Social and Behavioral Sciences | Open Access Articles

Rain Garden Community Communications Intern, Isabella Jones

College of the Environment Internship Reports

To restore and protect the marine environments of East Jefferson County by raising community awareness of issues, engaging volunteers in stewardship, and generating support for Northwest Straits Commission programs and activities.

Go to article

An Ecocentric Turn: Emerging Narratives In The Growing U.S. Rights Of Nature Movement, Raechel E. Youngberg

WWU Graduate School Collection

This research project utilizes the Narrative Policy Analysis framework to analyze print news media coverage of the Rights of Nature (RoN) movement in the United States. This burgeoning movement draws upon Indigenous principles of animism and interconnectedness to recognize the existence rights and legal personhood of non-human animals, plants, and ecosystems. This project highlights the legal and legislative challenges the RoN movement has faced. Including the complexities of attempting to incorporate Indigenous epistemologies into a colonialist legal system and highlighting the narrative strategies and emerging coalitions present in the U.S.-based movement.

Go to article

Affordable Infill, Virginia Macdonald

WWU Graduate School Collection

This graduate research field study delves into the design of land use and municipal policies aimed at fostering the creation of entry-level homeownership opportunities in Bellingham, Washington. Drawing upon recommendations from the Final Report of the Washington Department of Commerce Homeownership Disparities Working Group and the American Planning Association's "Planning for Equity Policy Guide," this study prioritizes affordable homeownership. Methodologically, it incorporates insights from a thorough literature review, an analysis of diverse case studies across North America, and guidance from the Incremental Development Alliance. Furthermore, it integrates proposed modifications to Bellingham's municipal code, as advocated by the Kulshan Community Land …

Go to article

Anaerobic Digestion At Western Washington University, Sienna Taylor

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the process by which organic matter (such as food waste, manure, paper products, etc.) are broken down by bacteria in a contained system lacking oxygen. The decomposition in this environment produces the byproducts of digestate, which can be used as a liquid fertilizer, and biogas, which can be used in place of natural gas. The goal of anaerobic digestion at Western Washington University is to create a closed-loop waste system to process the pre-consumer and post-consumer organic food waste from the dining halls and use the resulting byproducts. This paper provides recommendations for anaerobic digestion at …

Go to article

Environmental Education At An Under-Resourced And Multicultural Bellingham School: Reflections On Americorps, Culturally Responsive Education And Abbott Elementary, Allie Vandewege

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This internship report details a year of an AmeriCorps service with Common Threads Farm, working at Cordata Elementary’s school garden and teaching cooking classes in Bellingham, WA. A comprehensive summary of the systemic segregation of the Bellingham School District elucidates how northern schools like Cordata are under-resourced and underserved compared to Bellingham’s more central, wealthier neighborhoods. The author compares her experiences to that of the characters on ABC’s Abbott Elementary, discussing the importance of culturally responsive teaching pedagogies when working with multicultural school communities and collective, grass-roots movement for education reform in under-resourced schools.

Go to article

Visualizing Animal Fire Responses, Michael Ginster

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The following document contains an assembly of 21 pie charts depicting proportions of animal during-fire responses across ecosystems and groups of specific animals within those ecosystems. For further clarification, a good example would be the Coastal Redwoods Ecosystem Pie Charts, which depict a general chart for all animal fire responses before displaying bird fire responses and mammal fire responses in separate charts. The pie charts were originally created for a group ENVS 429 capstone project before being modified based on accessibility guidelines and Edward Tufte’s graphic design principles. This project and its ENVS 429 predecessor are valuable because animal fire …

Go to article

Getting To Know Community Forestry, Jane Egan

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This Story Map is an interactive website introducing the concept of community forestry. Community forestry is a system of land management where local people are empowered to participate in, benefit from, and actively manage the ecosystem where they live. Unlike the dominant land management strategies in the United States over the past two centuries, community forestry is a model of land management that is sustainable, equitable, and participatory. This site explores that history to illustrate how different land management strategies contribute to environmental justice goals. In addition, it uses case studies from the US and Nepal to demonstrate that community …

