Earth Observation of Wetlands
WHEN
Thursday, January 19, 2023
4:30-5:30 p.m. PT
LOCATION
Online on Zoom
Or In-person at Western
Academic Instructional Center West,
Room 204
PRICE
Free
Check out this video to watch the Earth Observation of Wetlands.
Unlocking the Promise of Tomorrow from Patterns of the Past
Environmental Speaker Series
Brought to you by:
WWU College of the Environment
in partnership with the WWU Alumni Association
Wetlands are widely recognized as important ecosystems that provide many critical services for both natural communities and human society, including nutrient cycling, wildlife provisioning, water storage and filtration, carbon sequestration, agriculture and recreation, and critical habitat for mammals, birds, and amphibians.
Wetlands are also thought to be among the most sensitive ecosystems to climate change. Their hydrology, structure, and function all respond dynamically to changes in temperature and precipitation such as those predicted for the coming century, and these changes can exacerbate existing stresses, particularly in humanized landscapes.
As we begin to feel the impacts of a changing climate wetlands will continue to play a critical role in mitigating the impacts of climate change. However, understanding the role and response of wetlands across Washington State is challenging due to the high diversity among wetlands and across ecoregions as well as the lack of data across broad spatial and temporal extents.
This challenge has hindered our collective ability to understand, manage, and adaptively plan for wetlands and threatens to compound the massive losses of wetlands and wetland function which have already occurred. This talk will focus on how satellite and aerial remote sensing can help fill the gaps in our understanding of the role and response of wetlands under a changing climate in Washington State.
Dr. Halabisky will also draw on her recent work with Digital Earth Africa to show how powerful remote sensing tools are providing insight in how wetlands are changing across the African continent and can be a tool for adaptive management.
The Environmental Speaker Series is free and open to the public. Talks are held each Thursday at 4:30 pm in Academic Instructional Center West, room 204. Paid parking is available in lot C. Or join us online on Zoom!
Dr. Meghan Halabisky '01
Speaker
Dr. Meghan Halabisky is a remote sensing ecologist who studies earth’s dynamic patterns and processes with a focus on freshwater wetland ecosystems. She is a research scientist at the University of Washington and the Senior Science Advisor for Digital Earth Africa. Her interests include development of new remote sensing techniques for improved mapping and habitat inventory, spatiotemporal analysis of ecosystem dynamics, monitoring landscape change, and projecting climate change impacts.
Dr. Halabisky has longtime experience working with researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other end users to ensure that Earth Observation products are fit-for-purpose, easily understood, and ultimately have impact. Meghan has a background in conservation management, a concurrent Master’s – M.S./M.P.A. from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington (UW) and a PhD in landscape ecology and remote sensing with the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Meghan has an undergraduate degree from the College of the Environment at Western Washington University.
Questions, Accommodations, and Parking
Contact the WWU Alumni Association for this event. Feel free to call at (360) 650-3353 or email at alumni@wwu.edu if you have any questions or comments.
Advance notice for disability accommodations and special needs is greatly appreciated. Please indicate your special needs on the registration form.
There will be auto-captions available for the Zoom webinar.
Limited paid parking is available in the C lots at the south end of campus. WWU parking details—including lot locations, fees, and campus map—are available here.