The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen Canopy Walkway Project

The Evergreen State College is exploring the feasibility of building a forest canopy walkway on its campus. Envisioned as a universally-accessible system of canopy-level walkways linking existing campus structures with an arboreal seminar pod, The Evergreen Canopy Walkway will provide unique opportunities to view and understand the forest from root system to tree top.

As we move into a new millennium, perceptions are changing and expanding our understanding of the complex world of forest ecosystems.

Scientists and researchers the world over are now realizing the critical role played by forests, and especially forest canopies, in maintaining the diversity, resilience, and functioning of the ecosystems they inhabit.

In addition to providing habitat for birds, mammals and invertebrates, forests:

• Contribute over 50% of the biodiversity found in certain ecosystems

• Greatly enhance the capture and retention of nutrients from the atmosphere

• Strongly modify the climate and environment through diversion of wind currents, filtering of light, and conversion of gases

• Provide renewable resources such as lumber, paper and medicinal products

• Contribute to the aesthetics and beauty of our environment, and create havens for personal and spiritual renewal.

• Offer a vast and largely unexplored resource full of discoveries

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	NEW PERSPECTIVES ON FORESTS
Until recently, only kids climbed  trees.
Until recently, forests were mainly appreciated for their timber.

EDUCATION:
The Evergreen Canopy Walkway will benefit not only the students, staff, and faculty at The Evergreen State College, but will also serve as an educational resource for K-12 schools and community groups. By maintaining public access and visitation opportunities, as well as creating avenues via information technology for "virtual" access, The Evergreen Canopy Walkway will promote active teaching and learning about the forest. An important message we will impart through this facility is that all forests, not just pristine wilderness areas, make significant contributions to the health and well-being of our planet.

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RESEARCH:
The forest research community views the project as a means to enhance its ability to conduct long-term research on parts of the forest ecosystem which have traditionally been very difficult to access. Collaboration with the small but growing network of field stations and colleges with access facilities will ensure a growing body of knowledge in this critical field.

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CONSERVATION:
The solid research conducted at The Evergreen Canopy Walkway will provide compelling reasons backed by scientific data to encourage conservation of our forests, and will also provide new insights on how best to establish and accomplish conservation goals. By allowing us to re-experience the forest with fresh perspectives derived from canopy and below-ground access, The Evergreen Canopy Walkway offers the potential to change attitudes and inspire stewardship of the forest and other aspects of the natural world.

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COLLABORATION:
Early planning efforts for The Evergreen Canopy Walkway have already resulted in thoughtful dialogue among individuals representing a diverse range of forest interests. Representatives from youth groups, environmental advocacy groups, senior citizen organizations, the forest industry, government agencies, public schools and libraries, as well as Evergreen faculty and students, have voiced enthusiastic support in initial planning discussions about The Evergreen Canopy Walkway. Visions include public participation in faculty-led research projects, new interdisciplinary academic programming inspired by the facility, and student-led outreach projects that both teach, and learn from, the local community about the forest. Structural engineer Carroll Vogel has designed models of the walkway. His firm, Sahale, LLC, is located in Seattle, WA. For more information, visit www.sahale.com.

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For more information, contact co-convenors Peter Anderson (peterand@hawaii.edu) or Nalini Nadkarni (nadkarnn@evergreen.edu)

Click here for the Meeting Report.

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVOLVEMENT:
Planning for the proposed Evergreen Canopy Walkway is on-going. We are currently seeking funds to support a planning effort to determine the key audiences and primary uses of the facility, conduct feasibility studies to determine design and cost factors associated with construction and maintenance of the facility, and analyze current and potential funding resources for project implementation. If successful, these efforts would lead to construction occurring early in the new millennium.

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We welcome your interest, input, and questions.
For more information, please contact Faculty Member/ Project Director Nalini Nadkarni, Ph.D. (360) 866-6000 ext. 6621 or email at nadkarnn@evergreen.edu

The Evergreen State College is a national leader in innovative, multi-disciplinary education.  Situated on 1000 forested acres at the tip of South Puget Sound, the College offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts and sciences, and graduate degrees in teaching, environmental studies, and public administration.  The College was established by the Washington State Legislature in 1967, and serves 4000 students annually.

Initial Feasibility Study

Walkway Images

Links

Participants List