[April 6] UPDATE: Flower petals are falling on the Quad as the trees lose their blossoms. The waning bloom is still quite a site but it’ll be a while before the trees are back on full display.

[March 23] UPDATE: The cherry trees are officially in peak bloom! Visit campus anytime in the next week or so to see the blossoms in all their glory.

[March 18] UPDATE: Recent temperature swings have slowed bud development for the Quad cherries. About half of the trees are still in peduncle elongation stage while half have moved on to the “puffy white” stage that precedes full bloom. Cool temperatures in the coming days may delay peak bloom as trees gradually blossom. Warm weather could produce a sudden transition. Check the live cams for updates.

[March 13] UPDATE: It’s snowing but the blossoms are still growing! The Quad cherries are now in the “peduncle elongation” stage, where the flower-bearing stalk extends from the bud. Some have also begun to flower.

Each spring, large crowds gather on the ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý Quad to admire 29 puffy pink cherry trees making their seasonal debut. The trees begin to wake up as the weather warms, and this year, estimates suggest that they will reach “peak bloom” on March 20.

The UW’s iconic cherry trees achieve peak bloom when 70% of the blossoms have opened, but the week before and after still offer visitors an optimal viewing experience.

The cherry blossom visitors’ website provides updates on bloom status as well as details on transportation, activities and amenities. The cherry blossoms also have live video feeds for virtual viewing and their own social media accounts on and .

The cherry trees are both beautiful and ecologically significant. Tracking when the buds burst each year helps researchers predict peak bloom and determine how climate warming is impacting the trees, which were planted in the Washington Park Arboretum in 1936 and then relocated to UW in 1962.

This year, many plants began to emerge early as a mild winter gave way to spring. Recent UW research described how plants rely on both temperature and light cues to time their flowering. Temperature is particularly important to cherry trees, which estimate the arrival of spring based on how cold it has been. They accrue “chilling units” as winter progresses and “heating units” as it yields to spring.

“The buds need to accumulate a specific amount of chilling units before they can start accumulating the heating units. When it is not as cold, the chilling units accumulate much slower, so it takes them longer to wake up from dormancy, which is very counterintuitive,” said , a UW doctoral student of environmental and forest sciences.

Theil is now overseeing data collection on campus, with the help of approximately 20 undergraduate students. The researchers make observations as the trees begin to wake up and feed the data into a computer model that incorporates weather forecasts to predict peak bloom.

Historically, the onset of peak bloom has fallen between March 12 and April 3, with an average date of March 23. While the weather impacts peak bloom year to year, climate change drives longer term trends over multiple decades.

Research shows that bloom time has shifted approximately two days earlier each decade since the 1960s. Researchers began monitoring the trees in 2012 and referenced newspaper archives to estimate peak bloom dates for the preceding years.

“With the climate warming more rapidly in the spring, I expected to see the flowers blooming earlier,” said lead author , a recent doctoral graduate from the UW school of environmental and forest sciences. “But as we dove into the literature and examined the data, we saw a delay in bloom, as a result of winter warming in Seattle.”

The study focused on the Somei-yoshino, or Yoshino, cherry tree cultivar. These trees, sometimes called the Japanese flowering cherry, are found throughout Japan. They also line the National Mall in Washington D.C. and paint many Seattle neighborhoods pink in the springtime.

The bloom delay Maust observed applies only to Yoshino cherry trees in Seattle. In colder climates, such as Washington D.C., the trees have ample time to accrue chilling units. Still, the two populations are quite similar, genetically.

Propagation, or breeding more trees, occurs by grafting one tree onto another. This process limits genetic variability in favor of consistency. Because all Yoshino cherry trees are sterile clones of one another, they do not produce fruits or seeds, but they do reliably bloom in beautiful pink hues each spring.

For more information on bloom time, contact Theil at mtheil@uw.edu or Maust at�� amaust@uw.edu. For information about the Yoshino Genome Project, contact Steinbrenner at astein10@uw.edu.

After nearly 90 years of collaborative partnership, the Arboretum Foundation and the ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý Botanic Gardens announced Friday that they will combine operations under a single nonprofit organization: Seattle Botanic Gardens. An Operations and Management Agreement, approved by the Arboretum Foundation Board on Jan. 6, 2026, and by the ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý Board of Regents on Jan. 8, 2026, establishes a new relationship for these organizations, marking an important milestone in one of Seattle’s longest-running institutional partnerships.

