Our goal is to establish water quality baselines and ongoing trends for streams and tributaries of two separate watersheds, both of which drain into Lake Washington through Lake Forest Park, a city in the northwest part of King County, WA. This project is the first intensive multiple-site survey of urban King County watersheds using certified Washington State Department of Ecology methods. In three teams of 4-5 college students, we conducted monthly field tests of 16 sites along tributaries and sub-basins of the McAleer Watershed, and of 6 sites within the Lyon Creek watershed. We used a YSI ProDSS multiprobe meter and a Hach DR 900 colorimeter to collect measurements of air and water temperature, water turbidity, conductivity, % oxygen saturation, dissolved oxygen, pH, total suspended solids, and nitrate and phosphate levels, used Coliform Bacteria R-Cards to measure the quantitative presence of water-borne E. coli. Analysis of these water quality indices for these sites over a 12-month period will allow us to evaluate the overall health of the greater watersheds, and possible causes of poor conditions. Our data will contribute to other conservation research efforts supporting urban watershed health. This work was undertaken as a research project by undergraduates participating in the Urban Stream Ecology Internship and Training (USE-IT) program, funded by a Seattle Waterworks grant to the Stewardship Stream Initiative (SSI), an initiative launched by the Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation in 2024.

Although being in nature has been associated with benefits including health and well-being, many people do not spend time in nature. Some studies have focused on the reasons why people do not spend time in nature; however, both in this research and in nature and health research, the term "nature" is inconsistently defined. Without a concrete definition of nature, it is unclear what participants consider nature and if this affects their reasons for not spending time in nature. This work is part of a larger experiment looking at students at the University of Washington's reported time in nature, and whether or not having a definition of nature impacted people's responses to nature-related questions. Here, we identify the underlying reasons given for the individual's not spending time in nature. Additionally, we examine whether having a definition of nature which includes urban nature affects reasons why participants report spending no time in nature. Out of 1,573 participants, 273 individuals (17%) responded that they had spent no time in nature in the previous week. They were then asked to explain why they spent 0 hours in nature that week. Common themes included being too busy with school, work, and other responsibilities. Notably, one theme emerged, "feels limited by place" in which participants stated they do not spend time in nature because they "live in Seattle". Preliminary results indicate that when nature is defined, the theme feeling limited by place did not occur, meaning receiving a definition of nature appears to affect the qualitative reasons given for spending no time in nature. This study highlights the importance of defining nature while also providing valuable insights into the reasons why some might prefer to not spend time in nature, as well as barriers that prevent students from spending time in nature.

Nature is an abstract concept with no universal definition—for example, some see a city park as nature, while others disagree. Definitions vary from physical elements (e.g., plants, animals, landscapes) to broader systems of growth and change. Disagreements arise over human-altered environments, wilderness, and spiritual significance. Much of the existing literature is limited by its focus on Western perspectives, highlighting the need for diversity. This project investigates the underlying reasons why individuals’ definitions of nature differ. In particular, I focus on less agreed upon elements, or “gray areas” (e.g., a tree between concrete or a playground structure in a park) of what constitutes nature, and seek to determine whether these differences are associated with culture, spirituality, and religion. Fifteen University of Washington students, representing diverse cultural, spiritual, and religious backgrounds, were selected from a screener sample (N=180) to participate in interviews featuring a sorting activity with nature-related terms, photos, and phrases. Throughout this activity, questions are posed to delve deeper into the nuances of "gray areas" pertaining to nature, and to understand the factors influencing these perceptions. Additional questions circle back to participants' cultural backgrounds, spirituality, and religion to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these factors influence the individual's definitions of nature. Preliminary results reveal differences in how individuals categorize phrases, words, and photos as “nature,” “not nature,” or “unsure.” Findings also suggest that understandings of nature are shaped by religious affiliations, influencing how people perceive and relate to natural environments. Identified themes, perspectives on gray areas, and connections with cultural, religious, and spiritual beliefs will be presented. Understanding how cultural, spiritual, and religious affiliations shape perceptions of nature is essential for interpreting nature-related research, informing policy, and enhancing environmental management.