Go to article

Gis Analyst, Tyler Balthrop

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Actalent allowed me to work as a paid internship for Wiser Imagery Services as a GIS Analyst. As a GIS analyst day to day my job can be completely different every single day or it could be the exact same thing day after day. It just depends on the deadlines, the client we are working for and the task at hand. Often the contracts that Wiser receives are with the federal government. Many of the positions do require security clearances but not all. However, that is not to say that the information does not hold value to potential harmful actors.

Go to article

Orange County Coastkeeper Environmental Communications Intern, Sofia Neros

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Throughout Winter and Spring quarters of 2023, I worked remotely as a communications intern for Orange County Coastkeeper. Orange County Coastkeeper is a nonprofit based out of Costa Mesa, California that centers around the Southern California ecosystem and educates the community about local conservation efforts via lessons and beach cleanups. I worked with a small team on a series of videos meant to educate the public on the Santa Ana River watershed. The main questions that went into the production of these videos are, what are the most important topics the public should know, and what is the best voice …

Go to article

Low Income Housing Institute Researcher, Alexis Light

College of the Environment Internship Reports

For my internship this quarter, I decided to work with my current employer, LIHI, outside of my scheduled hours to research how to get solar panels installed at Gardenview Village. The idea of installing solar panels on the individual units was not originally mine, it was one that was floated around by some of the people living at the village. I thought it was a great idea, though, and was curious about what the process would be like to implement this idea.The main objective of this project was to research whether or not it is possible or practical to have …

Go to article

Environmental Studies Peer Mentor, Mia Lumbley

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The activities that I did during my internship were done in three steps. The initial step was to collaborate with students, faculty and staff to identify the needs of students. Through research and outreach, we discovered that students want to develop their academic, social, and professional identities. The second step was finding mentees, which was done by creating posters, speaking in classes, and getting the word out to students. The third and final step was developing, planning, and attending events with assigned mentees. The activities done within the internship helped to achieve the mission of making students feel seen and …

Go to article

Wwu Spring Block Assistant, Zoe Harper

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The best way that I can describe Spring Block is as a knowledge exchange, even that term barely does it justice. I’ve spent the past two quarters preparing for, and helping my peers prepare for a field school on John’s Island, W̱ ȾÁEMEṈ, in cooperation with both the Lummi and W̱ SÁNEĆ nations. In preparation students and faculty created a curriculum that included not only lessons, but risk management protocol, housing accommodations, schedules and food plans for each of the trips. The final product of these months of preparation was a four day experience that is almost beyond words,

Go to article

Marine Science Education At The Community Boating Center, Sandy Rost

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Though this has been incredible hands-on experience with education, I found myself starting to ask questions about the inner workings of our programming. I began to wonder how a tiny non-profit is able to reach so many people in our community and effectively at that. In the past two seasons, CBC
management has been making connections with local schools and began developing field trip programs. I found myself particularly interested in these relationships with schools.

Go to article

College Of The Environment Strategic Visioning Committee, Brynn Vogel

College of the Environment Internship Reports

I hope to learn more about the inner workings of the university and contribute meaningful conversation and input regarding the future of the College of the Environment. I also hope to gain more professional experience by attending meetings with other faculty members and building professional connections for my future in the environmental field. I am passionate about this department and university and would love to be able to contribute as much as I can by communicating regularly with other faculty members.

