Who We Are

Carol has been involved with HHH since 2001, actively participating in work parties, grant administration, and was also HHH president for several years. She has a MS in Zoology and taught biology and botany at the college level for 30 years. She was in the first Forest Stewards training group with Green Seattle Partnership. She is a park and open space advocate involved in the development of Manor Park, Lawton Park, and Smith Cove Park.

Carol moved to Seattle from St. Louis in August 2019. While exploring her new neighborhood, she found the Commodore Park heron colony and volunteered to be a monitor. She loves the challenge of observing and recording the herons’ behaviors, all the while learning how to be a citizen scientist. Carol is now also HHH's treasurer. Carol volunteered for many years with the St. Louis Tax Assistance Program and the World Bird Sanctuary, and currently is the office manager for a boutique law firm in South Lake Union.

Debbie joined HHH in 2013 and monitors and records the herons’ activity at Commodore Park, posts on our social media pages, and enjoys sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm of herons and their habitat. She earned a Master’s Degree in Adult Education and taught high school and community college for 25 years.

Heidi is a co-founder of Heron Habitat Helpers, which was created in 2001 with her "Heron Sister" Donna Kostka to protect the herons in Kiwanis Ravine from surrounding development. Heidi works tirelessly to improve the community and takes an active role in Friends of Discovery Park, Smith Cove Park, and local politics. She was also instrumental in turning 3.9 acres into Commodore Park instead of condos. In her spare time, she sings in a choir and walks regularly.

Kathleen has been photographing the herons of Kiwanis Ravine and Commodore Park since 2005. She generously donates the use of her images in HHH marketing and social media materials.

Linda began volunteering regularly for HHH after moving close to the ravine in 2013. A Washington Native Plant Society Steward, she schedules and leads restoration work parties in addition to digging in herself. She also monitors the herons' nesting colony and creates maps of Kiwanis Ravine and the heron protection zones. She has a varied background as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst for an environmental consulting firm, a naturalist in Seattle and southeast Alaska, and a Field Biologist collecting data on nesting birds in eastern Washington. She enjoys watching the many smaller birds that rely on the forest in the ravine and in her own backyard habitat she's creating.

Marla became involved with Heron Habitat Helpers in 2009 after wondering about the incredible prehistoric-looking birds flying over her backyard. Marla wears many hats at HHH, calling on her graphic design skills to create HHH newsletters, posters and brochures, doing habitat restoration and work party coordination, as well as communicating with members, volunteers, and event planning.

Mike has a PhD in Zoology and joined HHH in 2002 after graduating from the Washington Native Plant Society Steward Program. Mike's background in ecology and native plants has been an invaluable asset to HHH's restoration efforts. You'll find him welcoming Second Saturday Work Parties and as a member of the team monitoring the Great Blue Heron colony at Commodore Park and the Carl English Botanical Garden at the Locks.

Scott has been one of the leaders in ongoing habitat restoration in Kiwanis Ravine Memorial Preserve Park since 2005. Scott is a restoration ecologist with over 25 years of experience. He works with Seattle City Light as a Senior Environmental Analyst where he is the lead restoration ecologist. He also owns a consulting business, Ecological Solutions. His primary interest is sequestering and storing carbon in forest vegetation and soils for long periods of time to reduce potential climate change impacts from rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.