Neuropsychiatric disorders lead to devastating impacts on a patient’s life, affecting physical movement, cognition, and behavior. A pattern observed in patients with neurodegenerative disease includes neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, which may be caused by the abnormal accumulation of the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT). Tau is encoded for in the MAPT gene locus on chromosome 17, where the locus commonly interacts with an enhancer to boost transcription. However, some patients have one copy of chromosome 17 with an inversion that breaks this interaction, which is associated with lower risk of disease. This raises the question of whether the MAPT locus interacts with other enhancers that increases tau production. Thus, the goal of this project is to identify genetic variants that influence the 3D interactions between the MAPT locus and potential enhancers in patients heterozygous for the MAPT inversion associated with a lower risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. To accomplish this objective, neuronal nuclei extracted from patients are analyzed using fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) to identify interactions in the MAPT gene locus. We will map a 2 Mb region of chromosome 17 centered on the inversion using FISH probes. This region is broken up into ten 200 kb spots to be individually visualized using fluorescent oligonucleotides through a fluidics system, to create a composite image of all spots. Interactions involving the MAPT locus may be identified by comparing distances between spots, in which gene segments that interact would have a shorter distance compared to segments that do not interact. This would allow us to find genetic variants associated with the chromosome 17 inversion that potentially influence MAPT gene regulation.

The necessity of criminal justice reform has grown increasingly significant as governments address the challenges of mass incarceration and its far-reaching social and economic consequences. Over the last decade, California has been spearheading reform in the United States. In compliance with a Supreme Court ruling, California passed Proposition 47 (Prop 47)—a landmark policy that reclassified certain nonviolent felony offenses as misdemeanors—to reduce the population of nonviolent offenders in the prison system. While Prop 47 successfully reduced incarceration rates and state expenditures on corrections, critics argue that it has also contributed to increased property crime, particularly retail theft, due to theft-felony threshold being increased from $400 to $950. Utilizing a difference-in-differences methodology, this study compares retail business activity in California with a synthetic control group composed of demographically and economically similar states with felony thresholds similar to California’s, pre-Prop 47. The analysis draws on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, incorporating crime rates, business permit activity, and economic trends. This study aims to assess whether Prop 47 led to a tangible increase in property crime and, in turn, a decline in retail business sustainability. The findings will provide empirical insights for policymakers seeking to balance criminal justice objectives with economic stability, informing on the broader implications of sentencing reforms on local economies.

Attention restoration theory (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989) which has shaped our understanding of the benefits of nature, centers around the idea that certain qualities of nature innately capture our focus and encourage restoration. Based on this theory, it seems unlikely individuals would feel predominantly bored in nature. Using data from a larger study of University of Washington undergraduates' nature encounters, the goal of this research is to investigate how often individuals experience boredom in nature and to better understand the characteristics of those who may be prone to boredom. Participants who reported having spent time in nature over the past week were queried about whether they had felt bored during the experience. 101 (8%) said they “always” or “often” felt bored in nature, a contrast to 1154 (92%) who said they were “never” or “sometimes” bored. This group represents a unique subset of the data and preliminary findings show they self-reported higher levels of stress, depression and anxiety. This group also seems to have different trends regarding phone usage in nature. 64% of participants who were “often” or “always” bored reported looking at their phone for over half their time in nature, compared to only 20.3% of participants who didn’t report high levels of boredom. Additionally, 74% of participants with high levels of boredom reported using their phone for more than just checking maps, taking photos of nature and identifying plants or animals, compared with just 55% of the rest of the sample. This research has important implications for identifying what kinds of nature interaction may be more or less engaging and beneficial to the wider population, as well as understanding who may be more prone to boredom in nature.