President’s Letter: Reconnecting in New Ways
By Lori Danielson
Since the stay-at-home order began in March, Eastside Audubon leadership has focused on making decisions that will protect chapter members, volunteers, and the general public. This meant we had to press pause on much of the important work you contribute to school children, data science, and bird habitat. We’ve needed to repeatedly ask, “What activities do we need to cancel due to the pandemic?”
With new guidance from the governor’s office through the Safe Start Washington: A Phased Approach to Recovery plan, Eastside Audubon is ready to ask a new question—what activities can we safely offer that will carry out Eastside Audubon’s mission and reconnect our members to nature.
Just as things in nature evolve, Eastside Audubon is evolving too. Our committee meetings and board meetings have moved online to video conferencing and on June 25 we will be kicking off our very first online program night featuring a presentation by Lauren Kuehne on Olympic Peninsula.
We want to hear from you too regarding programming opportunities in the future. The chapter will be sending out a survey soon regarding online classes, program night topics, and more. I encourage you to share your thoughts on the kind of content you’d like to see and how we can best serve you in the coming months.
Despite the pandemic, I’m delighted to share some recent accomplishments with you. The Youth Education Committee awarded their annual scholarships to two deserving high school seniors who will study environmental issues in college starting this fall. Our Conservation Committee has continued their advocacy work and the NestWatch community science project. And we exceeded our fundraising goal during May’s GiveBIG campaign, raising more than $15,000.
Thank you so much for your continued support of our mission! Your contributions and volunteerism create a healthier and more sustainable community for birds, other wildlife and people every day.