Equity and conservation are among the many reasons I support Seattle Audubon
by Mary Bond
I first fell in love with birds and found my passion for conservation in the spring of 1982 working as a field biologist in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico monitoring Peregrine Falcon nests. The U.S. had recently made DDT illegal, as it had damaging impacts on wild birds. My team and I were there to look for signs that young Peregrines were successfully fledging. Sitting quietly in a bird blind for ten hours straight, I observed how the falcons interacted with each other and with nearby birds and mammals. This kind of close observation helped me develop a deep appreciation for the diversity and interconnectedness of the area’s birds and habitat.
My first experience with Seattle Audubon was in 2000, when my daughter’s third and fourth grade classes participated in Seattle Audubon’s Finding Urban Nature (FUN) program. She came home after each session full of stories, energy, and ideas. My son attended Nature Camp and eventually joined Bird Watch for teens (now Young Birders). Honing his observation and research skills, he soon became a better birder than I will ever be! Birding guided many of our family vacations and local outings – finding parks, forests, and wetlands near and far from which we could all observe our favorite species.
I, too, became involved in Seattle Audubon programs: first as a volunteer with Bird Watch, then collecting Puget Sound Seabird Survey data as a community science volunteer, and as Seattle Audubon’s Conservation Manager working to mobilize the community to protect the Marbled Murrelet. I now serve on the Board of Directors and the Equity and Justice Committee.
I am honored to help guide the long-term sustainability of the organization and believe our conservation efforts can and will have a lasting effect on birds, trees, parks, and people in our city.
As part of a queer family, I am committed to a Seattle Audubon that fully engages all of the diverse communities that make the Seattle area such a great place to live.
My spouse, André, and I are proud members of and donors to Seattle Audubon. We’ve seen first-hand how much Seattle Audubon can accomplish with limited resources and tremendous passion, but we also understand how much more we can do with the generosity and continued commitment of our community.
Mary Bond serves on the Seattle Audubon Board of Directors as the Board Secretary. She and her spouse, André, have been Members of Seattle Audubon since 2007.
Mary Bond celebrating the start of 2021 at Discovery Bay with an Ancient Murrelet sighting. Photo by André Wilson.
Peregrine Falcon | Steven Sachs | Audubon Photography Awards