What can tens of thousands of rhinoceros auklets tell us about the health of the Salish Sea? Get the inside scoop on the remote and often enigmatic seabirds of Protection and Destruction Islands. Author Eric Wagner will be on stage with seabird biologist Peter Hodum for a live conversation on May 13 at the University of Washington Tacoma. The free event will feature original photos and audio, along with a discussion of Eric’s new book Seabirds as Sentinels.
A tale of two islands
Every year, tens of thousands of rhinoceros auklets return to the steep hillsides of Protection and Destruction Islands. When they arrive, scientists say, these football-shaped birds carry with them a story as big as the North Pacific.
Learn what seabirds are telling us about changing ocean conditions and the health of the Salish Sea. Find out the best technique for dodging a flying rhinoceros auklet. Take a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at seabird research in Washington state.
This live event combines gorgeous photographs and audio recordings with an on-stage conversation between two leading experts on seabird ecology, author and scientist Eric Wagner and seabird biologist Peter Hodum of the University of Puget Sound. As part of the event, Wagner will be talking about and signing his new book Seabirds as Sentinels: Auklets, Puffins, Shearwaters, and the View from Destruction Island. Puget Sound Institute managing editor and nature sound recordist Jeff Rice will join the discussion as host and moderator.
May 13 from 7 – 8 PM
Doors open at 6:30 PM for light refreshments
University of Washington Tacoma
Carwein Auditorium (Keystone 102)
1754 Commerce Street, Tacoma WA, 98402
The event is free but tickets are required.
Speakers
Eric Wagner is a staff writer with the Puget Sound Institute at University of Washington, Tacoma. He is author of After the Blast: The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens and Penguins in the Desert and wrote the text for Once and Future River: Reclaiming the Duwamish.
Peter Hodum is an avian conservation biologist and ecologist. He is a professor in the Biology and Environmental Studies and Sciences departments at the University of Puget Sound. He is also a co-founder and senior program advisor for the Chile program at Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, a nonprofit organization that studies and protects imperiled ecosystems by centering communities in innovative scientific and artistic collaborations. Peter has over 30 years of experience in the ecology and conservation of threatened birds, with a primary focus on seabirds and island ecosystems.
Jeff Rice is a journalist, editor, and sound designer with a strong focus on ecosystems and environmental conservation. His work as a nature sound recordist has been featured in media outlets ranging from Outside Magazine and The Guardian to National Public Radio and The New York Times. He is managing editor at the Puget Sound Institute.
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