights ethical, community-led approaches to using DNA and data, showing how Indigenous knowledge guides research that benefits both people and ecosystems.
• An industry career panel featuring alumni, community partners, and other data professionals from diverse fields.
• Interactive sessions showcasing innovative student uses of data in their research. (Reach out if you have a student who’d like to present their work.)
• A FREE networking luncheon for all attendees.

Upcoming Events & Program at the Lodge

Learn about upcoming events and programs happening at the Lodge at Saint Edward State Park. These events and offerings are always changing.