Engaging Seattle Citizens in Ecologically Responsible Behavior

NAME: Annie Morton

LOCATION: Seattle, WA

ORGANIZATION: Seward Park Environmental and Audubon Center

Annie Morton wants visitors to the Seward Park Environmental and Audubon Center in Seattle, Washington, to leave knowing that the small changes they make as individuals can add up to large-scale, positive changes for the environment. Through her programs, she is helping visitors understand the science behind environmental issues and make informed decisions about their day-to-day actions.

Morton, a scientist by training, runs the Center’s Citizen Science program. That program helps people from all walks of life take part in scientific activities which inform conservation decisions. This role allows her to maintain a connection to the scientific community, learn about new and innovative field techniques and methods, and educate the community about important conservation issues and the science behind them.

For her TogetherGreen Conservation Fellowship, Morton will expand and enhance the Citizen Science program at the Seward Park Audubon Center. With her assistance, Seattle residents will be able to take part in a variety of projects, including native habitat restoration, urban coyote tracking, eagle DNA fingerprinting, water quality monitoring, plankton studies, seabird surveys, and bat population assessments. With help from its visitors, the Seward Park Environmental and Audubon Center hopes to learn enough about its surrounding habitats and ecosystems to protect them into the future.

One of the reasons Morton loves her job so much is the variety of people who visit the Audubon Center. Located in southeast Seattle, one of the most diverse areas of the city in terms of culture, ethnicity, and income, the Center attracts people from almost every background under the sun. Morton loves working with such a diversity of people, helping them understand the ecology of their urban environment and empowering them to play a role in helping preserve it.