This year marked the 25th anniversary of the Volcano Conference, held annually in February at Washington’s Pack Forest. This unique conference marries bioorganic chemistry research with nature, bringing together more than 100 professors, students and postdocs from the Pacific Northwest. Since its inception in 1991, professors Stephen Withers, FCIC, of the University of British Columbia and Michael Gelb of the University of Washington have watched their conference — born of a discussion at a Canadian Chemistry Conference in Victoria — grow and evolve with each passing year. The silver anniversary conference featured keynote speaker Jim Wells of the University of California at San Francisco, an afternoon of cross country skiing, snowboarding and sledding at Mount Rainier National Park, followed by a closing night bonfire celebration.