Inspired Island

In this episode, we meet Seth Zuckerman, an islander who co-authored the exciting new book A Forest of Your Own: The Pacific Northwest Handbook of Ecological Forestry. Seth and co-author Kirk Hanson have developed the first comprehensive how-to guide for forest stewards and enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest, lending their decades of experience and expertise in all things forest-related to the project. Seth tells us what readers can expect from this book, including how land owners can better care for and utilize the potential of their forests -- big or small -- and offers knowledge and tips for "forest enthusiasts" to better appreciate and explore their favorite forests. Join us to hear how Seth's background in journalism inspired him to pursue a different career, learn about his work as Executive Director of the Northwest Natural Resource Group, and take away some new facts and stories about the iconic forests of the Pacific Northwest -- including here on Vashon-Maury Island! Learn more abou

In this episode, we sit down with Odin Lonning! Odin is a prolific and award-winning Tlingit artist based here on Vashon Island. Born and raised in Alaska, Odin has a deep knowledge of and relationship with the natural world that is reflected and celebrated in his art. With his wife Ann Stateler, who many of us know as Orca Annie, Odin is a tireless advocate for the rights and health of the iconic Southern Resident Killer Whales. Join us to learn how Odindiscovered and nurtured his interest in Tlingit art, including dance, song, and visual arts, and hear stories about some of his iconic projects. Odin shares with us why he is so inspired to teach and share his deep knowledge of art and his respect for nature during this chapter of his life. Odin's website: http://www.odinlonning.com/

Meet Don and Charlotte Stuart! Don is a respected advocate for the economic, environmental, and political sustainability of farms and fisheries, and he recently published No Farms, No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to Transform American Agriculture. Don also directed the American Farmland Trust’s Pacific Northwest Regional Office for over a decade and is a retired attorney. After a long career in academia and organization development, Charlotte is now an award-winning author who has published several murder mysteries - including one based on Vashon Island! Join us to hear about Don and Charlotte's career journeys, and how "retirement" has provided opportunities to work and write together. You'll hear how the pair caught the writing bug during a year-long sailing adventure and how their daily walks inspire creativity and collaboration. Don's website: https://donstuart.net/ Charlotte's website: https://charlottestuart.com/

In this new episode, we get to know Manny Chao of Georgetown Brewing Company! Yes, our fellow islander Manny is the man behind Manny's Pale Ale, the iconic Seattle beer. Join us to learn about Manny's childhood in Spain and beyond, how he fell in love with beer while trying to impress a date during college, and the persistence it took to land his first big job in the industry. Manny shares how an economic recession created unique opportunities to start Georgetown Brewing Company and the story behind creating their flagship brew, Manny's Pale Ale. You'll hear why Manny loves running his company (currently the largest independent brewery in Washington!) and how Camp Burton played a role in him moving to Vashon.

In this episode, we get to know Emily Wigley! Emily is the woman behind the beloved Orca Eats food truck. As Emily enters retirement, she sits down to reflect on what it was like to run this popular business for the last six years. Join us to hear how Emily’s teenage job taught her how food service can also be community service, and how she has put this into practice through her work with the Vashon Food Bank. Emily shares some favorite memories from the Orca Eats food truck, including what her most popular dishes have been, and how she managed to keep her business as eco-friendly as possible. We also get a sneak peak into some of her plans for retirement — including enjoying her horses! Follow Emily on Instagram @orca_eats

In this episode, we chat with Ann McLaughlin! Ann recently published the book "World Change-Maker: Build Skills in International Development and Social Work", which is designed as a guidebook to help people looking to volunteer or work internationally. But, as we discuss in the interview, the book offers value for anyone hoping to make a positive impact on the world. Ann is a psychotherapist and social worker by training, Ann provides coaching and services to prospective and current social and humanitarian workers around the world through her organization NGOabroad. Join us to hear stories from Ann's work with communities around the world, including a pivotal moment that taught her the importance of doing assessments and asking thoughtful questions before launching projects. We discuss how working at a summer camp helped inspire Ann's commitment to service, why she chose Vashon as her home base, her love for the outdoors, and much more!

