Blog
Salmon Watchers Influence Restoration Efforts
Written by: Pawl Rowley, Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber This article, authored by reporter Paul Rowley, first appeared in the Beachcomber on Jan. 9, 2019. It is republished with the newspaper’s permission. Nature Center Director Bianca Perla made the...
Birdwatching Expert Shares Favorite Island Hot Spots
As the holidays approach and the light wanes, we’re thankful that there are always natural wonders to experience on these islands, no matter the season. We are also thankful to the knowledgeable naturalists among us who help us uncover our islands’ natural surprises...
Vashon Nature Center Welcomes First Board of Directors
By Kathryn True With its state nonprofit status completed, Vashon Nature Center is excited to welcome its first board of directors (national 501 c3 status is expected by October 2018). The board, VNC staff, and their families celebrated this milestone last month with...
First-Bird Trifecta
As a New Year’s tradition, some birders play a game known as “Bird of the Year,” where the first bird seen/heard in the new year becomes an omen or inspiration for the 12 months ahead. Some pledge to learn all they can about said bird, while others commit to simply...
Volunteer Power! Island Team Creates Model Program
Recent news of ailing orcas is stirring a sense of urgency around the health of our favorite whales and underscores their reliance on thriving salmon populations, which depend on the smaller and aptly named forage fish, like surf smelt and sand lance. For the past...
Living with Wildlife: Be Proactive, Be Prepared
This guide, developed in collaboration with island farmers and wildlife managers, is one resource available to download free from our website (see link below). We’ve received four reports of mountain lion sightings since early summer, but we have not been able...
Vashon Nature Center gains 501 c3 status!! And other things we’ve been up to….
Dear Vashon Nature Center community, We are THRILLED to announce our new 501 c3 federal non-profit status! We are official! And we are all doing a happy dance! Our mission statement: Creating transformative nature experiences through community science, research, and...
Bringing Back the Beach: How Island Bulkhead Removal Relates to Salmon Health
As I drove over the West Seattle Bridge last week, Mt. Rainier wore a bank of clouds like a mourning cloak. I had just learned that particulates from car tires washing into streams are likely responsible for mysterious Coho salmon die-offs around the Sound. As my...
High School Biology Students Will Share Field Science Experiences and Findings at ED Talks: June 4
By Kathryn True “This is your job?” a high school biology student asked incredulously, knee-deep in Shinglemill Creek, as she helped Maria Metler catalog juvenile salmonids. The awe and admiration she heard in the question made Metler smile, who as Vashon Nature...
Header Photo: Bianca Perla