Plenary speakers

Program

As with any NWSA annual meeting, the 2026 event will include fascinating plenaries, oral and poster presentations on a diversity of topics, an opening social event, and lots of opportunity for informal networking. The schedule below will be filled out when more information becomes available. A detailed event schedule will also be provided after the complete list of oral presentations has been finalized.  

Schedule at a Glance

Monday March 23

Full-day field trip to Willapa Bay, WA: Join Dr. Brian Atwater (U.S. Geological Survey) for a day of earthquake paleoecology, using rented kayaks to visit coastal outcrops at low-tide. Departing at 7:00 a.m. and returning at 5:00 p.m., limited to 20 participants. Registration details to follow.

Willapa Bay tidal march and former forest

Tuesday March 24

Afternoon, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.: Northwest Scientific Association Spring Board Meeting (Evergreen campus, room TBD)

Evening, 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.: Welcome social event (downtown Olympia, location TBD)

Wednesday March 25

8:00 a.m.: Breakfast snacks/coffee/tea

8:30 a.m.: Conference welcome

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.: Opening plenary 

10:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Concurrent oral sessions

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: Lunch (provided in meeting registration fee)

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.: Plenary 2

2:15 - 5:00 p.m.: Concurrent oral sessions

5:00 - 7:00 p.m.: Poster session (appetizers and drinks provided)

Thursday March 26

8:30 a.m.: Breakfast snacks/coffee/tea

8:50 a.m.: Welcome

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.: Plenary 3

10:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Concurrent oral sessions

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: NWSA annual business lunch (open to meeting registrants, pizza provided) with poster awards

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.: Plenary 4

2:15 - 5:00 p.m.: Concurrent oral sessions

Friday March 27

Field trips

Glacial Heritage Preserve, Thurston County, WA

Ecological restoration field trip (half-day): Dr. Connie Harrington will lead a visit to Glacial Heritage, A Thurston County Park Managed by the Centers for Natural Lands Management to view successful examples of prairie and oak restoration, and Blooms Preserve, a Capitol Land Trust property with recent examples of restoring wetlands. 

Lichenology in the field (Northwest Lichenologists)

Annual Meeting Registration

Ticket options are available for the 2026 Annual Meeting, including discounted rates for students and early-registration pricing for NWSA members and non-members. Early-registration is now open and will close on January 31, 2026.

Early-registration pricing (excluding state tax):

• Student: $50

• Professional NWSA member: $150

• Professional non-member: $200

Late-registration pricing:

• Student: $70

• Professional NWSA member: $190

• Professional non-member: $240

NWSA is committed to supporting the attendance of Tribal members and current or recent federal government employees affected by the ongoing agency reorganizations, reductions in force, and forced departures. If this applies to you, please email NWSA President, David Shaw (dave "dot" shaw "at" oregonstate "dot" edu).

Ticket sales are now open on our EventBrite registration page. We anticipate meeting registration remaining open until the day of the event to accommodate last-minute planning.

Abstract Submission

Abstracts for oral and poster presentations can be submitted using the online submission form. Submissions will be accepted until Sunday February 15, 2026. Student poster submissions will be entered into the poster competition, with cash prizes for the winning undergraduate and graduate posters.

Authors of oral presentations may wish to include their submission in the organized special sessions on Forest Health, Ecosystem Restoration, Geological Hazards, or Lichenology. Oral presentations that are not submitted to one of these special sessions will be grouped by theme into general sessions. Poster submissions can also be assigned to one of the above special sessions, and will be grouped accordingly during the poster session.

Abstracts should be no more than 250 words in length and should describe the research goals, and preliminary or final results or outcomes. For more information, please see the 2026 Annual Meeting Abstract Submission page.

Student Travel Grant

A Student Travel Grant will be available to support student attendance of the 2026 NWSA Annual Meeting.

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate (Masters or PhD) program,
• An NWSA student member (student membership cost of $20/year) at the time of application submission,
• Conducting research on one or more subjects within NWSA's broad areas of interest, and projects must be focused on the greater Northwest of North America, and
• Prepared to present results from their research (not just background/methods) in poster of oral format at the NWSA Annual Meeting in March, 2026.

More information on Student Travel Grant proposals and submission will be released as details are finalized.

Mount Rainier, from downtown Olympia, circa 1900 - 1920 (image courtesy of Washington State Archives)

Getting to and staying in Olympia

Olympia can be reached by car and bus. The municipal Intercity Transit network provides a free bus service for Olympia and neighboring Lacey and Tumwater. This service stops at The Evergreen State College and is a good option for avoiding campus parking fees.

Parking is available on The Evergreen State College campus. The B-, C-, and F-Lots are available for visitor parking and Lot C has an electric vehicle charger. A daily parking pass is $6 and can be purchased from kiosks on site. For more detailed information on parking rates and permits, see the Evergreen parking webpage. 

We are delighted to announce that The Evergreen State College has offered to provide dormitory accommodation on campus at a nightly rate of $59 + tax with bed linens included. Registration details are forthcoming.

Olympia also boasts a wide range of off-campus lodging options at various price points. Hotel recommendations will be provided closer to the conference date.

Dining recommendations will be added here as the meeting approaches.

Burmeister Saloon, Fourth Avenue, Olympia, ca. 1855 (image courtesy of Washington State Archives)

Frequently Asked Questions