“Seattle is a place where nature and the urban environment intersect in an exceptional way,” said Maribeth O’Connor, board president of the Arboretum Foundation. “Whether you’re a visitor seeking quiet refuge or a scientist studying the vital connections between people and plants, the Arboretum and the Center for Urban Horticulture are a natural treasure.”

The Washington Park Arboretum is jointly managed by the Arboretum Foundation, the UW Botanic Gardens and the City of Seattle. Under this new agreement, Seattle Botanic Gardens will continue to work in close partnership with the UW and Seattle Parks and Recreation on the stewardship of the Arboretum and its collection. This agreement strengthens the organization’s ability to serve as an effective partner to the City of Seattle, stewarding urban green spaces and contributing research-backed solutions to environmental challenges facing the region.

“The ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý has been a steward of botanical science and education in the Pacific Northwest for generations,” said Maggie Walker, a member of the UW Board of Regents. “This partnership ensures that this important work continues and grows, while allowing the University to maintain its deep connection to research, teaching and community engagement through these extraordinary living collections.”

For Seattle’s broader community, this means expanded access to nature, science and cultural experiences. As a unified organization, Seattle Botanic Gardens will have greater capacity to offer diverse programming — from youth education and summer camps to volunteer opportunities and cultural celebrations — while maintaining free public access to the Arboretum and gardens. It will be better positioned to invest in facilities, amenities and transportation options that make these spaces more welcoming and accessible.

The UW Botanic Gardens currently owns and maintains the plant collections of the Washington Park Arboretum, conducts plant conservation research, and provides educational programming in the Washington Park Arboretum and at the Center for Urban Horticulture. The Arboretum Foundation provides funding for the horticultural and education programs of the UW Botanic Gardens and supports visitor engagement at the Arboretum and Japanese Garden. Together, the two organizations have shared volunteer resources, outdoor and indoor spaces, and collaborated on initiatives ranging from the Fiddleheads outdoor preschool to public art installations like the John Grade Union sculpture.

The new organization will manage and operate three locations: the 230-acre Washington Park Arboretum, the Seattle Japanese Garden and the Center for Urban Horticulture, which includes the 74-acre Union Bay Natural Area. Together, these sites attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually and serve as vital resources for recreation, education, conservation and scientific research.

“This change unites the robust fundraising, advocacy, and volunteer network of the Arboretum Foundation with the horticultural expertise, strong public programming, and impactful conservation research of the UW Botanic Gardens,” said Christina Owen, director of the UW Botanic Gardens. “The result will be something extraordinary — a destination botanic garden for Seattle that provides an exemplary visitor experience, meaningful research and inclusive access to some of our city’s most treasured green spaces.”

The organization is currently conducting a national search for its first CEO/president, who will lead Seattle Botanic Gardens into this new chapter. All current permanent UWBG employees will be offered employment by the new organization.

For more information, contact Maribeth O’Connor, board president, Arboretum Foundation at BoardPresident@arboretumfoundation.org, or Dan Brown, director, UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at danbro@uw.edu.

Spanning approximately 12,000 square feet, the historic ASUW Shell House is located just feet from the northeast edge of the Montlake Cut and stands as a testament to UW’s enduring spirit of community, achievement and perseverance. The renovation of the 107-year-old building, preserving its open, hangar-style layout, is made possible by public funding and private philanthropic support. The building will seat up to 250 people, be available for both student and public use — the culmination of eight years of work and $22.5 million in funds raised in order to prepare the iconic structure for its next century.

The Shell House has served many purposes over the years, most famously as the site of the workshop of legendary boat-builder George Pocock, who crafted racing shells that carried Washington Rowing through eight national championship wins, including the legendary team that captured Olympic gold in 1936. It served as the inspiration behind Brown’s bestselling book and the movie, “The Boys in the Boat.”��Originally built as a WWI seaplane hangar, it most recently has been used as a place to store shells and boats. The location is known as “Carry a Canoe” in Lushootseed, stəx̌ʷugʷit (stukh-ug-weelth) which for many years served as a natural portage used by families and tribes.

