IT’S NOT JUST THE RAIN: What Causes Drought in Washington and How You Can Get Involved
Speakers: Karin Bumbaco, Deputy State Climatologist at the Washington State Climate Office (WASCO), and Jacob Genuise, Engagement Climatologist at WASCO
About:
Washington is experiencing multi-year drought conditions that continue to impact water supplies, agriculture, fish and wildlife, and communities across the state. Join us for an informative webinar on the different ways drought can develop in WA, how the physical drivers of drought are changing due to climate change, and what individuals, communities, and decision-makers can do to prepare for the future. Our presenters will also discuss this year’s drought and discuss upcoming opportunities to help improve statewide monitoring and response efforts. We will also examine the influence of El Niño on regional climate, helping participants better understand what to expect in the months ahead. This webinar will provide practical insights and actionable ways to stay informed and engaged.
Karin Bumbaco is the Deputy State Climatologist at the Washington…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: cig@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Online (Zoom).
For more info visit washington.zoom.us. Bathsheba Demuth - Salmon Heads and Beaver Laws: On the Intersections of Environmental History and Legal Practice
Dr. Bathsheba Demuth presents the 2026 Inaugural Linda Nash Memorial Lecture.
Flowing from northwestern Canada and across Alaska, the Yukon River watershed connects human and ecological communities from the ocean to North America's highest mountains. Drawing on archival research, fieldwork, Indigenous legal theory, and the natural sciences, this talk examines how Indigenous, imperial, and nation-state legal traditions made law with, for, and about the Yukon River over the past two centuries—from seeing law in the actions of salmon to using laws to shape human relations with beavers. In doing so, it offers an argument for how environmental history can widen the scope of the social in ways critical to our understanding of what law is, and who it is for, in an era of climate change and species loss.
Bathsheba Demuth is a writer and environmental historian focused on the lands and seas of the Russian and North American Arctic. In addition to her prize-winning book Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Accessibility Contact: histmain@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Monday, October 12, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.
For more info visit simpsoncenter.org. Climate in Washington Webinar
The Washington Center for Technical Development invited the Washington State Climate Office to give an overview of past observed and future projected changes in Washington’s climate, as well as an overview of ENSO (El Niño / Southern Oscillation). Topics will include climate change’s impact on various climate hazards as well as the human and ecosystem impacts of these changes.
Questions? Email training@wactd.org or khills@scc.wa.gov.
Please register using the link below.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: cig@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Online (Zoom).
For more info visit us06web.zoom.us. Doug Walker Reception & Lecture
Join UW College of the Environment for the 2026 Doug Walker Reception & Lecture, featuring Phil Levin, professor and director of the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and director of The Nature Record.
Ticket price includes access to our special pre-reception designed to spark meaningful connections across Seattle’s vibrant sustainability and environmental science community. Enjoy beer, wine, and small bites before the lecture. First come, first served.
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://events.uw.edu/event/DougWalkerLecture2026/summary. Accessibility Contact: mcatal@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 5:30 PM – 7:45 PM.
Town Hall, Seattle- The Forum (Entrance off Seneca).
For more info visit events.uw.edu. Intergenerational Dialogues for Collaborative Leadership
Connect with Puget Sound leaders and learn how collaboration can turn tough environmental challenges into real change.
The Pacific Northwest has a rich history of people finding lasting environmental solutions across deep differences. This workshop is about learning from that history firsthand and the leaders who shaped it.
Join the Puget Sound Institute and UW EarthLab over lunch for a free workshop on collaboration and conflict resolution, open to all current UW students. Through intergenerational dialogue, case studies drawn from the environmental history in Puget Sound, and small group conversation, you'll learn skills that travel across fields and careers, such as:Listening across genuine differences, Finding common ground when interests conflict, Rebuilding trust when a partnership breaks down, No environmental or collaborative governance background required; any major welcome.
The Intergenerational Dialogues are part of the Developing Collaborative Leaders for Puget Sound Project, which is funded…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Allie Long. Event Types: Workshops. Target Audience: UW students.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
Milgard Hall, room 110, UW Tacoma.
