October 5, 2006
Researchers, practitioners of urban ecology to share insights
For the first time Seattle’s urban ecology researchers and managers are gathering for a day-long symposium to exchange their respective insights about protecting and restoring natural ecosystems in urban settings.
“Urbanization is the leading cause of species endangerment in the United States,” says John Marzluff, University of Washington professor of forest resources and one of the co-organizers of the event. “But it is also a powerful engine of evolution — causing species to change quickly if they are to survive with us. In this symposium we will hear what researchers are learning and what data and research is needed by policy makers to improve urban life for people and nature.”
Presented by the UW Urban Ecology Program and the non-profit Seattle Urban Nature organization, the symposium “Urban Ecology in the Seattle Metropolitan Area: Research, Policy and Planning” will be Friday, Oct. 13, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in Anderson Hall on the UW campus. Registration is required and costs $10. Because space is limited, organizers suggest registering early. One can register at http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.urbaneco/Symposium/Index.htm.
“It is often the case that those planners, policy makers and landscape architects who actually shape Seattle’s physical structures — and therefore ecological influences — do not know the most recent findings and thoughts of the research community,” Marzluff says. “Likewise those researchers who study the mechanics and effects of urban policy making, planning and growth often do so in an ivory bubble, insulated from the actual needs of practitioners.”
