Vashon nature center's (VNC) mission is to provide transformational nature experiences through community science, research, & education for the benefit of our island home and the entire salish sea…

Vashon nature center's (VNC) mission is to provide transformational nature experiences through community science, research, & education for the benefit of our island home and the entire salish sea (vashonnaturecenter.ORG). Since 2014, VNC has partnered with the vashon island school district (visd) on vashon-maury island as the core provider of environmental education. The school district serves over 1500 students from congressional districts 6,7,9,10. 23% are bipoc (16% are latinx, 7% other) & 25% qualify for free/reduced lunch. VNC programs touch >40% of district students each year providing hands-on place-based mwees to all students in grades 4, 5, 6, & 9, and upper-level high school electives. Climate change education opportunity: for our island community, the impacts of climate change are of peak concern. Sea level rise impacts our shorelines and threatens our sole source aquifer with potential saltwater intrusion. Climate change is also a major threat to loca