Joshua Morris Promoted to Conservation Director at Birds Connect Seattle

Joshua Morris leads a Bird and Advocacy Outing at Magnuson Park | Sarah Hankins

On April 3, 2025, Birds Connect Seattle celebrated the advancement of Joshua Morris as its new Conservation Director.

For the past six years, Josh has served as Birds Connect Seattle’s Urban Conservation Manager. In that role, he initiated the organization’s Bird-Safe Cities campaign and launched the Seattle Bird Collision Monitoring Project; created the Nature of Your Neighborhood series and website to connect communities with urban nature; guided Seattle’s Urban Forestry Commission through a period of significant policy reform; and successfully advocated for Seattle Parks and Recreation to update its integrated pest management policy to restrict the use of toxic rodenticides harmful to birds and other wildlife.

Josh brings deep experience in conservation science, environmental policy, and political advocacy to this expanded leadership role. He is honored by the opportunity and looks forward to working with the amazing Birds Connect Seattle community to grow the organization’s conservation program. When asked about his long-term vision, he said:

Before joining Birds Connect Seattle, Josh worked as a project scientist with The Nature Conservancy in California, assessing the vulnerability of coastal habitats to sea level rise. His entree into birding happened unexpectedly during a visit to the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum. A large, brown bird with a long, curved bill leapt out of a bush. Back at home, he pawed through an old Sibley’s Field Guide and identified it as a California Thrasher. Spark!

Josh holds bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and neurobiology from the University of Washington, a master’s in international environmental policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and a certificate in applied quantitative ecology from the Center for Wildlife Studies. He is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Cameroon, 2011–2013) and lives in Seattle’s Madison Valley neighborhood with his partner, also a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Togo, 2012–2014), and their indoor cat, Neo.