After the war, the Navy’s buildings were turned over to UW. In August 1919 it was announced that most would be sold and removed. Since hangars of this type were considered temporary structures to support the Navy’s war effort, most were demolished. Student volunteers and crew members dug a 1,000-foot trench to carry steam pipes from Lander Hall to heat the cavernous space, and when all was ready, large letters painted above the huge doors spelled out “A.S.U.W. Shell House.” Today, it remains one of only two such wooden hangars still standing and has become an icon of rowing and UW’s history.��

“Buildings, like people, have stories to tell,” Brown said. “In these fractured times, we all crave examples of people pulling together for some kind of common goal. And that is really what the story of ‘The Boys In the Boat’ and this building are all about.”

“Because of your support, our campus and community can unite on the water’s edge, honor our shared legacy and launch a bold future together,” said Denzil Suite, UW’s vice president of student life, whose division oversees the building’s operations.��

Planning for the renovation project began in 2016. From the beginning, the goal has been for members of the community to contribute ideas for preserving the building’s historic identity, while adapting it for modern use and ensuring its structural integrity of its facilities — making it an ideal space for events, programs and community gatherings. An exhibit honoring the historic Pocock shop and rowing legacy of the UW and the Seattle region, together with the restoration of the historic wood interior and hangar doors are key features.

Many aspects of the historic preservation were considered, including legacy, community impact, budget, adaptation to modern building codes, shoreline improvements and legal requirements.����

“We are deeply grateful to every member of our community who shared their input, passion and perspective,” Jones said. “Together, we are not only honoring the remarkable history of the ASUW Shell House, but also shaping a welcoming, functional space that will serve generations to come and ensure its long-term vitality.”

The University established a large and diverse advisory committee to represent the building’s many different histories as well as its variety of future users. Over the past several years, the committee has provided valuable perspectives surrounding the project. These perspectives will ensure that the finished building incorporates a wide array of viewpoints from individuals who care deeply about the story that inspired a nation.����

“Rooted in a rich history of gathering and purpose, the iconic space has long brought students, athletes and the broader community together,” UW Foundation Board member Brooks Simpson said. “It will truly be the ‘front dock’ to the UW campus — greeting students and welcoming the public to experience our rich and complex waterfront history.”

��“Just as with any good crew, we are unique individuals who have learned to row together. Our common cause and careful process have led to the plan that we now embark on,” former State Sen. Mark Mullet said. Mullet, who previously served on the Senate Ways & Means (budget) committee and as vice chair of the capital budget, helped to secure $3 million in state funding investment for the renovation and adaptive use. “Together, we will ensure that the building — its beams, its rafters and its authentic voice — remain the first and most important storyteller.”

The ASUW Shell House was the first UW building to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places (1975 as the Old Canoe House), and the first UW building to become a Seattle Landmark (2018). Today, it continues to sit atop a culturally significant site — a place of gathering and movement for generations past, present and future.����

Learn more about the history of the ASUW Shell House.

###

Editor’s NOTE:�� The credit: Plomp for Mithun | Sellen) are also available online. Photos from the event are courtesy of Tara Brown Photography.��

The ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý today announced that a planned welcome center on the Seattle campus will be named in honor of President Ana Mari Cauce, who will step down this summer after 10 years in the position and return to the faculty.����

The 30,000-square-foot Ana Mari Cauce Welcome Center will serve as a gateway for prospective and current students and families, alumni, visitors, and the public to learn about the University’s mission and impact. The building, to be located next to the Burke Museum, will be a starting place and gathering space for the thousands of people who visit the UW each year, for the campus community to hold public events and lectures, and serve as a bridge to the University District, the city of Seattle and the entire state of Washington.��

“President Cauce has a long history of welcoming students, faculty and the community to the ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý. In naming the Welcome Center in her honor, we continue her spirit of uplifting the public mission of the UW,” said UW Board of Regents Chair Blaine Tamaki. “We also are thanking President Cauce for the enormous impact she has had on the entire University.”��

For nearly 40 years, Cauce has been a respected UW faculty member and leader. From her arrival in 1986 as an assistant professor of psychology, to the last decade serving as the UW’s 33rd president, she has put her talent and passion to work creating access to excellence for Washington’s students and advancing discovery and innovation with a global public impact. As president, Cauce championed the creation of the Welcome Center, and in naming the building for her, the UW will connect her name with her legacy.����

“This Welcome Center means so much to me. When I first came to the UW nearly 40 years ago, I was welcomed into this generous community with open arms. This center will carry that message to everyone — that we are the University for Washington, for the nation, and for the world,” Cauce said.����

“It is as simple as it is profound,” she continued. “Whoever you are and wherever you are from — the UW welcomes you. I am deeply honored to be a part of that ongoing story.” ��

The Ana Mari Cauce Welcome Center will serve as a centralized starting point for information, campus tours and much more. More than 73,000 students applied to undergraduate programs at UW’s Seattle campus in 2025 and thousands of prospective students and their families visit campus each year. The building also will be a home base for the UW’s 600,000 living alumni, providing a gathering space and launching point for community events, public lectures, and more.����

Inside the Welcome Center, interactive exhibits will tell the story of the UW’s impact on the Puget Sound region, the state of Washington and the world. Drawing from all three campuses and UW Medicine clinics and hospitals, it will share the UW’s history, the school’s values and the UW’s economic, cultural and societal contributions to the region, across the nation and around the world. New auditorium and collaborative event spaces will host new student orientations, alumni events, town halls, author readings, career networking and more.����

��Construction of the $61 million project will be primarily funded by philanthropic support, and $35 million already has been raised.��

“Over her long career at the UW, I’ve seen Ana Mari work tirelessly to build bridges, to share credit and elevate everyone around her, while rallying a global community to believe in the University’s collective purpose,” said Lisa Simonyi, vice chair of the UW Foundation Board, who has been a key volunteer in the Welcome Center effort. “She’s done her work ethically and with humility. Charles and I are so privileged to know Ana Mari, count her as a friend and participate in this fitting tribute.”��

Lease Crutcher Lewis has been selected as general contractor and architect selection is underway. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026 and be completed in 2028.��

For more information, contact Victor Balta at balta@uw.edu or 206-543-2580.��

[April 4] UPDATE:�� Our iconic cherry trees are in bloom. Plan your visit to campus using this map, which highlights the locations of different cherry trees on the ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý campus, including the Yoshino blossoms in the Quad.

[March 31] UPDATE: The majority of the blossoms are in peak bloom, a developmental phase which usually lasts about 10 days.�� This phase can last longer if the weather is cool, calm and dry.

[March 25] UPDATE:�� There are three developmental phases currently visible on the UW cherry trees. The majority of the blossoms are in the “peduncle elongation” phase where the stem is formed and the petals have begun to develop. Many blossoms are in the “puffy white” phase, when the fully formed flowers that are ready to open do so with increased sunshine, warmth and clear skies. Approximately 20% of the flowers in The Quad are in bloom.

[March 24] UPDATE:�� This week’s warm weather in Western Washington will help the UW’s famous cherry tree blossoms open. The trees have entered what scientists call the “puffy white” stage, the final phase before blooming.��

[March 18] UPDATE: The cherry blossoms in The Quad are now in the “peduncle elongation” stage, which is when the stalks supporting the flower protrude from the bud.

The ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý invites the community to enjoy the iconic Quad cherry blossoms on campus this spring. The 29 cherry trees in the ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý Quad usually draw large crowds on campus and reach peak bloom the third week of March, and this year is on track to meet that timing.��

Warmer temperatures and mild weather affect when the cherry trees start to blossom and when they reach peak bloom.�� The UW’s Bloom Watch is updated regularly to reflect the current blossom phases, including when peak bloom is expected.

The UW’s iconic Yoshino cherry trees typically bloom March through April, but forecasting the precise dates for prospective visitors is an annual challenge. To refine the prediction, a UW research group is using historical weather data going back to 1966 and student-collected observational data to come up with the timing of peak bloom — and looking at how a warming climate impacts that date. Once the trees reach peak bloom — when at least 70% of the blossoms have emerged — cooler temperatures, dry weather and low wind will keep the blossoms on the trees longer.��

“We found that in Seattle, because our winters are so mild and warm, there’s actually been a delay in the bloom time over the past six decades,” said Autumn Maust, a UW doctoral student in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. “The bloom time is shifting a little bit later.”

This is because cherry trees need to accumulate both chilling and warming units — accrued over springtime periods of cool and warm temperatures — to reach a threshold that forces them through the bloom stages. Mild winters, Maust says, mean it takes longer to reach the required chilling units.��

There are dozens of varieties of blossoming cherry and plum trees across the Seattle area, with blooms for some species visible from early February until May. Bloom colors range from white to light rose to dark pink, and cherry trees — unlike plums — have distinct horizontal-line patterns on their bark called . These help the trees “exhale” or release carbon dioxide and water.