Go to article

Chuckanut Health Foundation Intern, Eukia Lemaster

College of the Environment Internship Reports

The Whatcom Racial Equity Commission (WREC) is a project started by Shu-Ling Zhao and Kristina Michele Martens in the wake of the George Floyd murder and police brutality. Their goal was to create a community-led commission that would address racial equity in Whatcom County. These two wonderful women were supported by the Chuckanut Health Foundation (CHF) and began work on this project in 2020. In 2021, Shu, Kristina, and Heather Flaherty (the Executive Director of CHF) gave a presentation in an Environmental Political Science class I was taking. They shared their vision for WREC and asked for anyone who was …

Go to article

Whatcom Council Of Governments Planning Intern, Jay Zimmerman

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Scenic byways are roadways that because of their intrinsic qualities (scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, archeological, natural) are destinations in and of themselves. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has published guidelines outlining the requirements for comprehensive CMPs, and state agencies or local governments may use these in the application process for a roadway’s recognition as a National Scenic Byway. Original CMPs for both corridors were completed in 1997 (Mt. Baker Hwy.) and 2003 (Chuckanut Dr.) respectively. While earlier community outreach has indicated local opposition for application to national recognition, the previously mentioned local agencies sought an update to these regional plans …

Go to article

Whatcom Million Trees Project Intern, Ainsley Shearer

College of the Environment Internship Reports

One of my learning objectives before I started theinternship was to learn how to work with a map makingteam to create visually stunning and comprehensive mapsof Bellingham's invasive species. Over the course of thequarter that is exactly what I did. I have made a staticmap of different work party sites that Whatcom MillionTrees Project have and will host within the City ofBellingham Parks. Along with a Story Map that presentsand displays that map in a more interactive way.

Go to article

Confronting Consumption - Undergraduate Thesis, Tera Ziemer

College of the Environment Internship Reports

This undergraduate thesis examines the factors driving personal consumption among students at Western Washington University and how their positioning within a larger community context influences thoughts, behaviors and feelings surrounding consumption. The research employs qualitative methods to tap into the subtleties and nuances of consumption as a personal act informed by one’s social context. Fifteen interviews were conducted with students at WWU in Spring 2023 to explore the relationship between values, action, and consumption patterns within the community. Three major themes emerged from the analysis: the Values Actions Gap, Conspicuous Sustainability, and Consuming Green to Consume Less.

Go to article

Wwu Spring Block Ta, Anna Friederich

College of the Environment Internship Reports

I think that I learned so much from being in this group, both at the western washington university level where I was with the faculty and the students and my fellow TA where I learned so much about natural history on different specific species as well as just generally wanting to come away with the knowledge around ways of being that students brought. As always, our indigenous partners are also a huge influence on me and the way that I exist in a space where they are hosting on the land but we are running the behind the scenes of …

Go to article

Washington Conservation Corps Intern, Maczenzie Kelm

College of the Environment Internship Reports

My work with the Washington Conservation Corp (WCC) was with a restoration crew sponsored by the Skagit River Systems Co-op. The organization does work in the Skagit river basin to restore salmon habitat. The focus of this work is on riparian areas, in the summer season which I had worked we primarily maintained sites where plantings had been done previously. This was done through brush cutting survival rings around young plants, as well as removing invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry and morning glory either through herbicide use or brush cutting. Hours worked with WCC were ten hours four days …

Go to article

Undergraduate Thesis - From Plato To Policy: The Religious History Of Environmental Thought And Its Role In The Deepwater Horizon Disaster, Isaac Peterson

College of the Environment Internship Reports

I will begin by setting the scene of Deepwater Horizon and the events leading up to and following the blowout, providing critical context to understanding why this disaster happened. I will then give a brief summary of the history of deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in order to provide some of the historical context not apparent in the actual event itself. Next I will dive into the rich history of Greek and Roman environmental philosophy, describing crucial theories from Plato’s Republic as well as thoughts from his student Aristotle, Pythagoras, and the Stoics.

Go to article

Fund For The Public Interest Intern, Isabella Alvarez

College of the Environment Internship Reports

When I accepted an internship with Fund For The Public Interest, my learning goals were simple: learn how a national nonprofit organization of such great size is managed, gain insight into how the organization’s funds are utilized, and learn more about each state’s environmental research and advocacy process. While I do feel I accomplished all of my learning goals in my position, I also learned various other priceless lessons through my experience with the Denver office, skills that I am confident would benefit any college student regardless of their desired field or career path after graduation.

