Fort Vancouver National Historic Site presents a special program about Mount St. Helens After the Eruption, Fort Vancouver Visitor Center Theater. This presentation will be given by Fort Vancouver volunteer Alex Lennox and will explore what happened after the transformative 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

While the eruption itself dramatically changed the region in a single day, the story of what followed is equally compelling. This program examines how the blast reshaped forests, rivers, and wildlife habitat across the surrounding landscape and how nearby communities experienced and responded to the event in the days, months, and years that followed.

Through an engaging discussion, visitors will explore the long-term environmental and human impacts of the eruption and learn how scientists, land managers, and local communities have observed the remarkable recovery and renewal of the landscape over the decades since the eruption. The program highlights themes of change, resilience, and adaptation, offering a deeper understanding of how people and nature respond to dramatic environmental events.

No registration required.

[Photo source: Another 1960s color morning photo taken on calm Spirit Lake showing the incredible Mount St. Helens with its glaciers, snow which lasts well into the summer and the heavily forested Hemlocks on what would become Harry's Ridge after May 18, 1980. MSHB1980}