Adventure briefs: State needs help looking for diseased elk

State seeks reports of elk with hoof disease

Hunters, anglers, campers, hikers and others planning to spend time in the Cascades this fall are asked to report any elk they encounter, especially if the animal walks with a limp.

The project is part of an effort by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to see how widespread is a bacterial hoof disease that has affected an increasing number elk in the lowland areas of southwest Washington.

Hoof disease in elk is infectious and can be spread among elk through exposure to the bacteria that is associated with the disease. The bacteria persist in soil, especially in wet, muddy conditions.

Brooke George, project coordinator, said the new reporting system is designed to build on information about where elk are seen in the Cascades and to see if the disease is found in new areas.

Those interested in contributing to the project can pick up maps, reporting forms and instructions about how to fill them out at National Forest Service offices, including Enumclaw and Randle, and visitor centers in the Cascades. Participants can also report observations at wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/hoof_disease.

Studying climate change in Alaska

Two Trout Unlimited members Wednesday will give a presentation on their work this summer in Alaska with youths through the Soul River program. John Hicks and Mathew Dahl will be the featured program at the meeting of the Olympia Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

In July, the Army veterans joined with youths and other veterans for an 80-mile float trip along the Ivishak River in Alaska. In addition to fly fishing, the group studied the impacts of climate change on the Ivishak valley on the north slope of the Brooks range.

Their slide program will illustrate the group’s travels and fishing the river above the Arctic Circle.

Hicks is a board member of the Olympia chapter and runs Sea Run Pursuits, a fly-fishing guide business. Dahl is a member of the Issaquah chapter of Trout Unlimited and a board member of Portland-based Soul River Inc.

Refreshments and a fishing equipment raffle will follow the presentation.

The program begins 7 p.m. at North Olympia Fire Station, 5046 Boston Harbor Road NE, Olympia.

Tahoma Audubon names executive director

Dr. Emily Kalnicky, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, has been hired as the new executive director of the Tahoma Audubon Society.

Kalnicky has been working as the director of science education and research at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh. Last year, she received the 2015 Pittsburgh Business Times Fast Tracker award for her accomplishments.

She has 15 years of experience in education, research and administration. Kalnicky received her bachelor’s of science in zoology, psychology and Spanish at the University of Wisconsin Madison. She earned her master’s degree in natural resources and environmental sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana. She earned her Ph.D. in ecology at Utah State.

Kalnicky replaces Krystal Kyer, who left to become watershed coordinator for Pierce County.

This story was originally published October 23, 2016 at 4:53 AM with the headline "Adventure briefs: State needs help looking for diseased elk."