Knute Berger

Mossback's Northwest

Host Knute Berger mines the Pacific Northwest's historical and cultural nuggets. Learn hidden backstories behind the region's most interesting treasures and discover why they're still relevant today.

When Palm Trees Thrived in the Pacific Northwest

A 12,000-year-old pine cone, a fossilized ginkgo leaf — Knute Berger dives into the Burke Museum’s paleobotany collection to find out what Washington use to look like and to contemplate which of the state’s former, and considerably warmer, climates would be the most suitable dwelling for a modern-day Mossback. These specimens might help scientists understand, and prepare for, climate change.