NextGen Members

Brett has been a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest and has been in Ballard for the last 11 years. After a brief, yet life altering, experience with a Rufous Hummingbird on a spring day about 10 years ago he quickly became more interested in the comings and goings of our feathered friends. As a person that thrives on building and existing in community, he began searching for the community of birds, finding Birds Connect Seattle in 2021.He has found joy in showing people the special aspects of birds that are right under their noses. Through these experiences he has seen firsthand the importance of conservation.  At the beginning of 2022, he joined the NextGen Council and that’s when community building really took off. Between leading Neighborhood Bird Outings, helping to plan Beers for Birds trivia nights, and anything else BCS wanted him to do, Brett quickly found his place in the loving, growing, and joy-bringing community of Birds Connect Seattle. 

Denning was born in Seattle and has always called the Pacific Northwest home. As a very young child, Denning was fascinated with dinosaurs and was mesmerized to discover that there were many living right in their backyard. Denning’s budding interest in birds was nurtured by their grandmother, who lived in Portland at the time and took Denning on many memorable trips to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Denning went on to study Psychology at Washington State University and now works in Pediatric Psych at Seattle Children’s Hospital. They began participating in Birds Connect Seattle’s outings and events after moving back to the Seattle area and quickly found a home in the local birding community. While participating in this community and hearing the stories of birders from many walks of life, it became clear to them how many aspects of mental health, including mindfulness, mastery, and connection with the natural world, are exemplified in the art of birding. These days, Denning loves teaching and sharing about birds to anyone who wants to listen, and has begun to dive into the world of wildlife photography as well. When not birding, Denning enjoys running, playing on a local soccer team, reading, and spending time with their pet animal friends.

Casey grew up in the pacific northwest and has been on the eastside for about 6 years. While on a walk at the arboretum, she realized that she didn’t know any of the birds around her, and successfully identified her first bird with the help of a birding guide book, the American Robin! From there birds became an obsession, and she decided to go back to school to study conservation to help birds. Casey found Birds Connect Seattle while trying to befriend fellow birders, and focuses a lot on building community, especially for the LGBTQIA+ community which she is very proud to be a part of. Casey’s favorite part of birding is how birds are everywhere, you can be in a parking lot in the city, out in the mountains, or even on your porch at home and find so many cute and fascinating birds! When not birding, she is often found cuddling at home with her senior cat Luna, and playing some PC games or board games with friends.

Molly is from Oakland, CA, but lived in Santa Cruz and Sacramento (briefly) before moving to Seattle in 2023. Trips to Lake Merritt (the nation’s first official wildlife refuge!) as a child inspired their appreciation of birds, but their passion crystallized while taking courses in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz. While no scientist, they’ve performed bird surveys of various kinds (point counts, raptor surveys, bird banding) in lots of different habitats (Ponderosa forests and coastal steppe of CA, montane forests of WA), and are currently pursuing a career in science journalism and conservation communications. To Molly, birds represent all the best ways nature brings people together, and they are stoked to be part of that connection with the NextGen Council. Come find them on Seattle’s trails, in a kayak, at the movies or seeing a show!

Born in Taiwan and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ian moved to Seattle to pursue a PhD in Bioengineering at UW. Although his current research mainly involves human cell biology, Ian’s interest in science stems from elementary school field trips to the local wetlands and watching the Planet Earth documentaries. He recently got into birdwatching in the late summer of 2022 after seeing people with binoculars at the Union Bay Natural Area while he was kayaking. Now, Ian is always eager to learn more about birds and meet other birders. When he’s not working in the lab or birding, Ian enjoys cooking in his new wok, commuting by bike, and taking photos/making videos.

Jordan’s interest in birds was sparked several years ago during a family trip to Yellowstone National Park, where she was captivated by Yellow-Headed Blackbirds and Sandhill Cranes when seen through binoculars. At the encouragement of her mom, who was already a birder, these were the first birds added to her “Life List” on the Merlin Bird ID app, and she had to find more! This interest in birding continued to grow back home in Seattle, WA, where she started regularly attending BCS Neighborhood Birding Outings at Union Bay Natural Area, and learned of the NextGen Council and found a community to bird with. Jordan’s favorite part of being on the NextGen Council is the opportunity to introduce new people to the joy of birding. When not looking at birds, Jordan works as a Clinical Research Nurse, and enjoys cycling, hosting book clubs, and playing tennis. 

orn and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Emi has called Seattle home for the past decade. Her love of birds began in childhood, watching backyard feeders with her mom—an early fascination that grew into a passion for bird identification, the thrill of spotting new species, and eventually, a near-constant search for birds wherever she goes. What she loves most about birding is its everyday magic—our feathered friends can appear anytime, anywhere.

