Report of the Sixty-Sixth Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon, September 17-20, 2003

Abstract

Report of the Sixty-Sixth Annual Meeting Portland, Oregon September 17–20, 2003 Martha Works and Keith Hadley The 66th annual meeting of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers was held on the campus of Portland State University September 17-20, 2003. Over 280 participants enjoyed lively paper sessions; field trips to regional parks, glaciers, wineries, and the urban fringe; several opportunities to socialize with colleagues; some of Portland's lovely late summer weather; and the parklike setting of PSU's campus. After a day of remote sensing and professional development workshops, the formal meeting began with a reception on Wednesday evening and an opening session titled "Over, Under, and Spaced Out: Scale and Environmental Research at Oregon's Universities." The session featured introductory remarks by Teresa Bulman (President of APCG), Richard Jarvis (geographer and Chancellor of the Oregon University System), and Doug Richardson (Executive Director of the Association of American Geographers), followed by presentations by geographers from Oregon's three largest universities. Andrew Marcus of University of Oregon presented "Remote Sensing of Riparian Systems: Research Opportunities, Ethical Quandaries, and Potential Roles for Geographers," Dawn Wright of Oregon State University discussed her research in a paper titled "Getting to the Bottom of It: Issues of Scale and Environmental Change Under the Sea,"and Keith Hadley of Portland State University spoke on "Scale and Complexity in Forest Landscapes: Three Challenges for Geographers." Thursday's field trips took nearly 110 people on journeys around the northern Willamette Valley, Mt. Hood, and the Columbia Gorge. All field trip leaders were PSU Geography faculty except as noted. Keith Hadley and Karl Lillquist (Central Washington University-Geography) led a trip focusing on geomorphology and biogeography to Elliot Glacier on the slopes of Mt. Hood. Heejun Chang escorted a group on an excursion to University of Washington's forest canopy research center that included an opportunity to take a canopy crane to the top of an old-growth forest. Dan Johnson and Bill Lang (PSU-History) took participants on the trail of Lewis and Clark as they [End Page 151] made their way west, then east, on their trip through the Columbia River Gorge. Joe Poracsky, Ralph Rogers (EPA), and Jim Sjulin (Portland Parks and Recreation) showed off Portland's nationally renowned system of urban parks. Tom Harvey took 40 people on a tour of several New Urbanist developments in the Portland metropolitan area, and Greg Jones (Southern Oregon University -Geography) led a trip to some of Oregon's wineries, including one of the state's most highly capitalized ventures and an organic winery. A Thursday evening meal was held at Portland's Natural Capital Center, a 19th century warehouse renovated using environ- mentally innovative techniques such as extensive use of recycled materials and certified wood, an ecoroof, and onsite stormwater recycling. Tenants (such as a bank focused on socially and environ- mentally sensitive investing; restaurants supporting local sustainable agriculture; the conservation agency Ecotrust; and other local non-profits) support a conservation economy. Participants enjoyed a rooftop terrace and sunset over the Pearl District, a gentrifying warehouse area in Northwest Portland. 100 papers were presented in 24 sessions on Friday and Saturday. Topics ranged from climate variation and atmospheric modeling to symbolic and imaginary cultural landscapes with lots of fascinating presentations across the range of geographic inquiry. A poster session on Friday afternoon included 12 additional presentations for people to peruse during a reception in PSU's Multicultural Center. The President's Plenary session held Friday afternoon featured presentations by local scholars: Chet Orloff (Adjunct Professor, Urban Studies and Planning, PSU),"Landscaping Paradise: Olmsted in Portland";Carl Abbott (Professor of Urban Studies and Planning, PSU), "Urbanity and Environment in Portland's Sense of Place";and Judy Walton (Adjunct Professor, Geography Department, PSU), "Sustaining the Livable City: Portland at a Crossroads." Saturday night's awards banquet showcased a presentation by APCG President Teresa Bulman titled "The Joy of Geography." Teresa shared with us how personal interests can mesh nicely with professional goals as an appreciation of fine wines led to her Ph.D. [End Page 152] dissertation on water issues in California's Napa Valley and subsequent research. PSU students did a terrific job preparing...