Every May 18, I spend time remembering the eruption of Mt. St. Helens that day in 1980. But this year I had the opportunity to commemorate the 38th anniversary of the eruption by hiking the Hummocks Trail in the blast zone on the mountain’s north face with Pacific Northwest Research Station ecologist Charlie Crisafulli. Today we'll hear that interview recorded live from the blast zone of Mt. St. Helens, as we walk through a myriad of microclimates and micro-ecosystems resonating with the power of resilience and rebirth, an amazing landscape that supports some of the most intense bio-diversity in the world.
Charlie Crisafulli is a research ecologist who’s been conducting work at Mount St. Helens since July 1980, just weeks after the catastrophic May 18, 1980, eruption. He leads studies that are providing insights into the initial and long-term responses of ecosystems to large, infrequent disturbance. His studies explore the ecology of the volcano’s small mammals, birds, amphibians, insects, and plants. His other research interests include the role of exotic species in montane lakes and the ecology of rare endemic salamanders.
- KBOO