THURSDAY
Susan Salafsky
JULY 2 (5:30 – 7:30 pm - talk starts at 6 pm)
TAP TALK: CONSERVATION, COLLABORATION & CONTROVERSY
PRESENTED BY: DR KATIE MORIARTY
At Common Fields (545 SW 3rd St)
Livestream: youtube.com/@500womenscientistscorvallisor/streams
Contact: 500WSCo...@gmail.com
Sponsor: 500 Women Scientists Corvallis
SUMMARY
Pacific Northwest forests are at the center of one of conservation's longest-running debates: old-growth protection versus active timber management. But what if science suggests the answer isn't "either/or"? Three case studies: a rare marten, a canopy-dwelling vole, and native bees offer surprising lessons about how intentional management and small, targeted actions can support biodiversity. The Humboldt marten was presumed extinct. Rediscovered along the California and Oregon coast, this elusive carnivore persists not just in old forests, but in young, shrub-rich stands. With fewer than 30 individuals in some isolated populations, new tools from GPS collars to detection dogs are racing to fill critical knowledge gaps. Red tree voles, tiny Douglas-fir specialists living their entire lives in the forest canopy, tell a similarly nuanced story. Populations don't simply peak in old forest; they also exist in young stands near old growth. How age classes are arranged across a working landscape may matter as much as how much old forest we protect. And native bees? Seeding wildflowers into burned slash piles after wildfire and salvage logging can convert empty patches into thriving pollinator habitat within just a few years. With dedicated people, purposeful direction, and new tools, there is much more to learn and meaningful actions to take. These three examples make a compelling case: conservation and some forestry practices are not in opposition. With better science, creative partnerships, and a willingness to act small and think big, there may be more common ground than the debate suggests.
BIO
Dr. Katie Moriarty is a Forest Wildlife Ecologist at NCASI. She leads applied research that helps forest managers understand how sensitive species use actively managed landscapes and how biodiversity responds to management practices. Her recent research focuses on the effects of forest management and disturbance on forest carnivores, native bees, red tree voles, and bats. Katie’s work provides science-based insights that support informed decision-making and sustainable forest management. She has affiliation at five universities, mentors 12 graduate students and ~30 field staff, and currently serves as President of the Oregon Chapter of The Wildlife Society.