North Cascades Audubon Scholarships
APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 22, 2024
North Cascades Audubon’s MISSION is to promote the study and conservation of birds and other wildlife, their habitat, and the environment; to increase public appreciation of the values of wildlife, plants, and the natural environment; and to stimulate action to protect and preserve them for the future.
Introduction– Each spring, North Cascades Audubon Society awards a small number of scholarships up to $750 each, to graduate and undergraduate students pursuing research or projects in environmental science or conservation as well as non-scientific projects relating to North Cascades Audubon’s mission. We encourage projects that communicate through art, exploratory design and interdisciplinary approaches.
Application Requirements:
Summary Statement– A brief written description of your proposed research or project containing basic, easy to understand information on your goals and methods. Please include an explanation of how your research or project will further the mission of the North Cascades Audubon’s mission statement. Limit 200 words.
Proposal Narrative– Outline your research or project proposal in detail, covering methodology, future applicability and any relevant background information. This proposal with the summary statement should be approximately 3 pages.
Budget– Please include a detailed budget that states the scholarship amount that you request up to $750. Highlight within your budget what you would like this scholarship to cover. Remember that durable materials purchased with this scholarship must stay with the university upon research or project completion.
Required Report– NCAS board requests a brief written report on conclusion of the proposed research or project.
To apply– Please submit your completed application to: Don Burgess, Secondary/ Science Education, Western Washington University, (360) 650-2482, don.burgess@wwu.edu
Questions– Please contact the Scholarship Chair for further information about Audubon’s scholarship opportunities. scholarships@northcascadesaudubon.org
Recent NCAS Scholarship Recipients:
2023
Miles Berkey (Western WA University) was awarded $500 for their research project titled "The Immensity of Minutiae; Using Bryophytes to Detect an Ice Age Refugium in the North Cascades."
Alexandrea Otto (Western WA University) was awarded $500 for their research project titled "Genetic Populations of Harbor Seals in the Salish Sea and Pacific Coast of Washington State".
Victoria Vinecke (Western WA University) was awarded $500 for their research project titled "Individual Haplotyping and Sex Determination of Harbor Seals Utilizing Environmental DNA."
2022
Riley Jones was awarded $500 for their project “Clark's Nutcracker seed resource use as potential influence on high elevation forest composition in the Spring Mountains”
Amirah Casey was awarded $500 for their project “Effects of increasing concentrations of PBDE's on surf smelt hatching success”
Abi Leewas awarded $500 for their project “Hatching and rearing surf smelt- the possibility of a new model species for fish-related research in the Pacific Northwest”
2021
Janelle Chojnacki was awarded $500 for her project “Factors influencing the movement of Common Ravens around Snowy Plover breeding habitat in coastal Northern California.”
Alexander Harris was awarded $500 for his “Case study analysis to evaluate which model of community forestry is optimal for salmonid recovery in the Nooksack watershed.”
Elizabeth Diehl was awarded $500 for her project “The effects of fluctuating temperature and pH on the shell and radula morphology of post-set pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana)”
2020
Sherry Sennett was awarded $500 for her research project "Thermogenesis in Pacific Northwest conifers".
Grace Freeman was awarded $500 for her research project "Variability in site visitation and foraging success of individual harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) on salmonids (Onchorhyncus spp.) in the Salish Sea.
Rachel Rothberg was awarded $500 for her project "Painting ecological change in Pacific Northwest bird populations."
2019
Will Brooks from University of Puget Sound was awarded $1565.51 for his research in song recognition and gene flow in a new secondary contact zone of white-crowned sparrows.
2018
Caitlin O’Brian was awarded $930 for her research on development of
cryopreservation methods for male pinto abalone.
Holly Flann was awarded $500 for her research on the Effect of a
Coevolved Parasitic Nematode on Fitness of the Desert horned lizard
(Phrynosoma platyrhinos) in the Alvord Desert.
Patrick o’Brian was awarded $500 for his research on ultrasonic
telemetry to describe space use by non-native European green crab and
native Dungeness and red rock crabs.
2017
Chelsea Hutchinson, The role of quorum sensing signals in seastar wasting disease ($772).
Natalie Coleman, Effect of ocean acidification on symbiotic algae in Anthopleura sea anemones. ($855).
Madelyn Voelker, Diet specialization in Salish Sea harbor seals. ($564).
Rachel Mallon, Snow algae communities in the Pacific Northwest.
2016
Trevor Bloom, continuation of 2015 project. ($400).
Ryan Drake, Sagebrush lizard response to habitat degradation in shrub steppe. ($400).
Zoe Zilz, Parasitism by the marine ciliate Orchitophyra in the seastar Pisaster ochraceus. ($400).
Whatcom Museum, bird camp, ($500).
2015
Trevor Bloom, Biotic response to future warming of alpine plants in response to fire frequency and intensity. ($400).
Whatcom Museum, 3 attendees to bird camp. ($150).
2014
Andres Quesada, Shannon Buckham, Katrina Nikolich,
2013
Paul Backus, Population Dynamics and Individual Dispersal in a Peripheral Metapopulation of Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) in Northwest Washington, ($400).
Jason Cornell, Quantitative Characterization of Element Mobility During Natural Granite Weathering at Lower Blum Lake in North Cascades National Park Service Complex, ($300).
2012
Julie Fix, Investigation of biochemical and community-level responses of lichens to air pollutants originating from trains in northwestern Washington. ($400);
David Droppers, Climate Change Effect on Butterflies,($280);
Matthew Warren, Landscape Effects on Connectivity and Genetic Diversity of Cougar (Puma Concolor) Populations in Washington, (320).
2011
Bobbie Buzzell, River otter diet and predation on threatened fish species in the San Juan Islands Archipelago, Washington ($358);
Kelly Cates, The response of harbor seals to boat traffic under different levels of exposure ($390);
Hanna Winter, Effect of vegetation type on the temperature response of nitrogen and carbon fluxes in subalpine soils in the North Cascades($250).
2009
Matthew Fisher, The Impacts Of Timber Management On Biodiversity In Forests Of Northwestern Washington ($400).
2008
Sara Cendejas-Zarelli, Changes in haul-out patterns of Pacific Harbor seals in Bellingham Bay, WA. ($367.70),
Lauren Grant, Diet of river otters in the San Juan Island Archipelago, Washington ($300)
2007
Jessica Farrer, Seasonal variation in the abundance of harbor seals in Bellingham, Washington ($212.07)
Andy Nelson, Survey of Flora Species and Diversity on Mount Baker, Washington ($230)
2006
Carly Gelarden, Predicting Riparian Songbird Responses to Dam Removals on the Elwha River ($500)