It was only somewhat recently that Emi began looking for a sense of community around her love of birds—and BCS turned out to be the perfect place. Over the past three years, she has been an active volunteer, contributing to the Neighborhood Bird Project, Climate Watch, and most recently, serving on the Next Gen Council.

Outside of birding, Emi works as a Clinical Research Coordinator and enjoys crafting, rollerblading, and experimenting in the kitchen.

Anthony has lived in the Pacific Northwest all his life. His interest in birding began while feeding a small group of hummingbirds over the last few years, and he has been an avid birdwatcher since. He enjoys learning more each day about the local birds and wildlife, and is working on improving his photography skills with the birds he sees on his bird outings.

Pedro grew up in Idaho, but was born in Puerto Rico. Before settling in Seattle, he lived in Berkeley, Boulder, Santa Monica, College Park, and Zurich while earning undergraduate and PhD degrees in computer science. He has always loved skiing, rock climbing, hiking, camping, and being in the outdoors. After accidentally falling in love with nature photography, bird photography eventually led him to birding. When not outside, he enjoys playing violin and board games.

Originally from southern Louisiana, Morgan earned a degree in conservation biology and a minor in oceanography from Louisiana State University before moving up to the Pacific Northwest. Although her childhood was spent tromping in the swamp with her younger siblings, her true ornithological obsession blossomed after spending a weekend on the coastal marshes banding birds and constructing wood duck boxes for a wildlife management class in college. Morgan is pursuing a career in environmental education, having been a naturalist for the BCS Nature Camp, a nature shop associate, and currently an urban programs educator at Brightwater Treatment Center in Woodinville. She has room in her heart for all birds, but a species that always puts a smile on her face are yellow-rumped warblers – also known as butter butts!

A Seattle native, Kanupria fell in love with birds while witnessing a family of swans in Providence, RI a few years ago. An outdoors enthusiast, she found Birds Connect Seattle while searching for local birding groups. She is a yoga teacher and finds birding to be undeniably mindful — a science that leads with the art of listening. Through NextGen Council, Kanupria hopes to bring birding and a love of the outdoors to young and diverse audiences.

Emily is a recent transplant to the Seattle area, moving to attend an ecology graduate program at the University of Washington. Her interest in birding began when she ID’ed a gray catbird on her undergraduate campus. She is passionate about conservation, science communication, and community engagement. With the council, Emily hopes to share her love of ornithology with her new home. When not birding, you can find Emily lifting at the gym, cooking, or knitting.

Born and raised in Japan, Gina has spent over a decade in Seattle, transitioning from a city girl to someone learning to savor the outdoors. Her recent love for birdwatching since the summer of 2022 encouraged her to start being more mindful of what birds are around in her everyday life. Gina hopes to encourage mindfulness and share with folks how great it is to connect with the natural world! Her favorite bird is the Cedar Waxwing (the first bird she spotted with her binoculars).

Jules (she/her) grew up in Pennsylvania in a small house with large windows, watching birds dance through her mother’s garden. After moving to Colorado then New Hampshire then New York, she is now in Seattle, where she birds with her friends at the Washington Park Arboretum and Discovery Park, among other places. She is currently in graduate school with Johns Hopkins studying to become a science writer. Her dream is to publish with Orion Magazine, and her favorite birds are the Great Blue Heron, Tufted Titmouse, and the Black-capped Chickadee because they remind her of home no matter where she is.

Jen was born and raised in Seattle, where she grew up exploring and observing the natural world with her childhood dog. Along the way, she developed a strong fascination and deep empathy for all animals. Her interest in birding specifically began after she completed the Applied Animal Behavior program at UW in 2019. The program fueled her passion for humane and ethical treatment of animals, conservation, and making nature inclusive to all. She is committed to practicing thoughtful stewardship of the land and fostering compassionate, humane relationships between humans and other living creatures. In her spare time, she loves gardening, running, reading books on ethology and psychology, hiking, and feeding her backyard crows.

Suzannah’s admiration of birds began in her youth when, with binoculars in hand, she was delighted to discover that the “little brown birds” in her backyard were not a single species, but instead a great multitude of them. She brought her passion for wildlife with her to the University of Washington where she graduated with a degree in Biology, and works towards protecting birds and other organisms through education. She believes in and strives toward a world where all organisms – feather, fur, scales, of all shapes and colors, are respected and diversity is celebrated. With the council, she works to ensure individuals of all backgrounds have access to inclusive programming, with a focus on introducing and welcoming a broader audience to the wonder and delight of birding.