Go to article

Lead Native Plant Restoration Intern, Tegan Keyes

College of the Environment Internship Reports

This Earth Day work party was the culmination of seven months of preparation, primarily b􀁜 We􀁖􀁗e􀁕􀁑􀂶􀁖 LEAD (Learning, Environment, Action, Discovery) program but also involving other local restoration groups. As an intern at LEAD, I had been involved in most of the work, from hours at the worksite removing nonnative plants and some truly baffling trash (including several car parts, an old coffee maker, and a kayak paddle) to early morning meetings debating how many cubic yards of compost we needed to adequately amend the soil. I joined the LEAD team as one of four undergraduate interns hired in September, …

Go to article

Washington Conservation Corps Crew Member, Peri Croan

College of the Environment Internship Reports

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Lead Web Development And Outreach Intern, Mate Pasztor

College of the Environment Internship Reports

This year was a major transforma on for L.E.A.D. Prior to this year, according to co-director of L.E.A.D., Ava Stone, interns had few responsibili es. Interns would go to work par es every week but had almost nothing to do outside of that. This was likely a result of L.E.A.D.’s old format of going from site to site, and not inves ng in a space to improve and develop it. With shi ing to a project-based program, Ava Stone and Brandon McWilliams wanted specialized interns who would s ll par cipate in the work par es, but also fulfill specific …

Go to article

Motivations For And Barriers To Forest Certification Of Washington State Trust Lands, Tracy Petroske

WWU Graduate School Collection

Forest management certification is a system to assess whether forests are grown in a manner that complies to a pre-determined set of requirements. Certification programs (called “Standards”) are designed to indicate that compliance to those conditions demonstrate the forest is managed in a way that is environmentally responsible, economically viable, and socially beneficial. In the United States, there are two recognized forest certification programs: the Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®). The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) certifies 100% of their forested trust lands to the SFI Standard. …

Go to article

Seeing Environmental Injustice Through Moss-Colored Glasses: Neighborhood Monitoring Of Toxic Metal Air Pollution Disparities With Orthotrichum Lyellii, Allison Hayes

WWU Graduate School Collection

Toxic air pollution in the United States has been regulated through the Clean Air Act (CAA) since the 1970’s. Yet, a growing body of research suggests that the CAA’s air pollution management system has several blind spots. The CAA’s inability to identify and remedy pollution hot spots across the country. These hot spots are areas where air pollution exists but are often entirely overlooked because of the extreme hyperlocal scale and the current methods for identifying areas of concern outlined in the CAA for the Environmental Protection Agency. Researchers find that these hot spots are more prevalent in minority and …

Go to article

Who’S Nature? Ontological Narrative Dissonance Among Skagit River Fishery Coalitions, Jann Eberharter

WWU Graduate School Collection

My research investigates narratives within fisheries management for Washington state’s Skagit River, focusing on ecological restoration and diminishing salmon runs. I ask, how might differing narratives affect progress and reflect the ontological orientations of the fishery’s co-stewards? Asked with a twist, Who is Nature? (abbreviated Who’s Nature?), I aim to critique the classic Euro-American paradigm of nature and examine the connections between us, the who, and natural world? I hope my research illuminates these important questions. I selected three entities with varying Euro-American and Indigenous affiliations—the Skagit Watershed Council (SWC), Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC), and Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission …

Go to article

Dendrohydrological Reconstruction Of North Fork Nooksack River August Streamflow From Subannual Mountain Hemlock Ring-Widths, Cascade Mountains, Washington State, Hannah Lagassey