In this week's episode, we chat with Tara Morgan of C'Mon Barber! During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a simple request from a neighbor led Tara to her new passion and business venture. After finishing barber school, Tara launched a mobile barbershop in June 2021, biking or driving to islanders to cut, groom, and style their hair in the comfort and safety of their own surroundings. Tara has since expanded offerings to include pop-up events and a new barbershop, located in a renovated van parked at the Country Store & Farm. Join us to hear why Tara believes a haircut can be powerful and how her dad's memory inspires many aspects of C'Mon Barber. We also discuss Tara's love for rowing and the nonprofit she founded - Seize the Oar Foundation - to champion greater inclusion in the sport, and how Tara finds community with other "solopreneurs" on Vashon Island. If you're a longtime Voice of Vashon radio listener, you may recognize Tara from “New Kids on the Rock”, which she co-hosted with

Join us to get to know Dr. Jim Bristow! Many of us on Vashon Island know Dr. Bristow from his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic; he is part of a core team of volunteer medical professionals who have worked tirelessly to keep Vashon safe and informed. But what you might not know is that Dr. Bristow is a semi-retired physician-scientist who practiced as a pediatric cardiologist in San Francisco, but also worked as Deputy Director of the Department of Energy's genomics facility in Berkeley, California. Join us to hear how a kid who disliked school ended up at Harvard Medical School, why Dr. Bristow gravitated toward pediatric cardiology, and how family and biking inspired him to move from San Francisco to Vashon Island. And we also learn behind-the-scenes stories from Vashon's COVID-19 response!

In this episode, we get to know Amy Carey! As the Executive Director of Sound Action, Amy helps to protect vital nearshore habitat and species -- including wild salmon and orca -- across the Puget Sound region. Amy is well known for her local expertise in animals and wildlife, and she is also behind the Pod Blast, a subscription alert system providing text notifications when whales are visiting Vashon and Maury Islands. But you might not know that Amy was born and raised in Iowa and did not see the ocean until she was 18 years old! In this episode, you'll hear how Amy came to the Pacific Northwest and fell in love with the local orcas, who ultimately inspired her to advocate for the habitats and ecosystems they depend on. You'll also hear about Amy's latest passion project: a hydrophone and underwater camera at Point Robinson! Links mentioned: Sound Action: https://soundaction.org Pod Blast: https://soundaction.org/podblast Livestream from the Nearshore Underwater Camera: https://soundaction.org/orcacam

In this episode, Grace sits down with Captain Marsha Morse, one of the most experienced ferry captains in Washington State. Captain Morse was one of the very first women to be hired by Washington State Ferries, working her way up from an entry-level position in the 70s. Join us to hear how it was Captain Morse’s horse that led her both to Vashon Island and into this unique career, and how working on the ferries gives her a front row view of Puget Sound nature and wildlife. Marsha shares interesting tales from the water, what a typical day as a ferry captain looks like, and what’s on the horizon for her as she approaches retirement (hint: she’ll stay busy!).

Inspired Island is back after a long hiatus!!  In this episode, we sit down with Kate Dowling. As Executive Director of Voice of Vashon, Kate manages the day-to-day operations of our beloved community radio station. Kate’s story takes us across the world, from her childhood in Canada, to adventures in Europe as an au pair, to San Antonio, to traveling around Asia for her job at Starbucks. Join us to hear the serendipitous way she met her American husband on a German street, the history behind her Vashon house, and why Kate loves the VoV community!

After a winter hiatus, we're back with an exciting new interview! Captain Joe Wubbold is well-known on Vashon for being a guardian, historian, and educator for our historic Point Robinson lighthouse. Captain Joe had a long and distinguished career with the U.S. Coast Guard, where he commanded six different ships and served as Chief of Operations for the 13th Coast Guard District (including the Pacific Northwest). But Captain Joe hasn't slowed down in retirement! Join us to hear why Captain Joe spent years at Cambridge University after he retired from the Coast Guard, how a single cat was central to his decision to buy a home on Vashon, and why he recently started his own VoV show, "From the Captain's Chair"!

