Discovery Speaker Series: The Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project with The Department of Enterprise Services!
Join Puget Sound Estuarium at the Olympia Timberland Library for our Discovery Speaker Series. Every 1st Thursday of the month we invite you to learn and stay informed about current environmental research or sustainability projects. You’ll hear from Scientists, Educators, Artists, and Earth Advocates about their current work, research, or organization. Plus get your questions answered live after the talk!
February’s presentation will be on The Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project with The Department of Enterprise Services!
About the presentation: The Department of Enterprise Services will present on the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project. This monumental restoration project will restore 260 acres of estuarine and salt-marsh habitat at the mouth of the Deschutes River, at the footstep of the Capitol Campus, and along the shoreline of Olympia. The presentation will overview site conditions, design concepts, and benefits of estuary restoration in this unique urban setting.
Speakers: Ann Larson and Tessa Gardner-Brown
About the Speakers: Ann Larson (Special Assistant to the Director, WA Department of Enterprise Services) has worked as a senior policy advisor and tribal liaison in state government for over 15 years. Ann serves as the agency’s expert for environmental, energy, and climate initiatives and leads strategic planning efforts for the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project. Prior to state government, Ann worked for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) studying human impacts on the endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Ann currently serves on the State Efficiency and Environmental Performance Office, Washington’s Interagency Electrical Vehicle Coordinating Council, and Olympia Sea Level Response Plan.
Tessa Gardner-Brown (Principal and Senior Environmental Planner, Floyd|Snider) has served key roles in the planning processes of the region’s most complex infrastructure projects, including the SR 520 Bridge Replacement Project and the Elliott Bay Seawall Replacement Project in downtown Seattle. She is currently the consultant team Project Manager for the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project and served in this role for the Capitol Lake – Deschutes Estuary Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). She leads coordination with a large interdisciplinary team of technical experts and engineers and oversees an extensive outreach program.
Download and print this coloring page as a save the date!