WWU Graduate School Collection

Climate warming is driving changes to snowpack and streamflows in snow and ice-driven systems throughout the world. To better understand present and future conditions, we need to examine conditions prior to the onset of climate warming. Tree ring records are used widely to reconstruct pre-instrumental climate and hydrological records. Some locations are more conducive to this methodology than others, however, and moisture-rich environments such as the west slopes of the Cascade mountains continue to present challenges to effective hydrological record reconstruction. Previous researchers working in this environment have employed several techniques in response to this problem, which require integrated dendrochronological …

Go to article

Against The Grain: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of The Effects Of Climatic And Cultural Changes On Grain Agriculture In Northwest Washington, Natalie Furness

WWU Graduate School Collection

Local food movements are growing in popularity across the United States. Communities are interested in gaining more control over their food choices and food sources. Northwest Washington is one area where multiple communities are concerned with their food choices. Over the last 10 years, communities have invested increasing amounts of resources and energy in growing grains in San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties rather than importing all their grain from Eastern Washington. This study examines how grain agriculture has changed both climatically and culturally in Northwest Washington since the late 19^th century. To address this knowledge gap, climatic factors, …

Go to article

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Rain Garden Community Communications Intern, Isabella Jones

College of the Environment Internship Reports

An Ecocentric Turn: Emerging Narratives In The Growing U.S. Rights Of Nature Movement, Raechel E. Youngberg

WWU Graduate School Collection

Affordable Infill, Virginia Macdonald

WWU Graduate School Collection

Anaerobic Digestion At Western Washington University, Sienna Taylor

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Environmental Education At An Under-Resourced And Multicultural Bellingham School: Reflections On Americorps, Culturally Responsive Education And Abbott Elementary, Allie Vandewege

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Visualizing Animal Fire Responses, Michael Ginster

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Getting To Know Community Forestry, Jane Egan

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Gis Analyst, Tyler Balthrop

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Orange County Coastkeeper Environmental Communications Intern, Sofia Neros

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Low Income Housing Institute Researcher, Alexis Light

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Environmental Studies Peer Mentor, Mia Lumbley

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Wwu Spring Block Assistant, Zoe Harper

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Marine Science Education At The Community Boating Center, Sandy Rost

College of the Environment Internship Reports

College Of The Environment Strategic Visioning Committee, Brynn Vogel

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Chuckanut Health Foundation Intern, Eukia Lemaster

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Whatcom Council Of Governments Planning Intern, Jay Zimmerman

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Whatcom Million Trees Project Intern, Ainsley Shearer

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Confronting Consumption - Undergraduate Thesis, Tera Ziemer

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Wwu Spring Block Ta, Anna Friederich

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Washington Conservation Corps Intern, Maczenzie Kelm

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Undergraduate Thesis - From Plato To Policy: The Religious History Of Environmental Thought And Its Role In The Deepwater Horizon Disaster, Isaac Peterson

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Fund For The Public Interest Intern, Isabella Alvarez

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Lead Native Plant Restoration Intern, Tegan Keyes

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Washington Conservation Corps Crew Member, Peri Croan

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Lead Web Development And Outreach Intern, Mate Pasztor

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Motivations For And Barriers To Forest Certification Of Washington State Trust Lands, Tracy Petroske

WWU Graduate School Collection

Seeing Environmental Injustice Through Moss-Colored Glasses: Neighborhood Monitoring Of Toxic Metal Air Pollution Disparities With Orthotrichum Lyellii, Allison Hayes

WWU Graduate School Collection

Who’S Nature? Ontological Narrative Dissonance Among Skagit River Fishery Coalitions, Jann Eberharter

WWU Graduate School Collection

Dendrohydrological Reconstruction Of North Fork Nooksack River August Streamflow From Subannual Mountain Hemlock Ring-Widths, Cascade Mountains, Washington State, Hannah Lagassey

WWU Graduate School Collection

Against The Grain: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of The Effects Of Climatic And Cultural Changes On Grain Agriculture In Northwest Washington, Natalie Furness

WWU Graduate School Collection