Nate Hough-Snee

M.S. Candidate, University of Washington

Conference Travel Grant Type 1 (Society of Wetland Scientists)

“As a graduate student within the Restoration Ecology interest group at the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources, I am committed to the creation and dissemination of knowledge surrounding applied ecological restoration. My research interests hinge primarily around riparian floodplains, coastal wetland systems and forested wetlands in and around agricultural and rural-urban interfaces as they pertain to Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus species) recovery. For my thesis work I intend to study the dynamics of estuarine systems in Skagit and Padilla Bays (Skagit County, WA) to inform their restoration following large-scale anthropogenic disturbances such as agriculture, diking, etc.

The theme for this year’s SWS/ASWM meeting is based around wetland management and research in response to global climate change. I hope to glean insights from this conference that assist me in considering realistic restoration goals and potential design constraints within applied wetland restoration. Similarly, I wish to take these insights into consideration as I develop my thesis research. As my first experience attending a professional and academic conference on wetland research, I also hope to further build my familiarity with the work of organizations and individuals already invested in studying and restoring Pacific Northwest wetland systems.”