Grays Harbor College is pleased to host NWBIO 2010 from April 30 - May 2.

Conference Activity Schedule

Location (meetings and lodging):
Quinault Beach Resort and Casino (QBRC) 78 State Route 115 Ocean Shores, Washington, 98569.
Driving Directions

Rooms (either single or double occupancy) per night:
Ocean view $121.32 ($ 109 + 11.3%) Wetland-view $110.19 ($ 99 + 11.3%) 
Additional guests $20 each
Please use code 3515 for reserving rooms at The Quinault Beach Resort and Casino.

Registration
$120/person (includes meetings, materials, breakfast - box lunch - dinner on Saturday, breakfast Sunday).
Registration Form

Optional meal, not included in registration calculation:
Friday evening participants may choose an all-you-can-eat Land and Sea Buffet at QBRC. 
Feast on Fridays from 5 to 9 pm.
$19.95 per adult, $17.95 per senior(55 & older), $12.95 for children ages 12 and under.
The Land and Sea Buffet features slow-roasted prime rib carved fresh by the chef, salmon, shrimp on ice, fresh fruits & vegetables, chef's choice of fresh salads, plus an elaborate dessert display.
We will have a special space reserved for NWBIO participants. 

Speakers

Beaches Past and Present with Dr. Jim Phipps and Lou Messmer, Friday evening, April 31, 7:30 – 9:00 PM.

Emeritus Faculty of Grays Harbor College, Jim and Lou have a combined history of over 65 years of teaching in the areas of geology, oceanography, and biology at GHC.  Lou. Messmer is an expert on local plant ecology and a Lifetime Fellow of the Washington Native Plant Society.  Both have done extensive consulting on environmental issues in the western Washington area.  Lou is also a pioneer member of NWBIO and will share history of the organization.

Snake Oil Science: The “Evidence” for Alternative Medicine with Dr. Harriet Hall, MD., Saturday evening, May 1, 7:30 – 9 PM. 
Dr. Hall, also known as The SkepDoc, is a family physician and former Air Force flight surgeon who retired from the Air Force as a full Colonel. A Northwest native, she grew up in Seattle, attended the University of Washington, and now resides in Puyallup, Washington.  Since retiring, Dr. Hall has devoted her time to writing about critical thinking and medicine and to investigating the claims of alternative medicine. She is one of the editors of The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine and a contributing editor to both Skeptic and Skeptical Inquirer magazines. Dr. Hall is a founding member and editor of the multi-physician Science-Based Medicine blog, contributes to Quackwatch, has a column, The Health Inspector, in O, The Oprah Magazine and has recently been named a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI).

“Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are new names for old fringe medical treatments that are gaining in popularity. Their advocates have
realized that science matters, and they are trying to find scientific justification for things that were once accepted on the basis of testimonials and opinions. They are finding evidence, but that evidence is not always what it seems. Believe it or not, published studies are actually more likely to be wrong than right. Why? What can go wrong in research? How can we judge the quality of a study? When can we believe a study and when should we withhold judgment? What is "Tooth Fairy science"? What is the placebo effect? CAM clearly "works" but placebos "work" too - does CAM work better than placebo? Is all the research published to date compatible with the hypothesis that no CAM method is superior to placebo? And finally, if placebos "work" is there anything wrong with using them to get that effect?”

The Anti-Vaccine Movement: A Deadly Manufactroversy” with Dr. Harriet Hall, MD., Sunday morning, May 2, 9 – 10:15 AM. 
Although extensive research has found no connection between autism and vaccines, a recent survey of over 1500 parents suggests that 1 in 4 parents believe in the unproven link.  The Skep Doc will join us after breakfast to discuss the “manufactured controversy” that links autism to vaccines.  In a recent email, Dr. Hall wrote, “One woman told me there are no such things as microbes, that we are only seeing cellular debris produced by toxins. It’s bad enough having to fight the evolution deniers, but you can’t even debate the germ deniers because they are too out of touch with reality! It shows how badly we need biology teachers (or maybe psychiatrists?).”

Workshops/Presentations

We are still putting together the workshops/presentations for Saturday morning.  At this point, suggested topics include:

Hybrid A&P classes
Curriculum for the Bioregion for A&P, Microbiology
Global Ethnobotany course
Interdisciplinary, modular Environmental Science course
NSF funded ComGen project
Common Course Numbering 
Update on Big Ideas project

Call for Abstracts
If you would like to lead a Saturday morning presentation at NWBIO, please complete the attached form
and email to dcarter@ghc.edu by April 5, 2010.

We also plan “roundtables” for general biology, nutrition, anatomy/physiology, ocean/marine science, microbiology and natural resource instructors Sunday morning.

FRIDAY WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITY

Mariculture in our Coastal Zones examined through Ecological Science, Friday, April 30, Noon - 6pm, Instructors: Dr. Jennifer Ruesink and Dr. Alan Trimble, University of Washington http://www.coseepacificpartnerships.org/events/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowEvent&EventID=180

Field Trips

Birdwatching: The weekend of NWBIO is also the weekend of the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival.  It appears Saturday afternoon will include prime high tide viewing.  Participants should dress for rain.

Rainforest Ecology with Meriwether Lewis:  This trip to Lake Quinault and the adjacent rainforest will be lead by Capt. Meriwether Lewis of the Corps of Discovery.  In reality, the trip will be lead by Todd Bates, Forestry Instructor at Grays Harbor College and Forest Manager at the Satsop Development Park near Elma, Washington.  A graduate of the University of California, Todd is a forester with 15 years of field experience in Idaho and Southeast Washington. 
Todd’s current classroom (http://www.satsop.com/news.php?op=view&id=51) includes 1,300 acres of forest around the Satsop business park, originally the site of the proposed Satsop Nuclear Power Plants.  Last fall Todd captured the attention of his students, and much of the faculty, by dressing as Meriwether Lewis throughout the quarter.  Although the article cited above refers to Todd Bates “dressed in a Halloween costume” he takes seriously the authenticity of his Meriwether Lewis wardrobe. Participants should dress for rain.

Westport Whale Watching/Harbor Tour by Boat:  If the water is too choppy, this will likely become an upriver trip, but we hear there are some “resident whales” that still may be viewable.  This trip will cost an additional $35.  Participants should dress for rain.

Green Industry: We will visit two or three local industries that are committed to environmentally responsible manufacturing.  The trip include tours of 
Paneltech International, and Grays Harbor Paper (Mill).  We are also trying to arrange a visit with Imperium Renewables.

Clam Digging: Clam digging schedules for May won’t be posted by Fish and Wildlife until mid-April.  

On your own:

Ocean Shores Interpretive Center: Contrary to rumor, this impressive center is still open as of early March.  Admission is free. 

Seabrook: About a half-hour coastal drive north of Ocean Shores, this newly created “beach town” promotes green building, sustainability, energy efficiency and preservation of the natural environment.  It’s pretty, interesting, and if you have several hundred thousand dollars to invest, you might find your dream cottage here. While you are in the area, visit the Museum of the North Beach at Moclips.

Contacts

Feel free to contact us for more information, to suggest topics for meetings, or to host meetings. 
To get faster attention, please use NWBIO in the subject line of your email. 

Diane Carter dcarter@ghc.edu
Mohammad Ibrahim mibrahim@ghc.edu
Biology Staph
Grays Harbor College, Aberdeen, WA