About Us
The Vashon Bird Alliance is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that was founded in 1989. It encompasses two connected islands, Vashon and Maury. It was formerly called Vashon-Maury Island Audubon Society.
View our 2025 annual membership meeting report!
Our mission is to enjoy, learn about, and preserve birds and the diverse natural habitats of Vashon Island and beyond.
We’re currently focused on two priority areas: climate change and native plants for bird habitats.
Climate change is the biggest threat to birds because it is altering their habitats. In North America, 389 bird species face steep population declines—or extinction—because of rising temperatures. In King County, 66 species, including many that visit or live year-round on Vashon-Maury Island, are highly vulnerable to climate impacts.
Vashon Bird Alliance is advocating for legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, educating our community about actions we can take to counter climate change, and working on projects such as the Heritage Museum bird habitat garden and the Heron Meadow mural.
Native plants provide food and shelter for birds. They create a sanctuary for nesting and overwintering birds, as well as a place for migrating birds to recharge during their long journeys. Our chapter is promoting the use of native plants to create an environment that’s good for birds and people.
We also conduct these ongoing activities:
Christmas Bird Count—citizen science that helps us track the status of local bird populations
Bird walks—see the calendar page for upcoming trips
Free public presentations featuring expert speakers
Chautauqua fourth grade birding program—cultivating the next generation of birders for more than 25 years
Vashon High School scholarship—helping launch promising students
Board members
Steve Hunter, President
Karen Fevold, Vice President
Suzanne Romain, Treasurer
Laura Bienen, Secretary
Heidi Arnowitz, Membership
Jim Evans, Conservation
Jody Pritchard, Volunteers
Bob Keller, At-large
Tracy Wayman, At-large
John Idstrom, At-large
Hunter Davis, Bird of the month
Volunteer positions
Jen Steele, Climate Watch
Steve Hunter, Puget Sound Seabird Survey
Photographers featured:
Pileated woodpecker, Gary Anderson
Dark-eyed junco, Sherry Bottoms
Golden-crowned kinglet, Robert Metcalfe
California Scrub Jay, Marla Smith