Initial Publication Date: April 12, 2024 | Revision: January 15, 2026
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Annual Meetings

For over 20 years, the Pacific Northwest Section has been holding annual meetings and field trips that focus on regional geology, research done by area professionals, and teaching methods. Section meetings attract professional geologists, 2 and 4-year college faculty, and K-12 educators from across the Pacific Northwest.

2026 Meeting:

2026 Annual Meeting, June 21-23, 2026, Highline College, Des Moines, Washington

Host: Jacob Selander

The Pacific Northwest Section of the NAGT would like to welcome you to our 2026 Annual Meeting at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington, from June 21- 23, 2026. We invite participants from the Pacific Northwest and beyond for 3 days of presentations, short workshops, and field trips.

Our theme this year is Maintaining Science Literacy and Engagement in an Online and AI World, and we invite presentations in any format that cover how we are using modern pedagogy to engage and excite students across the geosciences. Do you have a fun, creative activity to share? Have you been doing research in your classes? New field ideas, or revised prior ones? A short workshop you would like to run or test out with other geoscience educators and students? Please use the Registration and Abstract Submission links below.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in June!

Meeting Schedule:

SUNDAY, June 21 (8am- 5pm): Conference day on the Highline Campus

  • $50 registration fee (includes light breakfast, lunch, coffee)
  • Virtual participation is available via Zoom. Please contact Jacob Selander for arrangements.

MONDAY, June 22 (8am- 7pm): Field Trip to Tahoma/ Mt. Rainier

  • $85 fee (includes transportation, light breakfast, lunch, park entrance)
  • Our tentative plan is to travel up the Osceola Lahar along the east side of Tahoma, ending up at Chinook Pass or the Sunrise Visitor Center (depending on road conditions). We will stop and visit an outcrop or 2 of the 5.6ka Osceola Lahar, and work through different eruptive, glacial, intrusive, and volcaniclastic units that tell the broader story of the history of Tahoma.
  • Note: This field trip may involve hiking distances of 1-2 miles on developed trails.

TUESDAY, June 22 (9am- 6pm): Urban Geology- Exploring Seattle's Geology

  • $60 fee (includes light rail cost, entrance to the Smith Tower, "Beneath the Streets" Seattle tour.
  • We will hop on the light rail at the new Highline College station to head into Seattle to explore the urban geology around Pioneer Square. We will examine the history of Seattle regrades and sources of building stones used in historic buildings, and discover how the geology of the area impacted the development of the city and continues to have important impacts today.
  • We will break for lunch (on your own) in Pioneer Square, some of Seattle's best food options!

REGISTRATION:

Getting to Highline College:

Suggested Places to Stay:

These hotels are within a short walking distance of Link stations or <20 minute drive for easy commute to Highline College

Federal Way, all ~5-10 minute walk from the Federal Way Link station:

Most hotels near the Sea-Tac airport are a short walk from the Angle Lake or SEA/TAC Airport Link stations

Short (< 20 minutes) drive to Highline campus:

Numerous VRBO or AirBnB options available as well

 

Past Meeting:

2025 Annual Meeting, June 26-28, University of Oregon Concordia Northeast Campus, Portland, Oregon (hosted by Mount Hood Community College, University of Oregon)

Thank you to all those members who joined us in Portland Oregon and a huge thank you to the amazing team of organizers led by Daina Hardisty from Mount Hood Community College, and out partners in the CRESCENT program.

The summer 2025 conference was held in parallel to, and co-located with, the Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center (https://cascadiaquakes.org/) annual stakeholders meeting. The program of the 2024 stakeholders meeting is linked here. They had approximately 130 stakeholders come to their meeting from a wide range of backgrounds across academia, federal, state and local governments, communities and others involved in seismic hazard safety. Part of the mandate of CRESCENT is creating links with geoscience education and we are excited about the future collaborations that will come out of the meeting.

Participants has multiple interactions between the NAGT and CRESCENT conference participants, including a joint workshop on skills development, shared field trips and a shared reception and poster session.

 

Past Meetings:

2025 - PORTLAND, OR, hosted by Mount Hood Community College

2024 - YAKIMA, WA, hosted by Yakima Valley College

2023 - NEW WESTMINSTER, BC, hosted by Douglas College

2022 - PENDLETON, OR, hosted by Blue Mountain Community College

2021 - VIRTUAL MEETING

2020 - NO MEETING (COVID)

2019 - PENTICTON, BC, hosted by Okanagan College

2018 - GRESHAM, OR

2017 - CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT, ID

2016 - HELLS CANYON, ID

2015 - VICTORIA, BC

2014 - WENATCHEE, WA

2013 - COOS BAY, OR

2012 - SPOKANE, WA

2011 - MALHEUR FIELD STATION, OR

2010 - TWIN FALLS, ID

2009 - VANCOUVER, BC

2008 - YAKIMA, WA

2007 - PORTLAND, OR

2006 - BELLINGHAM,WA

2005 - COOS BAY, OR

2004 - WENATCHEE, WA

2003 - JUNEAU, AK

2002 - CORVALLIS, OR

2OO1 - BELLEVUE, WA

2000 - PORTLAND, OR

1999 - SPOKANE, WA

Interested in Hosting an Annual Meeting? 

Check out the guidelines for organizing a Section Conference (Acrobat (PDF) 93kB Dec15 04)

Contact the current section President