Zap! Pow! Remediators Unite: Environmental Science in a Comic Book

Aspect feels lucky to have a strong connection with Western Washington’s Huxley College of the Environment in Bellingham. Associate Scientist Kirsi Longley (Huxley College alumnus; featured on page 38 of the below comic!) and Principal Hydrogeologist Steve Germiat have guest lectured there over the years, talking the ins and outs of environmental remediation along with the day-to-day realities of being an environmental consultant. In fact, Steve Germiat presented to the class in March 2020, just a day before they stopped meeting on campus due to COVID-19 risks.

We wanted to turn the spotlight on this innovative and creative group taught by Professor Ruth Sofield. In just one example of creative communication, the students in the Science, Management, and Communication of Contaminated Sites (SMOCS) have taken their learning of environmental remediation and powered it into comic form. The comic is an innovative form of public outreach – and communicates the complexity of environmental cleanup to reach all audiences.

Given the recent COVID-19 public health recommendations, the class is now meeting exclusively online thus highlighting, even more, the importance of unique science storytelling that can reach many audiences even when not physically in the same location.

See the latest example of The Remediators here: https://issuu.com/ruth.sofield/docs/volumefive

James Packman Talks Interdisciplinary Skills and Water’s Role in Urban Environmental Planning to UW Class

Senior Hydrologist James Packman recently presented to “Planning as a Profession,” a senior-level urban planning class in the College of the Built Environment at the University of Washington. The nearly 30 students come from different majors and career trajectories—among them are future architects, landscape architects, city planners, urban designers, real estate professionals, construction managers, engineers, environmental scientists, and more.

James Packman, Senior Hydrologist

James’ presentation, entitled “Environmental Skills, Water Resources, and Urban Planning,” gave a holistic view of environmental considerations in urban planning—from the skills and interests that lead a person to the profession and the different disciplines working in the industry to the laws and regulations that drive project design, permitting, and building and examples of water-focused planning. His overarching message focused on interdisciplinary skills, and he gave examples of Aspect projects where collaboration between disciplines was vital to address the environmental elements.

For example, the Waypoint Park project along Bellingham’s shoreline incorporated coastal geology, hydrogeology, stormwater management, civil and geotechnical engineering, landscape architecture, habitat restoration ecology, and more to reclaim a contaminated former industrial site to an urban waterfront park.

View fullsize

Waypoint Park Before and After Construction
City of Bellingham’s Waypoint Park incorporated many environmental planning steps to turn a former industrial site into an urban waterfront park.

James also introduced the practical side of business consulting, or how people and firms pursue and win public work, and walked students through the Request for Qualifications / Request for Proposals process. His key message for being on winning teams is that it requires networking in and outside of one’s discipline and forging relationships with public agency staff to learn their needs.

He ended by going over a homework assignment about the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist process and its key role in urban planning projects. The homework reinforced the variety of environmental disciplines—geology, hydrology, archeology, botany, wildlife biology, engineering, and more—along with professional skills—technical reading comprehension, writing, project management, public speaking, quantitative analysis, and more—that are needed to complete the checklist.

James will present to a new set of students when he returns to the class in Spring Quarter 2019.

Waypoint Park Opens Just In Time For Summer

Over the past five years, we’ve seen the Bellingham Waterfront District transform from a contaminated industrial site to a striking new waterfront park. We’re proud to have had a hand in cleaning up the site and providing geotechnical and environmental consultation throughout the design, permitting, and construction of the project. This included providing geotechnical design recommendations for siting of the 400,000-pound industrial acid ball tank turned public art piece titled “Waypoint”.

Congratulations to the City of Bellingham on your beautiful park!

Read more about the history of the park, the status of the waterway, and what’s next for the adjacent properties in this great Bellingham Herald article.