Timber & Tides Webinar Series

Seven Capes Bird Alliance, alongside Mid-Willamette Bird Alliance, Coast Range Association, Sierra Club Oregon Chapter, and Wild Salmon Center, is excited to host a webinar series on the vital connections between coastal forests and marine ecosystems! Join us for this free three-part series to explore these interwoven environments and why their conservation is critical, now more than ever.

Pacific Northwest coastal forests and marine habitats are more interconnected than you may realize. Temperate rainforests filter pollutants and reduce ocean acidification. Migrating salmon help sustain forest ecosystems by bringing nutrients upstream when they return from the ocean to spawn and die. Other species like the Marbled Murrelet spend part of their life history both at sea and within ancient forests. These interactions create a dynamic ecosystem emphasizing the need to protect both forests and marine environments.

We have ONE webinar left in the series! Register below (registration is free, but pre-registration is required).
Scroll to see recordings of past presentations!

February 5: Managing Forests for Bird Conservation
presented by Dr. Matthew Betts

In his webinar, Dr. Matthew Betts will present research on bird populations in forested landscapes. He will begin by discussing a 10-year study investigating how intensive forest management influences bird abundance in the Oregon Coast Range, then share findings from a long-term ecological research project that focuses on how old-growth forests impact microclimate and bird population trends. Dr. Betts will conclude with research on tropical hummingbird species, examining how landscape fragmentation affects their populations.

Dr. Betts completed his undergraduate degree and PhD in Environmental Management at the University of New Brunswick and conducted postdoctoral research at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where his research focused on population and molecular ecology. He is currently Professor and Ruth Spaniol Chair of Natural Resources Conservation in the Department of Forest Ecosystems & Society in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University (OSU). Here he has taught both undergraduates and graduates about forest biodiversity and management for 16 years.

Dr. Betts’s research focuses on plant and animal responses to forest management activities at local, regional, and global scales. He is lead investigator for the Oregon Intensive Forest Management project, lead scientist for the HJ Andrews Long-term Ecological Research Program, and director and founder of the OSU Forest Biodiversity Research Network. The author of more than 140 peer-reviewed publications, his work has been profiled in the New York Times, Washington Post, National Public Radio, CBC, National Geographic, and Scientific American.

Date: February 5, 2025

Time: 6-7:30 p.m.

December 2: Old Forests Do It Best as Natural Climate Solutions presented by Dr. Dominick DellaSala

Old forests provide irreplaceable benefits increasingly needed in a climate emergency by cleansing the air we breathe, purifying our drinking water, and acting as a carbon filtration system for the atmosphere. Our ancient coastal forests store more carbon per acre than nearly any forest on Earth and are part of a vast interconnected temperate rainforest system extending from the Coast Redwoods to the Kodiak Archipelago in southcentral Alaska. These forests may function as climate sanctuaries if fully protected from logging and development. Dr. DellaSala will focus on the benefits ancient forests provide to communities and nature, and how federal forest-climate policies involving the Northwest Forest Plan and National Old Growth Amendment are missing the mark on much needed forest protections. 

Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala is Chief Scientist at Wild Heritage (www.wild-heritage.org), and former President of the Society for Conservation Biology, North America Section. He is an internationally renowned author of 300+ peer-reviewed papers and nine award-winning books on forests, climate change, endangered species, and speaking truth to power. Dominick has given plenary and keynote talks at academic conferences, the United Nations Earth Summit, and numerous international climate change and biodiversity summits. He has appeared in National Geographic, Science Digest, Science Magazine, Scientific American, Time Magazine, Audubon Magazine, National Wildlife Magazine, High Country News, Terrain Magazine, NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Jim Lehrer News Hour, CNN, MSNBC, “Living on Earth (NPR),” several PBS documentaries and even Fox News! Dominick has served on several committees, including White House Council task forces on forests and Oregon’s Global Warming Commission carbon task force reporting to the Governor. Dominick is motivated by his work to leave a living planet for his two daughters, four grandchildren, and all those who follow.

January 8: Exploring the Salmon Habitat of Our Coastal Streams presented by Conrad Gowell

Conrad Gowell will share his knowledge of Pacific Northwest coastal stream habitats. He will discuss how current and historic baselines of coastal stream environments have shifted, relaying stories that showcase the interconnectedness of aquatic ecosystems. His presentation will center ideas that can contribute to the recovery of stream health, focusing on the active role humans can play in better managing aquatic resources.

Growing up in the diverse watersheds of Oregon, Conrad quickly developed a fascination for the aquatic world that has inspired him to act on behalf of wild fish and rivers throughout his life. His interests in ecology, evolution, and the environment led him to complete a degree in biology from the University of Puget Sound in 2012. Since then, he has worked with nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, sovereign nations, and fishery consultants aiming to advance science-based management of fish and restoration of watersheds throughout the Pacific Northwest. 

As Biologist for the Wild Fish Conservancy, Conrad brings a policy and research background plus experience with habitat restoration and protection. He also brings a vision for better relationships between the different communities and cultures that depend on fish and rivers. Conrad lives with his wife in McMinnville, Oregon, and when not at work can be found foraging for wild foods or wandering in a Coast Range wild stream.