Remembering the Mount St. Helens Eruption: 40 Years Later
Date & Time
Thursday, May 21
6 PM
This event is in the past.
Tickets
FREE virtual event; Registration required
Donations appreciated and support the work of the museum while we’re closed
Location
40 years after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, the world is in another state of pause, one that forces us to think about something larger than ourselves.
The Burke will observe a week of remembrance, looking at different ways we can view what happened 40 years ago, but also reflect on what we have learned since.
From personal stories to scientific observations, the week will culminate in a live conversation, bringing together a community of voices to remember and think about this time.
Speakers & Participants
– Author Eric Wagner, in conversation with University of Washington professor Cynthia Chang, will talk about Wagner's new book, After the Blast: The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens (University of Washington Press).
– Polly Olson (Yakama), Burke Museum Tribal Liaison, will offer a Native perspective on the eruption and its influence on food gathering in the region.
– Jeff Bradley, Burke Mammalogy Collections Manager, will discuss his experience working in the area several years after the eruption, as well as what we have learned from specimens collected from the site.
– Burke staff, volunteers and members of the public share their memories of the event.
Mount St. Helens Coloring Page
Learn how the landscape and ecosystems around Mount St. Helens changes in the years after the eruption of 1980 with this coloring page from the Burke Education team.
