Lunch & Learn

The Lunch-and-Learn series features topics that Urban Ecology and Conservation Symposium attendees indicated they most wanted to learn more about. Unless otherwise noted, talks are held from 12:15-1 pm and generally involve a 30 minute presentation followed by 15 minutes of Q&A/discussion.

Lunch & Learn 2024

As part of the UERC Symposium at Reed College in March, we ask attendees via our evaluation form which talks they'd like to hear in more detail. Below is the schedule for this speaker series for 2024. The format is ~45 minute presentation over Zoom/Teams with time for questions at the end, usually from ~noon to 1pm. Thank you to all the presenters.

Details will be shared via the UERC listserv closer to those dates.

Laura Guderyahn, City of Portland Parks & Recreation
Friday, July 12, 2024
Why is the Oaks Bottom reservoir so dead and brown? A success story of purple loosestrife control

Jen Morse, Portland State University
Friday, September 6, 2024
Green stormwater infrastructure effects on pollutant retention and water quality

Hannah Ferguson, Clean Water Services
Friday, September 20, 2024
Exploring environmental DNA as a method for monitoring biological characteristics of surface waters in the Tualatin River watershed

Christa von Behren, Natural Resource Ecologist
October 4, 2024
What are those plants doing out there? Developing a protocol to assess natural area function

Nina Avila, Hoyt Arboretum  Friday
November 1, 2024
Exploring the layers of science and communities impacted by climate change through the lens of tree health

Lunch & Learn 2023

Friday August 25th -
Michael Yun, Integrating justice and equity into the regional conservation planning process

Friday October 6th -
Shonene Scott, Trends in urban tree canopy and dimensions of social equity across the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area

Friday September 8th -
Laura Guderyahn, Freshwater mussel monitoring with young people: a bedazzling good time! (THIS WILL BE A FIELD TOUR)

Friday September 22nd -
Toby Query, Human-fungi collaboration in natural area stewardship

Friday November 3rd - Dr. Jola Ajibade, Shifting landscapes of spatial equity and justice: who is vulnerable or resilient to consecutive climate hazards in the Portland region

Lunch & Learn 2022

Three of the five talks were held virtually and hosted by Metro, while two were in the field.

Friday June 3 - Spatial and Seasonal Variations of Microplastic Concentrations in Portland's Freshwater Ecosystems; Rebecca Talbot | Portland State University

Friday July 8 - Carbon Sequestration Potential After Riparian Restoration-A Baseline Study of Carbon Stocks and Mycorrhizal Communities; Guenevere DiGioia | MS graduate in Sustainable Forest Management, Oregon State University

Friday July 29 - Whitaker Ponds Natural Area Remediation Project: A Brilliant Example of Successful Partnership, Communication and Realization of Goals; Laura Guderyahn | Portland Parks and Recreation (IN THE FIELD)

Friday September 9 - Quantifying Impacts to Water Quality from the Introduction of an Invasive Wood-boring Insect; Dominic Maze/Julia Bond | Environmental Regulatory Coordinator, City of Portland Environmental Services (IN THE FIELD)

Friday October 7 - Predicting Urban Air Temperatures Using Land Cover Type and Satellite Observations of Surface Temperatures; Garett Pignotti | Washington State University

Lunch & Learn 2021

June 18 - Heejun Chang - Putting beavers into urban streams to improve water quality

 July 9 - Katie Holzer - Tadpoles survive urban pollutants and cages to show conservation value of altered landscapes

August 6 - Serina Fast Horse - Collaborating with indigenous community to restore our landscapes

September 3 - Adrienne St. Clair - Considerations when mixing source populations for plants in restoration

October (date TBD due to field season) - Stefanie Steele - Nest preferences of solitary cavity nesting bees in Portland, Oregon

Lunch & Learn 2019

May 3
Sabrina Ortiz Luna
Designing Hydro-logical Community Resilience

 June 7*
Katie Holzer 
Who does it best? Engineers vs. beavers in a stormwater treatment facility
* discussion in the field

July 12 (the 2nd Friday)
Noah Jenkins
Dam, it's hot in here! Human vs. Beaver-Constructed Dams and Stream Temperature

August 2
Aaron Ramirez
Hydraulic vulnerability of native trees is increased by urban heat

September 6
Laura McMullen
Interaction of climate change with restoration action maturation in an urban environment: Impacts to salmon habitat

October 4
Janine Castro
Streams without biology: How physics inadvertently usurped river restoration

November 1
Alex Staunch
Exploratory Noxious Weed Survey of the Middle and Upper Columbia Slough Watersheds

December 6
Jason King
Design for climate: an interdisciplinary approach

Lunch & Learn 2018

May 4, 2018
Laura Guderyahn, Portland Parks and Recreation
Elk Rock Cliff: Vegetation surveys on a vertical cliff face

June 1, 2018
Lauren Senkyr, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Habitat restoration for natural resources in the Portland Harbor Superfund Site

July 6, 2018
Leslie Bliss-Ketchum, Portland State University
Metro habitat connectivity toolkit: Bringing connectivity to an actionable scale 

August 3, 2018
Meenakshi Rao, Portland State University
Air pollution exposure and mitigation potential in Portland, Oregon 

September 7, 2018
Melissa Brown, City of Portland - Bureau of Environmental Services
Monitoring ESA-protected species in the City of Portland using eDNA 

October 5, 2018
Katie Holzer, City of Gresham
Pavement that can clean water 

November 2, 2018
Aaron Anderson, Oregon State University
Screening native PNW wildflowers for attractiveness to pollinators and natural enemies
Note: optional forum-in-the-field will take place afterwards at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora

December 7, 2018
Elaine Stewart, Metro - Conservation Program
So many weeds, so little time: Prioritizing use of limited resources