Bartering with Bears: A Lecture by Dr. Bretwood Higman

Bartering with Bears: A Lecture by Dr. Bretwood Higman

Friday, February 28 | 5pm | Free, suggested donation of $5

Bartering with Bears: Can society use science to prepare for climate disasters?

Climate change in Alaska is exacerbating natural hazards like wildfire, coastal erosion, flooding, and landslides. Hig (Bretwood Higman) has been studying large landslides in areas of Alaska where glacial retreat and permafrost thaw are destabilizing mountain slopes. As Alaska warms, landslides like this could generate devastating tsunamis or sever economically critical roads, railways, and pipelines. Scientific efforts are largely focused on gaps in our understanding: How can we detect signs that a slowly creeping slope is about to fail? How does permafrost contribute to the strength of mountains? However, what we do in order to use the things scientists learn is just as important as the science itself. A generation from now, will hindsight show we figured it out?

Dr. Bretwood ‘Hig’ Higman is a geologist who lives in Seldovia, and has spent his career studying tsunamis, earthquakes, and landslides. He received his PhD in geology from the University of Washington, Seattle, and is currently focused on studying landslides linked to climate change, including some that could generate dangerous tsunamis. He also helps organize Arctic T-SLIP, a group of scientists and community members seeking to mitigate the impacts of landslides resulting from climate change. In addition to natural hazards, Hig has a passion for wilderness adventure, collaboration between stakeholder communities and scientists, trail building, natural resource policy, science communication, and chainsaw milling.

This lecture is supported by The Homer Foundation.

CONTACT: Maghan Monnig, Curator of Education & Public Programs, education@prattmuseum.org