But you need not wait for peak bloom to visit campus, the season is underway. The UW maintains a visitors’ website dedicated to updates on the status of the blooms as well as details on transportation, activities and amenities. The Quad cherry blossoms also have their own social media accounts on and . Cherry tree enthusiasts who can’t make the trip can keep up with UW Video’s live webcam overlooking the Quad, a��virtual tour��with photos from campus and tweets from .��

###

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Dana Robinson Slote: drslote@uw.edu or 206.457.6058

[March 26 update: Peak bloom is set to continue at least through the weekend of March 30-31, according to UW arborist Sara Shores. “The cool weather is helping now,” said Shores. “I believe the blooms will be hanging on into the weekend. The leaves are close and once the leaves begin [to emerge], the blooms are harder to see.”]

[March 20 update: As peak bloom continues, this post was updated to include a video about an ongoing study of the UW cherry trees and the headline was changed from “UW cherry blossoms set for peak bloom in late March” to “Video: Predicting cherry tree bloom timing at the UW”]

[March 19 update: Cherry trees in the UW Quad are at approximately 70% bloom and have entered “peak bloom” stage. “If the weather stays cool, with little wind or rain, the bloom should last about two weeks,” said Autumn Maust, a UW doctoral student in environmental and forest sciences.]

[March 18 update: Thanks to unseasonably warm weather over the weekend, approximately 50-60% of buds on the UW Quad cherry trees are now in bloom, with peak bloom expected to begin by March 19 at the latest.]

[March 15 update:��All trees in the Quad now have pink buds with some florets visible. Approximately 2% of buds on the UW Quad cherry trees are now in bloom.]

[March 13 update: All cherry trees in the Quad are now at the “peduncle elongation” stage of bud development, during which the stalks supporting the florets grow longer. It is one of the last stages before the florets open.]

Cherry trees on the ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý’s Seattle campus are waking up and getting ready to say hello. For the 29 iconic Yoshino cherry trees in the UW Quad, peak bloom will likely begin after March 20, according to UW arborist Sara Shores.

“Historically, peak bloom in the Quad typically begins during the third full week of March and goes into the fourth week of March. That seems to be what this year is going to look like,” said Shores. “Right now, I would guess that the last two weekends of March are ideal viewing conditions.”

This post will be updated with the latest estimates, which could change based on weather conditions.

Cherry tree fans don’t have to wait for peak bloom to visit campus. The entire cherry blossom season is a great time to visit and see the trees in bloom.�� The UW maintains a visitors’ website dedicated to the school’s cherry blossoms, providing tips for getting to campus and maximizing the tree-viewing experience. The site has updates on the status of the blooms as well as details on transportation, activities and amenities. The Quad cherry blossoms also have their own social media accounts on and , formerly Twitter. For cherry tree enthusiasts who can’t make the trip, campus webcams are a good option for virtual viewing.

The timing for peak bloom — meaning 70% of buds have emerged — varies each year based on weather conditions that the developing buds are exposed to in January, February and March.

“In order to reach peak bloom, buds need to accumulate a certain number of both cold and warm days, known as ‘growing degree days,’” said Marlee Theil, a UW graduate student in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.

As of March 8, just over half of the cherry trees in the Quad were at the “peduncle elongation” stage of bud development, during which the stalks supporting the florets grow longer. It is one of the last stages before the florets open and the bloom season begins. The remaining cherry trees in the Quad are also progressing normally, albeit one or two days behind.

Since 2018, a UW research group has been��monitoring campus blossoms��from January to April with the goal of creating a model that will use weather data to predict the timing of peak bloom. Theil currently leads the monitoring team of more than 20 undergraduates.

“The data that we gather will not just help us know in future years when to come to campus to enjoy the trees,” said Theil. “This will also be a valuable research tool to understand how these trees respond to changing environmental conditions.”

There are more than 100 cherry trees on campus. The main species is Yoshino, including the trees in the Quad. Other varieties include the Higan, Hisakura, Kwanzan, Mt. Fuji and Shirofugen trees that can be viewed at��locations across campus. The Yoshino trees bloom earlier than many of the other species.

“Even as bloom season wanes for the Yoshino trees in early April, other trees on campus will be starting,” said Shores.

How long blossoms will remain on the trees this year depends on the weather. Cooler temperatures, less rain and lighter winds all will help keep blossoms on the trees.

For those who wish to avoid crowds on the Quad, visiting on weekdays and in the early mornings are better options. The UW asks that visitors not climb the trees, move their branches or shake their branches, as this can cause damage.

