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: Earthquake ecology exposed at low tide, visited by canoe and kayak. Depart Olympia 7:00 a.m., return 5:00 p.m. Led by Brian Atwater, U.S. Geological Survey emeritus. Free for those who supply their own boat; $160 for kayak renters. See the Field Trip tab to register.

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

Dr. Robert Van Pelt: The importance of big trees - insights from 40 years in the field

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, Dr. Megan Anderson

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

Dr. Garrett Meigs - Forest health in a time of rapid change: A PNW perspective

Forests are changing in rapid and often surprising ways. This talk presents an overview of forest health and disturbance in Washington and Oregon, highlighting examples of natural and anthropogenic drivers of change. As wildfire, insects, drought, and other disturbances continue to reshape forests, long-term monitoring and adaptive management will be essential for landscape resilience.

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

Dr. Sandy Liebhold: Globalization and biotic homogenization of the world's forests

Worldwide, biological invasions of non-native plants, insects and tree pathogens are transforming forests and impacting the ecosystem services they provide. At the same time, industrial forestry is in increasingly turning toward the use of non-native tree species plantations to meet the world’s demand for wood as well as for mitigation of carbon emissions. Here I will discuss these trends and comment on the outlook for the future.

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

Friday March 27

Field trips

Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve

Ecological restoration field trip: This half-day day trip will visit the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve to see the unique Mima Mounds and hear about prairie and oak restoration and then on to Blooms Preserve, a Capitol Land Trust site focusing on wetland restoration. The field trip is free but each vehicle visiting the Mima Mounds will need a Discover pass (one day pass can be purchased for $10 or Annual Pass for $45  https://discoverpass.wa.gov/ ). The Blooms Preserve site requires tall rubber boots or waders.  Vehicle access to the Blooms Preserve is limited so carpooling is recommended. See the field trip tab.

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 March 01, 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

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED!

Abstracts for oral and poster presentations can be submitted using the online submission form. Submissions will be accepted until midnight on Monday March 02, 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
• Grant recipients must be NWSA members; note that membership is not required to apply for a grant, but if you are selected for funding, you will need to become a member to accept the grant.
• 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.

For more information on Student Travel Grant proposals and to submit please visit the student grants page.

Northwest Lichenologists Student Awards

To encourage broad engagement with lichenology research by students and non-student lichen enthusiasts, NWL is offering $150 awards to help offset the costs of travel and attendance to the upcoming NW Lichenologist meeting in conjunction with NW Scientific Association, March 24-27, 2026. Awards will be offered to presenting authors of either posters or presentations. You may submit one application per poster or presentation, indicating the number of presenting authors.

Check the NWLichenologists website.  Northwest Lichenologists - Home

You must also be registered with NWSA for the meeting to receive the award. 

Field Trip Participation

Two excellent NWSA field trips, and additional field trips hosted by the Northwest Lichenologists, are currently planned.

• Earthquake ecology, Monday March 23: Earthquake ecology in Willapa Bay, exposed at low tide, visited by canoe and kayak. Depart Olympia 7:00 a.m., return 5:00 p.m. Led by Brian Atwater, U.S. Geological Survey emeritus. Free for those who supply their own boat; $160 for kayak renters. Please indicate if you will need to rent a kayak when signing up for the field trip. 

• Ecological restoration, Friday March 27: This half-day trip will visit the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve to see the unique Mima Mounds and hear about prairie and oak restoration and then on to Blooms Preserve, a Capitol Land Trust site focusing on wetland restoration. The field trip is free but each vehicle visiting the Mima Mounds will need a Discover pass (one day pass can be purchased for $10 or Annual Pass for $45  https://discoverpass.wa.gov/ ). The Blooms Preserve site requires tall rubber boots or waders.  Vehicle access to the Blooms Preserve is limited so carpooling is recommended. Participants can leave from TESC at 8:00 am or meet in the Mima Mounds Parking lot at 08:30.

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