March Nature Night
***In an effort to promote the health and safety of our community, we have CANCELED this event.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. We hope you’ll join us for Nature Nights in 2021!***
A Closer Look at Microplastics
The large majority of plastic pollution, which is found in oceans, rivers and streams, and on land, is comprised of tiny particles and fibers smaller than five millimeters in size. It breaks down from larger plastic debris and is even shed from our clothing. Many of these microplastics are so small that they cannot be seen without a microscope. Join Deschutes Land Trust and Dr. Susanne Brander of Oregon State University to explore the tiny world of microplastics, including how these minuscule particles are detected and their potential effects on the natural world. Susanne will also offer ideas about what we can do to stem the plastic tide.
*An ASL interpreter will be provided for this Nature Night.*
Dr. Susanne Brander has been faculty at Oregon State University since 2017, after moving from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington where she was faculty for 4 years. Brander’s research encompasses the fields of toxicology, endocrinology, and ecology; integrating molecular approaches with measurements at the organism and population level. Brander’s main focus is on the effects of stressors such as emerging pollutants, plastics, and changing climate on aquatic organisms, but her research and teaching also spans the links between ecological and human health. She has a Ph.D. in Toxicology and Pharmacology from UC Davis (2011), and an M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University (2005). Although Brander has worked in academia for the past six and a half years, following completion of an M.S. and prior to pursuing a Ph.D. she worked in industry as an Environmental Analyst and Project Scientist at Weston Solutions, Inc. She has also worked briefly in the nonprofit industry. Her research is currently funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Science Foundation. She has presented on plastic pollution to the legislature in Salem and on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.