Sense of Place: What's Blooming in the Columbia? (And Why it Matters to You)

with Lorri Epstein & Miles Johnson

No matter how you relate to the river — whether you kite on it, swim in it, or throw sticks for your dog from its sandbars and banks — you need to know about the Columbia’s recent uptick in harmful algal blooms, whose toxins can seriously sicken both people and pets. Lorri Epstein and Miles Johnson of Columbia Riverkeeper will bring you up to speed on the causes and effects of these blooms and how we can all contribute to their prevention.

About the Speakers

Lorri Epstein is Columbia Riverkeeper’s Science & Educator Director. She leads the organization’s outreach and education programs, including the Water Quality Monitoring Program and Nichols Natural Area Environmental Education Program. Lorri is a biologist whose graduate research focused on juvenile salmon in a remote river on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Before joining Columbia Riverkeeper, she worked on research and river restoration projects on the Klamath, Yakima, and Umpqua Rivers, and taught outdoor education in the California Redwoods. Lorri is deeply motivated by the belief that everyone should be able to swim, fish, and recreate in the Columbia River without concern about pollution, and she values connecting people to the river in ways that foster long-term care and stewardship.

Miles Johnson is Columbia Riverkeeper’s Legal Director. Miles works to reduce water pollution and restore healthy, abundant salmon by enforcing the law and providing legal counsel for Columbia Riverkeeper’s campaigns. Prior to law school, Miles worked as a fisheries researcher in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Miles is a father to kids who love to catch and eat fish, so he’s personally invested in ensuring that we can all eat fish caught in the Columbia without endangering the health of our families. Miles loves learning from the people who have spent their lives protecting and enjoying the Columbia River basin.

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• Doors open at 6, show starts promptly at 7, arrive early to get the best seats, drinks, and peruse the art gallery.
• For sold out shows: a waitlist will be available at the door starting at 6 PM.