For more info visit www.eventbrite.com. Oregon-Washington Water Year 2026 Recap and 2027 Outlook Meeting
We are pleased to announce the 20th annual Oregon-Washington Water Year 2026 Recap and 2027 Outlook Meeting will be held as two virtual morning meetings on Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3. There is no cost to attend but you are required to register.
The goal of this meeting is to share and gather information regarding climate impacts of the 2026 water year. We encourage participation from a wide range of sectors including utilities, agriculture and forestry. A detailed agenda will be available soon.
An end-of-water year survey will be available soon for participants (and others) to record impacts and actions taken to minimize those impacts, which will also be discussed during the workshop. Both the survey and the workshop will help inform an annual PNW Water Year Impacts Assessment.
Learn more about the water year meeting on the Climate Impacts Group website.
Event details:
Monday, November 2, 2026: 9 am-12:30 pm virtually on Zoom.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: 9 am-12:15 pm virtually on Zoom.
Event interval: Ongoing event. Accessibility Contact: cig@uw.edu. Event Types: Meetings.
Monday, November 2, 2026, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Online (Zoom).
For more info visit washington.zoom.us. Oregon-Washington Water Year 2026 Recap and 2027 Outlook Meeting
We are pleased to announce the 20th annual Oregon-Washington Water Year 2026 Recap and 2027 Outlook Meeting will be held as two virtual morning meetings on Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3. There is no cost to attend but you are required to register.
The goal of this meeting is to share and gather information regarding climate impacts of the 2026 water year. We encourage participation from a wide range of sectors including utilities, agriculture and forestry. A detailed agenda will be available soon.
An end-of-water year survey will be available soon for participants (and others) to record impacts and actions taken to minimize those impacts, which will also be discussed during the workshop. Both the survey and the workshop will help inform an annual PNW Water Year Impacts Assessment.
Learn more about the water year meeting on the Climate Impacts Group website.
Event details:
Monday, November 2, 2026: 9 am-12:30 pm virtually on Zoom.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: 9 am-12:15 pm virtually on Zoom.
Event interval: Ongoing event. Accessibility Contact: cig@uw.edu. Event Types: Meetings.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Online (Zoom).
For more info visit washington.zoom.us. 2026 International Invasive Species and Climate Change Conference (IISCCC) - Day 1
In collaboration with our partners in other regions, we invite you to register for the 2026 International Invasive Species and Climate Change Conference (IISCCC)!
This year’s theme is, “Redefining invasive species management in a changing world.” This conference is VIRTUAL allowing for more international attendance while reducing our carbon footprint.
This FREE conference will be held online, December 1 and 2, from 10am–2pm PST / 11am–3pm MST. Sessions will include the following topics at the intersection of climate change and invasive species:Marine ecosystems, Food security, Extreme events, Lessons from management, Disease/One Health, Please click on the link below to register for both days of this event (a single registration link will be used for the duration of the event).
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Northwest RISCC <nw_riscc@u.washington.edu>. Event Types: Conferences.
Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Online (Zoom).
For more info visit naisma.org. 2026 International Invasive Species and Climate Change Conference (IISCCC) - Day 2
In collaboration with our partners in other regions, we invite you to register for the 2026 International Invasive Species and Climate Change Conference (IISCCC)!
This year’s theme is, “Redefining invasive species management in a changing world.” This conference is VIRTUAL allowing for more international attendance while reducing our carbon footprint.
This FREE conference will be held online, December 1 and 2, from 10am–2pm PST / 11am–3pm MST. Sessions will include the following topics at the intersection of climate change and invasive species:Marine ecosystems, Food security, Extreme events, Lessons from management, Disease/One Health, Please click on the link below to register for both days of this event (a single registration link will be used for the duration of the event).
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Northwest RISCC <nw_riscc@u.washington.edu>. Event Types: Conferences.
Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Online (Zoom).
For more info visit naisma.org.