NORTHWEST

The Northwest corner of Washington boasts one of the most scenic drives in the state. Lined with snowy peaks and turquoise lakes, the North Cascades Scenic Byway begins in the heart of the Skagit Valley, where flower enthusiasts flock every spring to see colorful rows of tulips. 

The Tulalip, Stillaguamish, Nooksack and Lummi reservations are among the Native American tribes located in this area of Washington. Collectively, the tribes invest significant resources in maintaining local natural resources, including the restoration of chinook and coho salmon runs. 

The world’s largest building by volume — an airplane assembly plant owned by Boeing — sits in Everett, a city with rich diversity.

This region of Washington is also home to the UW’s Friday Harbor Laboratories, located on San Juan Island. Researchers from around the world use the facility to study a variety of marine topics, from scanning every fish in the sea to learning how piranhas regrow their teeth.

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Northwest
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Maple syrup industry in Washington

Syrup producers, tapping into the natural sugar sap that runs through Pacific Northwest bigleaf maple trees, are hoping to make Washington’s product as well known and sought after as the state’s wines.

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Northwest
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Source: UW News

Beach trash accumulates in predictable patterns on Washington shores

A study by the University of Washington analyzed 843 beach surveys and found that certain beaches, and certain areas of a single beach, are “sticky zones” that accumulate litter.

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Northwest
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Source: UW News

2021 heat wave created ‘perfect storm’ for shellfish die-off

Researchers found that many shellfish were victims of a “perfect storm” of factors in summer 2021 that contributed to widespread death.

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Northwest
placekitten!
Source: Clean Energy Institute

Microgrids for education and energy sovereignty

After founding Northwest Indian College’s first engineering program, Stephanie Bostwick aims to bring clean energy to her classroom — and to the Lummi Nation.

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Northwest
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Source: UW News

Study shows high pregnancy failure in southern resident killer whales

A multi-year survey of the nutritional, physiological and reproductive health of endangered southern resident killer whales suggests that up to two-thirds of pregnancies failed in this population from 2007 to 2014. The study links this orca population’s low reproductive success to stress brought on by low or variable abundance of their most nutrient-rich prey, Chinook salmon.

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Northwest
placekitten!
Source: UW News

UW professor is digitizing every fish species in the world

Nearly 25,000 species of fish live on our planet, and a University of Washington professor wants to scan and digitize them all.

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Northwest
placekitten!
Source: UW News

First Salish Sea-wide shoreline armoring study shows cumulative effects on ecosystem

Bulkheads and seawalls along the shores of Puget Sound help ease erosion and stabilize bluffs to protect waterfront properties.

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