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2026 Program

Monday, March 2nd, 2026
TOURS
Space is Limited: Pre-Registration REQUIRED
1:30 -
3:00 PM
UW Power Plant Tour ▾
Participants will explore the inner workings of the UW Power Plant, including a behind-the-scenes look at its infrastructure and operations. Multiple stops will showcase:

*Boiler systems and their role in steam production
-5 Boilers – Large natural gas fired boilers with the ability to burn diesel oil when gas is not available.
-Persistence of strategy - centralized energy system since 1895.
-Age of infrastructure – Equipment ranging in age from 1948 to 2023. Our Energy Museum, where the tour starts, has a steam engine from the UW’s 1901 Powerhouse and the original Chief Engineers rolltop desk which dates from 1895.

*Efficiency upgrades that have significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions
-Maintaining large scale operations
-Decarbonization efforts and sustainability initiatives – A quick look into the future of the UW Power Plant and where our heat is going to come from.
-Operational insights into how the plant supports campus energy needs
-History of changes in the plant, which has grown tremendously since moving to its current location in 1908.

*Tunnel system - constructed for ease of maintenance and minimized disruption to campus
-Critical steam, chilled water, compressed air and electrical distribution systems

*Will include 4 - 6 planned and impromptu stops to discuss operations and machinery"
  • Tour Leader: David Woodson | Executive Director of Campus Energy, Utilities & Operations, University of Washington
2:00 -
4:00 PM
UW Grounds Management Campus Sustainability Initiatives ▾
Tour will include visiting regional stormwater management facility, salvage wood program partnership w/College of the Built Environment, Satellite Irrigation capstone project @ Rainier Vista, Heron Haven ecological restoration, etc.
  • Tour Leader: Howard Nakase | Manager of Program Operations, UW Facilities Maintenance & Construction
  • Tour Leader: Marlee Theil | IPM & Sustainability Coordinator, UW Facilities Maintenance & Construction
3:00 -
5:00 PM
UW Bothell/Cascadia College Campus Sustainability Tour ▾
Join us on a walking tour of the UW Bothell and Cascadia College campus, one of the leaders in campus sustainability. We make decisions based on what is best for the planet and its inhabitants. This is why we’ve been pesticide and synthetic fertilizer free since 2006, making our campus safe for pollinators, local wildlife, and humans. This tour will primarily cover the campus grounds (pollinator gardens, edible landscapes, restored wetlands, stormwater management, and more). UW Bothell and Cascadia College are certified with Salmon Safe, Bee Campus, National Wildlife Habitat, AASHE STARS, and Re:Wild.
3:00 -
5:00 PM
UW Campus Sustainability Fund Project Tour
3:00 -
5:00 PM
UW Green Buildings Showcase ▾
Join this tour showcasing two of the newest and most sustainable buildings on the UW campus. The Hans Rosling Population Health Building is certified LEED Platinum, and includes features such as rainwater collection, energy efficiency measures, improved accessibility throughout the site and design elements that promote human health. Founders Hall, part of the Foster School of Business complex, is the first fully mass timber building on the UW campus. In addition to the sustainability-sourced timber, it features daylighting with ample windows, drought-resistant landscaping and a natural cooling system of operable windows and ceiling fans that inhales and circulates evening air. You’ll get to learn more about the sustainability aspects of these buildings and how that integrates into the buildings’ daily use.
3:00 -
5:00 PM
Union Bay Natural Area, Natural and Cultural Tour ▾
Join us for a tour of the Union Bay Natural Area, adjacent to UW campus - the site of a Duwamish village, and after the lowering of Lake Washington, became a landfill. The landfill has in the past 25 years become a restoration site, and is now a thriving habitat for many species of birds. We will spend time bird watching (scopes and binoculars provided) and will discuss the cultural and ecological history of the site in some nuance.
  • Tour Leader: Tim Billo | Assistant Professor, University of Washington Environmental Studies
3:00 -
5:00 PM
The UW Farm: An On-Campus Tour ▾
We will tour some of the essential features of the UW Farm including the production areas, wash pack facility, world cultural kitchen, Wapato Pond and the First Nation's Garden. Participants will have the opportunity to speak with students and staff who help make our campus farm a reality.
3:00 -
5:00 PM
Restoring Water, Land, and Community at Washington Park Arboretum Walking Tour ▾
Join a guided tour of the Washington Park Arboretum (WPA) led by a team of experts: an Arboretum horticulturalist, the Associate Director of the UW Botanical Gardens and plant curator, and a landscape architect helping to guide current and future development.
Explore how powerful partnerships between public agencies are transforming the Arboretum into a thriving green oasis. Witness firsthand how green infrastructure is enhancing natural ecosystems, and uncover how the UW, the Arboretum Foundation and Seattle Parks and Recreation are turning bold, long-term visions into reality through smart, phased project planning
  • Tour Leader: Jason Henry | Principal, LEED AP, Berger Partnership
  • Tour Leader: Joanna Long | Manager of Horticulture, Washington Park Arboretum
  • Tour Leader: Raymond Larson | Associate Director and Curator, UW Botanical Garden
3:00 -
4:00 PM
Project Indoor Farm: Empowering Students to Participate Directly in Urban Food Systems ▾
Learn about Project Indoor Farm, UW’s student-run hydroponics farm! Located within Condon Hall, Project IF can grow over 250+ crops within roughly 280 sq ft! Come learn about how the farm is maintained and students find leadership opportunities within our organization!
  • Tour Leader: Linh Giakonoski | Events and Outreach Officer - Project Indoor Farm, University of Washington Seattle
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026
9:45 -
10:45 AM
Opening Plenary - Student Leadership ▾
Across the Pacific Northwest, student leaders are driving bold, creative solutions to the challenges of sustainability and equity. Guided by moderator Lisa Dulude (?), this intergenerational conversation brings together emerging and established leaders to explore how collaboration, mentorship, and shared purpose can shape a just and resilient future. Join us as students from regional colleges and universities share their experiences, insights, and vision for transforming higher education into a catalyst for climate and community solutions.
Wednesday, March 4th, 2026
10:00 AM
Authors Plenary - Perfectly Imperfect: Memory, Speculation, and Mindful Action ▾
Stories shape our understanding of past injustices, inform our present behaviors, and illuminate possible futures. Join us to hear from acclaimed authors who use narrative to confront both history and the present and whose words can help us chart paths toward embracing our perfect imperfection.

• Explore how speculative fiction and historical narrative deepen our understanding of human and ecological interdependence.
• Discuss how storytelling can resist and repair settler-colonial harms.
• Wrestle with questions of sustainability in an inherently imperfect world.
• Discover how memory and imagination can guide us toward a future we want to build.

Don’t miss this powerful conversation where ideas spark action!
11:00 -
11:30 AM
Author's Book Signing
  • Confirmed Authors: Amy Bowers Cordalis | Karen Walker | Johanna Stoberock | Laurie Frankel