Visitors are encouraged to share their photos by using the����hashtag.

For media inquiries about the cherry trees, contact James Urton at jurton@uw.edu or 206-543-2580. For broadcast media, and from past years are available.

Greystar — a national developer and investor in university student housing in combination with its nonprofit partner, Provident Resources Group — was selected by the UW Board of Regents to lease four University-owned student housing properties: Nordheim Court, Radford Court, Blakeley Village and Laurel Village.

The plan is in line with the University’s commitment to providing a strong percentage of below-market rents for UW students with families, maintaining stable rents for single students, and increasing child care spaces for UW students, faculty and staff. The plan will reduce debt for UW Housing & Food Services, eliminate deferred maintenance in its building portfolio, and allow for the renovation and replacement of certain on-campus residence halls.

Provident will serve as the lessee and borrow the proceeds of tax-exempt bonds to fund the redevelopment. Greystar, which has a strong local team and presence, will serve as the developer and manager of the properties.

All properties are located adjacent to or near the Seattle campus, are prime student housing locations and will continue to provide housing to serve UW students. Students will have priority for all apartments, followed by UW faculty and staff.

Additional details, which remain under review, are as follows:

Phase I

• Nordheim Court currently has 454 apartment beds serving single students and is relatively new. It will continue to serve these students and be managed by Greystar.
• Radford Court currently provides housing for 399 student families, staff and non-university affiliated residents, and is relatively new. This property will continue to serve the UW community and be managed by Greystar. Rents for approximately 127 of these apartments will be set at 50% of Area Median Income (AMI) for UW student families. The existing 77 child care spaces will remain at this facility.

Phase II

• Built in 1981, Blakeley Village, at 4747 30^th Ave Northeast, features 80 student family apartments that are nearing the end of their useful life. Blakeley Village will be redeveloped into approximately 1,000 single student apartment beds and is anticipated to open in Summer 2028.
• Built in 1981, Laurel Village, at 4200 Mary Gates Memorial Drive Northeast, features 80 student family apartments that are nearing the end of their useful life. It will be redeveloped into approximately 350 apartments for single UW students, as well as student families with an adjacent 123-space child care facility, anticipated to open in Summer 2028. Rents for approximately 33 of these apartments will be set at 50% of Area Median Income (AMI) for UW student families. These apartments will be available to UW student families when completed.

The University will work to relocate Laurel and Blakeley families with rental agreements predating knowledge of this redevelopment (Sept. 12, 2022) to the 50% of AMI apartments at Radford Court prior to the start of construction at Laurel and Blakeley.

Contact: Victor Balta at balta@uw.edu.

The students combed the perimeter of the Nanoengineering & Sciences Building on a recent fall morning, as a pair of volunteers does every morning, looking for signs that a bird has met its end.

On this day, the students found only feathers – not remains – a sign that crows may have already scavenged the carcass.

With its facade of windows, NanoES is one of the buildings along a route – the route itself one of three campus loops – that volunteers trek as part of , a project led by College of Built Environments Ph.D. researcher . The goals: Count the number of bird-building collisions on campus, provide recommendations about bird-safe design to UW architects, and educate the community about the harm that transparent and reflective glass presents to wildlife.

“We can find a balance in design that benefits humans and birds,” said Bowes, who discovered a love for birds while growing up in Pennsylvania. “Birds cannot detect glass. This is a design problem, not a bird problem. We can use less invasive designs and protect wildlife in ways that benefit all of us.”

For the past year, Bowes has been training and leading volunteers to walk through campus, using a student-created app to log where they’ve been and what they’ve found, along with photos. The volunteers wear gloves and carry with them a kit for collecting dead birds to bring them to the Burke Museum. Teams have found 20 different species of birds, Bowes said, most commonly the varied thrush. And perhaps not surprisingly, numbers of dead birds increase during the local winter migration season.

Volunteers find only about 10% of the more than 10,000 birds that collide with campus buildings each year, estimates based on Bird Friendly Campus’ collision data from last year and formulas that predict yearly loss that have been developed by other researchers in the field. .

Just in the past month, of the McCormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago in just one evening. The remains were found the next morning by a volunteer monitor. recently featured a Manhattan condominium building, dubbed by some in the city as a bird “death trap,” and the efforts to retrofit the glass there so that it is more visible to birds.

