Staff

Bianca stumbled upon the power of community science while leading wolf howling surveys in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho, where she discovered that involving local people in data collection is one of the most authentic ways of creating community while caring for nature. After graduating from Stanford University, Bianca worked as a conservation biologist and science educator in spectacular places including Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and Monterey Bay. She returned to her childhood community of Vashon to raise her family and finish her PhD in Ecology at the University of Washington before founding Vashon Nature Center.

Maria has a passion for place-based education and enjoys connecting people to the nature that surrounds them. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Education from Huxley College at Western Washington University. For more than 20 years, Maria has taught community members and school students in the classroom and in field settings. As a lifelong resident of the Salish Sea, she enjoys peddling, paddling, and getting lost off trail as she tracks down her latest nature discovery.

Alex grew up on the East Coast and discovered the joys of exploring the intertidal zone during summers in coastal Maine. He first experienced the West Coast as a teenager on a family bicycling/camping trip in Southeast Alaska, and later as a deckhand on a commercial salmon troller out of Pelican, Alaska. His studies at Grinnell College in Iowa didn’t provide many marine opportunities, but he made up for it later in life by taking courses at UW’s Friday Harbor Labs and earning a Graduate Certificate in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Oregon State. Along with getting outdoors for field research, Alex enjoys playing Ultimate, baking and eating wood-fired pizzas and hiking the island’s trails with his family.

Originally from Chicago, Santiago moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2019 to attend Seattle University and pursue his dream of becoming a marine biologist. After graduating in 2023, he joined the Vashon Nature Center that fall. Soon after, his journey took him abroad, where he spent a year traveling through South America and working as a naturalist guide in remote coastal Alaska. Now back from his adventure, Santiago is excited to return and rejoin the VNC team and continue connecting people with the natural world. In his free time, Santiago enjoys boxing, snowboarding, camping, and surfing around Washington, and is happiest when exploring the outdoors that he works to help others appreciate and protect.

Adria Magrath is an island biologist and naturalist. After earning her Master’s in Pathology at UW and tenure as a biology professor at Shoreline, she now spends her time on Vashon with her family and serving the Vashon community in various roles. She happily works for the Vashon Nature Center as steward of Heron Meadow and occasional environmental educator. She is also a gardener and instructor at the Vashon Center for the Arts, volunteers with the Vashon Bird Alliance, and runs a small contractor business doing land care and habitat restoration.

Sumi grew up on a farm in the South Fork Valley in Whatcom County along the Nooksack River. She spent untold hours of her childhood learning bird songs and which native plants she could snack on while exploring the woods. After high school she traveled to Washington DC to attend George Washington University where she planned to study political science, but discovered a passion for  rocks and geology instead. Her studies strengthened her desire to work with youth and continue to discover the natural world. She also works at the Blue Heron and Vashon Center for the Arts where she teaches outdoor programs and supports theater productions.

Kelly brings her understanding of humans, science, and nature together in her role of SalmonWatch coordinator and as Vashon Nature Center’s main contact for emergency wildlife questions. She has a degree and professional background in health science. Kelly is a wildlife photographer and avid naturalist. In addition to coordinating SalmonWatch volunteers, she can be found setting up wildlife cameras, investigating animal tracks and signs, and supporting wild animal rescue transports.