Celebrating our Supporters - Appreciation & Awards Dinner 2026

photo courtesy of Birds Connect Seattle Staff

Our 2026 Appreciation and Awards Dinner was an evening filled with celebration, connection, and reflection. Together, we looked back on another year of community building and celebrated the many people whose time, passion, and dedication help make Birds Connect Seattle the vibrant community it is today.

From recognizing outstanding volunteers to celebrating Rare Bird milestones and honoring our Legacy Circle donors, the evening was a wonderful opportunity to recognize the people who make our work possible. Take a look at this year’s Volunteer Award recipients, Rare Bird milestone honorees, and Legacy Circle donors.

photo courtesy of Birds Connect Seattle Staff

Volunteer Award Recipients

The programs, classes, and experiences that make Birds Connect Seattle such a vibrant community are made possible by the dedication of our incredible volunteers. Thank you for celebrating with us and helping us recognize a few of the many volunteers whose time, passion, and hard work make such a meaningful impact.

Education Award: Recognizes an individual in the greater Seattle community whose work inspires students of all ages to love, respect, and protect nature.

Winner: Elaine Chuang

We are incredibly grateful for Elaine’s enthusiasm, knowledge, and welcoming spirit that she brings to every Neighborhood Bird Outing and Neighborhood Bird Project survey. As both an outing leader and dedicated community science volunteer, Elaine generously shares her expertise while making everyone feel included and encouraged. Her long-time service, passion for the community, and commitment to helping others connect with birds and nature make her an invaluable part of our team.

Science Award: Honors an individual in the greater Seattle community who has made a significant contribution to our knowledge of the birds and wildlife that habitat of our region, through publications or other means of disseminating scientific information.

Winner: Matt Bartels

For decades, Matt served as the compiler of our annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data for many years. (So many years that I have no number to share with you.) CBC data compiling is no easy task, as his work included taking over 35 different data sets from over 300 volunteers, checking for redundancies, strange bird sightings, and more. Matt is a great source of information and support for staff, thanks to his deep knowledge of this science project. This last year was his final season as compiler and we’re excited for him to be able to enjoy his holiday season without bird data hanging over his head.

Birds Connect Seattle Award: Celebrating individuals within the Birds Connect Seattle community who have provided exceptional dedication and service to the organization

Winners: Mike Seamens and Shirli Axelrod

Mike Seamans and Shirli Axelrod have dedicated countless hours to our member lending library over the years, first getting involved in our previous space at the Nature Shop and more recently helping lead the transition to our new, more streamlined library. Last year, they spent many months carefully reviewing the books we had collected over the years and curating a thoughtful collection of field guides and resources for Birds Connect Seattle members to enjoy. We are so grateful to have Mike and Shirli as part of our community and deeply appreciate all of the time, care, and dedication they have shared with us over the years.

Exemplary Service Award: Honors a volunteer who has gone above and beyond with their service and dedication through their volunteerism.

Winner: Jordan Juranek

Jordan joined the NextGen Council in January of 2025, and in less than two short years, has become one of the most active members of the group. Jordan has led or organized no less than 30 different events for Birds Connect Seattle. She revived our Wingspan Game nights which are hosted every other month, she started periodic craft nights, and has led at least 20 different outings and field trips from Edmonds to Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. (This is probably an undercount.) She is a regular supporter of other NextGen led events, always jumping up to help when a fellow NextGen-er asks for assistance and supplying me with a steady stream of very interesting trivia questions. Not only is Jordan doing a lot, but she is also incredibly warm and welcoming to all those who attend her events. She makes sure to check in with everyone and ensure that they have all the information they need to have to have fun and stay safe. She is also an amazing cheerleader for all of Birds Connect Seattle’s conservation initiatives, making sure to weave in information on ways folks can get more involved in BCS in the future.

photo courtesy of Birds Connect Seattle Staff

Rare Bird Milestones

Rare Birds refers to our members of 20+ years. We are grateful for the nearly 300 loyal members have stood with us for decades, providing unwavering generosity and commitment to our mission year after year.

At this year’s celebration we got to recognize a few members celebrating special milestones of membership:

Celebrating 20 years and joining the Rare Birds group: Cynthia Putnam and Mark Groudine

Celebrating 35 years: Elaine Chuang

Celebrating the 45 years: Harvey Sadis and Harriett Cody

Legacy Circle Donors

Nearly 100 members of our community have chosen to generously include Birds Connect Seattle in their will or estate plans. We are grateful to these Legacy Circle members for trusting us to continue protecting birds and habitat for generations to come.

This year, we were especially honored to receive bequests from several longtime members that were honored at our Appreciation and Awards Dinner: Jane Hedberg, Al Ferkovich, and Joan Lasersohn.