Vashon Nature Center

The Vashon Nature Center Creates Transformative Nature Experiences through Community Science, Research, and Education to benefit our island home and the entire Salish Sea. 

Become Part of A World Awakened to the Wonders of Nature

CREATING NATURE CONNECTIONS IS WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT.  Last year, over 600 students and 400 volunteers participated in programs with Vashon Nature Center.  Community science monitoring projects engage local residents and island visitors in scientific research and environmental monitoring. Education programs are designed to help youth learn science through participation in these ongoing monitoring efforts. We partner with over 50 local, regional, and international organizations, agencies, and Tribes to align local research with larger efforts used to inform policy related to the conservation and management of marine resources in Puget Sound. 

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Latest Project Highlights

RAISING A WHALE FROM SEA TO SKY:  Vashon Nature Center's gray whale project is the latest example of how we strategically spur to action to take advantage of the unexpected gifts nature presents. In April 2024, a 40-foot adult male gray whale beached on a remote island shoreline. He had died of starvation at the end of an unusual mortality event for grey whales, something that is becoming less and less unusual with climate change in our oceans. Since then, over 50 volunteers have assisted in monitoring, recovering, and preserving his skeleton. 150 students used his bones to study scientific illustration and whale anatomy, and a single middle school student, Sophie Quinn Phillips, digitally scanned each of the 164 bones with equipment loaned by Pacific Research Labs. Currently, local artist, Ela Lamblin, is creating a one-of-a-kind sculpture that blends scientific accuracy with artist interpretation in a combination of real bones and metal work. Learn more and get involved by visiting https://vashonnaturecenter.org/adopt-a-bone/ 

Singer's skeleton takes shape as artist Ela Lamblin crafts his vision for the final sculpture's design and form. 

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CUTTING EDGE, NON-INVASIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING: The Vashon Nature Center is the southern-most research site in the international coastal observatory network. Environmental DNA (eDNA) research uses a processed sample of water (or, in other cases, air) to identify the diversity of species present at the time of sampling. Each month, Harbor School students collect samples from Quartermaster Harbor. This Spring we also began sampling in ten island creeks. On Vashon, we are particularly interested in learning about juvenile chinook use in our creeks. This research is paired with more traditional methods used by King County to be able to compare results.

VNC staff prepare the first island eDNA sample to be shipped off for processing.

Make a General Donation

Vashon Nature Center is a federally registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 82-5064648).

Checks can be made out to Vashon Nature Center and mailed to:

P.O. Box 2522 Vashon WA 98070