On May 18, 1980, the world watched in awe as Mount St. Helens erupted, killing 57 people and causing hundreds of square miles of destruction.
NCW Libraries is partnering with Humanities Washington to offer the live virtual program After the Blast: Mount St. Helens 40 Years Later at 7 p.m. Jan. 25. Join writer and biologist Eric Wagner as he takes you on a journey through the Mt. St. Helens blast zone more than 40 years later.
To participate in this free public program, register HERE and receive an email with the Zoom meeting information.
Ecologists have spent decades studying life’s resilience in the face of seemingly total devastation. Through their work, the eruption of Mount St. Helens has become known as the greatest natural experiment in Pacific Northwest history. In his talk, Wagner will explore not only the surprising ways plants and animals survived the eruption, but also the complex roles that people have played in the recovery.
Wagner is a Seattle-based author whose published books include After the Blast: The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens. He holds a PhD in biology from the University of Washington.
Humanities Washington is a nonprofit organization in Washington state that was established by the National Endowment for the Humanities more than 40 years ago. It works with libraries, museums, colleges, historical societies and other nonprofit agencies to bring programs that foster community discussion.
NCW Libraries’ staff has curated a reading and viewing list to accompany the program if you’d like to learn more about the eruption of Mt. St. Helens and its impact on the Northwest. Here are a few of the titles:
English