In this episode, we meet Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma! Tom is married to last week's guest, David Mielke, and together they are preparing to premiere their show, "Gaybaret: An Offering of Story and Song" on November 22 at Vashon Center for the Arts. Tom is an author, poet, translator, teacher, magician, and musician. His first book of poems, The Safety of Edges, was published earlier this year. Tom tells us how spending time in India inspired him to study the Tamil language, and sparked a deep passion for words and poetry. Join us to hear how Tom spent years studying poetry before writing his own, why he loves living in a yurt, and what people can expect from "Gaybaret"! Tom's website: https://thomaspruiksma.com

In this episode, we meet David Mielke! David and his husband Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma are performing their original show "Gaybaret" at Vashon Center for the Arts from November 22 to 24, 2019. David is a professional actor, having appeared in both film and television and creating and performing one-person shows. Join us to hear how one amazing teacher changed David's life and helped him overcome a traumatic childhood, and what it was like for David being a gay actor in Los Angeles during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. David tells us about his journey to become his authentic self, how he met Tom, and what it's like to create and perform together. Gaybaret website: https://vashoncenterforthearts.org/event/gaybaret/2019-11-22/ Cozy Grammar website: https://www.cozygrammar.com

In this episode, we meet Israel and Sue Shotridge! You may know Sue and Israel as owners of the Raven's Nest gallery here on Vashon Island. Israel is a celebrated Tlingit artist and master carver, and Sue manages their businesses. Join us to hear how Sue and Israel fell in love, and how Israel's mother's passion for preserving the Tlingit language is a source of inspiration for them both. Sue and Israel share the stories behind Israel's famous totem poles, why they love sharing cultural knowledge through art, and even perform some special songs for VoV listeners! Shotridge Studios: https://shotridgenativeamericanart.com

In this episode, we meet Bruce Haulman! As a historian and educator, Bruce has spent years digging into Vashon's history - from prehistoric time to today. Bruce has authored many publications, including the popular book "A Brief History of Vashon Island." But Bruce doesn't only study Vashon's past; he's very involved in our community here and now. Join us to hear how growing up in D.C. helped foster Bruce's appreciation of history, and learn about his unique academic pursuits (spoiler: movies are involved!). Bruce shares some of the highlights of Vashon's history and his personal passions for connecting people and being on the water! Bruce's Vashon history website: http://www.vashonhistory.com Vashon Heritage Museum: https://vashonheritagemuseum.org

In this episode, we meet Joseph Bogaard! As the Executive Director of the Save Our Wild Salmon coalition, Joseph advocates to restore a healthy wild salmon population in the Pacific Northwest. Doing so is not only important for economic and cultural reasons, but we also need more salmon to feed the critically endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. Joseph tells us how his love for the natural world earned him a special childhood nickname, and why advocacy drew him to the Pacific Northwest as a young adult. Join us to learn all about wild salmon and what we can do to save them! Save our Wild Salmon's website: https://www.wildsalmon.org

In this episode, we meet Maridee Bonadea! Maridee is a mover and shaker behind the scenes at the Vashon Heritage Museum’s exhibit “IN AND OUT: Being LGBTQ on Vashon Island” (through March 2020) and the "Queer Film Festival" she's been putting together. Maridee grew up in a military family, but found herself drawn to the world of social activism at an early age. Join us to hear about some of Maridee's many adventures, including her time as a young activist in NYC, a cross-country bike trip to Seattle, and spending time in Mali with the Peace Corps! Maridee shares why she decided to attend college later in life, how she got involved with the Vashon Heritage Museum, and chats about her latest project: a memoir! Maridee's blog: https://marginsofthe.blogspot.com

In this episode, we meet Gib Dammann of Zero Waste Vashon! Gib is a professional architect with a passion for reducing waste on Vashon. Gib is a co-founder and current president of Zero Waste Vashon, a group working to make the island a model green community. Gib shares stories from his childhood growing up behind a UVA fraternity house and how he took an interest in both architecture and clean energy at an early age. Join us to hear what Zero Waste Vashon is up to, and why Gib thinks Vashon is a good "petri dish" for experimentation! Gib's architectural design company: https://dammanndesign.com Zero Waste Vashon: http://zerowastevashon.org

Robin Pollard is the woman behind Vashon's newest cafè, Pollard Coffee. Robin spent many years promoting Washington's tourism and wine industries, serving as the state's tourism director and then executive director of the Washington State Wine Commission. But having grown up on a farm in Iowa, Robin found herself yearning to grow something of her own. Today, Robin is a celebrated coffee roaster, vineyard owner, and wine maker. Join us to hear how Robin's parents inspired her to become an entrepreneur and start her brand "Pollard Per Se", how she taught herself to roast coffee beans and start a vineyard, and the story behind Pollard Coffee! Pollard Per Se's website: www.pollardperse.com Pollard Per Se's Instagram: www.instagram.com/pollardperse/