Bird-safe glass is a key solution, Bowes explains, often in the form of tiny opaque dots, or a grid pattern made of weather-resistant vinyl that can be affixed to windows, allowing natural light to still enter the space. Apparent up close but not obstructive to the view of those inside a building, these tools can turn what is see-through or reflective into a barrier visible to birds, reducing collisions by as much as 80 to 90%. A few structures on campus, such as the Gallagher Law Library at William H. Gates Hall and the Life Sciences Building, use glass that incorporates bird-safe patterns.

Also helpful: leaving space between buildings and vegetation and limiting the use of artificial lighting at night.

“It’s a big eye-opener for most people, particularly architects,” Bowes said. “I believe that we can just treat hot spots on buildings. We don’t have to treat every square foot of glass surface area. It’s our responsibility, I believe, to protect living things and to prevent collisions.”

Bowes and her team will submit data from their study to campus architects for inclusion in the UW’s Green Building Standards. An informational presentation is planned for the campus community this winter.

For more information, contact Bowes at jbowes2@uw.edu.

The welcomed an addition this spring: two bee hives in an apiary on the south side of the Center for Urban Horticulture. The new hives are tended by , a program manager at the ����Ӱ�Ӵ�ý’s Continuum College who, together with UW Farm manager , re-launched the farm’s beekeeping program in early 2023.��

Sahl is a volunteer beekeeper for now, observing the bees and preparing the hives for cooler weather. In the coming school year, he hopes to instruct students interested in bee science, sharing his deep interest in the role they play in the natural world.

On a Friday in August, Sahl gently applied smoke to calm a colony, then opened what looked like a stack of painted wood boxes to reveal layers of insect activity — each box designed for different manifestations of a bee’s work. The bottom boxes, called brood boxes, house the queen bee and provide a nursery for the eggs she lays and food for the larvae as they grow. The top boxes hold panels where bees create wax hexagons and fill them with honey. The panels provide easy access to the sweet comb built on the frame.��

Sahl harvested some honey early in the summer — a light colored honey made when bees were visiting blackberry blooms. The remaining honey will be left to feed the bees during the winter. Sahl checks the bees regularly for parasites; Varroa mites are one of the most serious threats to bee health.��

Acworth says people are curious about bees, and the hives will serve as a teaching tool for students who want to know more about agriculture and the function of pollinators in the ecosystem. Two courses where students will work with the bees are being offered this fall: Urban Farm Class 240 and a new ‘Soil to Seed to Snack’ Path to UW course.��

UW Botanic Gardens manages the apiary, and bee-related farm programs are supported by the UW School of Public Health/Nutritional Sciences Program, UW College of the Environment, UW Housing and Food Services and individual donors.��

The welcomed an addition this spring: two bee hives in an apiary on the south side of the Center for Urban Horticulture. More:

— UW News (@uwnews)

Picture a bench. Maybe you imagine the wooden seat of a picnic table, the metal of a bus shelter, the plastic of a school cafeteria.

Different materials, different locations, same basic purpose: to welcome more than one person.

This spring quarter, in Architecture 231: Making and Meaning, that was the essential mission of the culminating project: Build a bench, create a social opportunity.

“Architecture is taking an idea and turning it into a reality that someone can experience,” said co-instructor .

And so, this month, there were some two dozen benches, scattered around both Gould Hall and Architecture Hall in a pop-up demonstration of student work. There were benches with backs, with ramps, with steps and shelves and swings. Benches in the shape of an L, or a C, or an ocean wave. Nicholls encouraged students to find places that were underused, or even overused, and “help them out with a bench.”

The class started with small, individual projects, made of reclaimed and found materials, such as cardboard and sticks, to teach scale and structure. Then came the bench project, a team endeavor that involved planning and sketching, trial and error, and use of the College of Built Environments’ Fabrication Lab to cut and assemble the lumber.

Sophomore Jasmine Madrigal was part of a group that constructed a bench with squared-off, V-shaped legs and a corner shelf.

“I’ve learned about the materials, that not everything will stay the same as you first conceptualize it, and we sometimes had to compromise our ideas in order to develop it further,” Madrigal said.

That’s the point of the class, co-instructor and Architecture alum said – to learn process, collaboration and attention to detail.

“Students come into the class having an idea and think it’s built automatically,” Leanos said with a smile.

While a few benches may find a permanent home at Gould or Architecture Hall, most will be taken apart, so the materials can be used again, in a future class.