A Record-Breaking Evening on the Lake!
On October 6 at the Amazon Meeting Center in Seattle, over 200 guests and supporters gathered for our annual Pacific Northwest event, Evening on the Lake, benefiting our beautiful Olympic campus.
The festivities began with a bustling cocktail and activity hour that include a screening of "Wild Hope: The Beautiful Undammed," a new PBS documentary about the largest dam removal in history on the Elwha River. Following the screening, guests had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with film subjects Allyce Miller, Vanessa Castle and NatureBridge Olympic board member Kim Sager-Fradkin.
Editor’s note: You can watch “Wild Hope: The Beautiful Undammed” here. For even more information on the Elwha River and the return of the salmon following dam removal, check out this Seattle Times article written by NatureBridge supporter Lynda Mapes.
Kim Sager-Fradkin, Allyce Miller and Vanessa Castle on stage during the Q&A in the breakout room.
Guests then gathered for dinner and the evening’s main program, which included activities and messages from emcee DawnMarie Kotsonis, Olympic Campus Director Jen Kidder, NatureBridge President and CEO Phil Kilbridge, Olympic educators Cheyenne Palmo and Megan Jackson, licensed psychologist Dr. Jordan Thayer and Olympic educator Maddie McLean. Each speaker in turn illustrated how NatureBridge programs have played a role in the development of thousands of young people, unlocking students’ love for nature and facilitating meaningful connections to the people and world around them.
During the paddle raise, over 170 guests pledged their public support of NatureBridge programs, staff and students. Long-time NatureBridge champion Sharon Coleman announced that she would be matching all $1,000 gifts up to $50,000 in honor of her dear friend and NatureBridge Olympic board member Diane Undi-Haga. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and guests, this year’s Evening on the Lake raised a record-breaking $345,000!
We’d like to express our gratitude to everyone who made this evening such a success: our Olympic board members, our event planning committee, our staff and environmental educators, our student alumni and their families, our sponsors and our guests. Thank you, and we hope to see you again next year at Evening on the Lake!
Stories
2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz
At NatureBridge, we celebrate the stewards of today and foster the development of the stewards of tomorrow, working to inspire environmental stewardship in all our participants. Our goal is to motivate our students to make waves and be changemakers in their communities and for our planet.
Each year, NatureBridge honors a student who has demonstrated leadership, growth and a commitment to protecting our natural world as a result of their participation in a NatureBridge program. This year’s honoree will be recognized and will speak at An Evening Outside with NatureBridge on Thursday, May 16 at our Golden Gate campus.
We are thrilled to announce our 2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz.
An Interview with Evening Outside Keynote Speaker Dr. Britt Wray
The minute we found out about the work of Dr. Britt Wray, we knew we wanted to learn more about her. A well-respected author and scientist, Dr. Wray possesses expertise in an area of research we talk about a lot at NatureBridge—specifically how we can be resilient, hopeful, and actionable amid a changing world, including the climate crisis. We’re thrilled that Dr. Wray will be joining us on May 16 for An Evening Outside with NatureBridge as our Featured Speaker. Ahead of the event, we had the chance to ask her a few questions relating to her work and her connection to the mission of NatureBridge.
Staff Spotlight: Appreciation for Miho Aida
Miho Aida (she/they) has held multiple roles at NatureBridge over the past twenty-four years, including Environmental Science Educator, Community Connection Coordinator, Field Staff Scientist, Marine Project Coordinator, Pacific Rim Environmental Education Specialist, Armstrong Scholars Educator, Diversity Coordinator, Equity and Inclusion Manager, and Director of Equity and Inclusion. Now, on the eve of Miho's departure, we asked them to reflect on their time at NatureBridge and share a bit about their upcoming adventures.