Sharing the magic of green chemistry with high school teachers

By Saskia van Bergen, green chemistry scientist, Hazardous
Waste Toxic Reduction Program


When I was a student in a lab, I knew very little of the
chemical and safety hazards of the experiments we did. From my perspective, the materials magically
appeared and disappeared. I didn’t know
what went on behind the scenes. I thought very little about the health risks of
chemicals we used. This

Let’s Talk Science! Technology behind monitoring fine particle pollution

By Brook Beeler, environmental educator, Office of Communication and Education

Why do we monitor air quality in Washington state? Why, it’s a little thing called the Clean Air Act. We have an extensive network of monitors across the state to help us keep tabs on the seven air pollutants outlined by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. These standards for carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide

Classroom Invaders – students and teachers unknowingly spreading invasive species

By Brook Beeler, environmental educator, Office of Communication and Education

I recently received a forwarded newsletter from a colleague with the introduction, “Darn science teachers!” What on earth could he be referring to? Science teachers are awesome!

The Columbia Basin Bulletin distributed a newsletter article about how teachers are inadvertently releasing invasive species into the

Let’s Talk Science: Breaking down decomposers

By Brook Beeler, environmental educator, Office of Communication and Education

Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential building blocks for living organisms. These elements and others, like carbon, allow organisms to create cells, tissue, and provide energy to complete their life processes. Nitrogen and phosphorus, also known as “nutrients”, are an integral part of living organisms. These nutrients

Enviro ed journal features Ecology’s Hanford outreach efforts

By Erika Holmes, Community Outreach & Environmental Education, Nuclear Waste Program



Late last year, the environmental education journal Clearing put out a call for articles for their annual compendium issue. With the majority of readers in, and content focused on, the Pacific Northwest, I figured it would be a great opportunity to share ways teachers can bring Hanford into their lessons.

Washington, Oregon hook up on Hanford presentations at Oregon State

By Dieter Bohrmann, Communications Consultant, Nuclear Waste Program John Price and I ventured down to Oregon State University (OSU) on February 23 to talk about Hanford with students and faculty, as well as other Corvallis residents. We were joined on the visit by Ken Niles from the Oregon Department of Energy, and Max Power, chair of the Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board. Our first presentation was

Let’s Talk Science! Gravity, the moon, and all this talk of King Tides

By Brook Beeler, Environmental Educator, Office of Communication and EducationHere at Ecology we are dedicated to understanding the effects of climate change in Washington. One of the ways to visualize what sea level rise could look like is to document high tides. Spring tides occur naturally when the sun and the moon align, causing an increased gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans. Note that

Let's Talk Science! A new column focused on science at Ecology

By Brook Beeler, Environmental Educator, Office of Communication and EducationScience is cool! We think it’s important to have an understanding of the big concepts in life, Earth, and physical science. It’s important not only because our work is based on these concepts, but also because our environment’s behavior is based on basic scientific principles.It’s not just our scientists who need a good

Ecology for Educators: upcoming workshops!

By Brook Beeler, Environmental Educator, Office of Communication and EducationDid you know? Ecology provides science-based, interdisciplinary environmental education curricula and award-winning materials. These quality environmental education resources teach problem solving and critical thinking for students. Ecology also has exceptional databases and research links. You can find links to