Undergraduate's Oceanography class project on climate published in local paper

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Dendroctonus ponderosae (Dendroctonus means ‘tree killer’ in Latin).  Also known by the name “Bark Beetle”. &

Dendroctonus ponderosae (Dendroctonus means ‘tree killer’ in Latin).  Also known by the name “Bark Beetle”.  The beetles carry a fungus which is food for their larvae and the fungus kills the tree by blocking circulation in the tree. Attacks lodgepole and ponderosa pine trees in the Pacific Northwest.

Sarah Crumrine, a freshman UW Honors student in last quarter’s Climate Extremes(Ocean 450 and Honors 221D) course, has published what started as a class project in the Methow Valley News.  Climate Extremes is a joint course taught by Paul Johnson and Alex Gagnon, with 4 credits for the Ocean students and 5 credits for the Honors students.   

For their 'extra' credit hour for Honors 221D, students wrote an article for a local newspaper anywhere in the world on a climate related topic. The goal was to explain a complex climate topic to a general audience about a local problem.  Sarah’s article was on climate-caused beetle kill of pine forests, a topic very relevant to residents of the Methow Valley. Congratulations to Sarah for taking full advantage of this opportunity to share her learning with the broader community!

Dendroctonus ponderosae (Dendroctonus means ‘tree killer’ in Latin).  Also known by the name “Bark Beetle”. &

Dendroctonus ponderosae (Dendroctonus means ‘tree killer’ in Latin).  Also known by the name “Bark Beetle”.  The beetles carry a fungus which is food for their larvae and the fungus kills the tree by blocking circulation in the tree. Attacks lodgepole and ponderosa pine trees in the Pacific Northwest.