A wireless sensor network comprises a plurality of nodes that communicate over wireless communication links. At least one of the plurality of nodes receives sensor data from a sensor. The wireless sensor network is queried by specifying a set of events of interest. For each event of interest included in the set of events of interest, a producer node included in the plurality of nodes identifies when that event of interest occurs and, when that event of interest occurs, transmits event data related to that event of interest to a consumer node included in the plurality of nodes. The wireless sensor network further comprises a data management stack that comprises a plurality of layers. The plurality of layers comprises an execution layer that executes on each producer node included in the plurality of nodes. For each event of interest included in the set of events of interest, the execution layer executing on the producer node for that event of interest identifies when that event of interest occurs.