Tykee James (He/him)

Tykee James has been a leader in the birding community for over a decade as an advocate for equitable access to the benefits of nature for all. From his first job as an environmental educator in his own neighborhood to his current role as a lobbyist at a land conservation organization, Tykee shares his passion for birds to build trust, coalition, and power.

In his free time, he likes to dance and cook, and he just picked up sewing so he can tailor his own clothes.

Favorite bird: Belted kingfisher. It’s a great-looking bird and it's the female that has the belt! #BirdNames4Birds

María-Elena Montero

María-Elena Montero was raised in Takoma Park, Maryland, where she first fell in love with the outdoors. An avid birder, María-Elena is an advocate for equity and accessibility in public spaces. She servers on the board of Rodney's Raptors, an organization working to build wellness through nature. María-Elena is a graduate of The University of Maryland at College Park and Howard University. She currently lives in Silver Spring, Maryland where you'll find her teaching a yoga class, hiking, writing, or of course, birding ... always looking up. 

Favorite Bird: The next one I see!

Adam Kron (He/him)

Adam grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in central Virginia, but his first introduction to birding was through his grandparents, who were avid birders in Wisconsin. Adam has lived in DC since 2009. When not on a DC Audubon bird walk, he spends his time as an attorney with an environmental nonprofit, gardening, and exploring the District and its natural spaces with his junior birder daughter and son. Adam joined the board in 2019 and serves as Secretary.

Favorite bird: His favorite bird is the charismatic Gray Catbird, which often can be seen and heard singing and “mewing” in the understory of woodlands (and especially feasting on the berry bushes and dogwood in Adam’s yard).

Nneka Angelica Anosike

Nneka Angelica Anosike is a proud Washington DC native. In 2016, she joined the Earth Conservation Corps as an AmeriCorps volunteer where she served communities East of the Anacostia River and led diverse environmental stewardship activities including community cleanups, water quality education, invasive species removal, and repaired wood duck boxes on the Anacostia. She then went on to serve as the Assistant Program Lead for the DOEE Green Zone Environmental Program, one of the largest green jobs training programs for youth in the nation. Currently, she works for the District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), the leading authority on energy and environmental issues affecting the District of Columbia. In her current role she combines regulation enforcement, community engagement, and outreach efforts while discovering engaging ways to connect residents to new and existing air quality initiatives. All in all, she is dedicated to ensuring that education and literacy programs, access to vital resources, and environmental justice efforts are equitable across all 8 wards in the District of Columbia. It is very important to her to be brave enough to speak up and defend what is right rather than be silenced by an unjust majority.

Favorite bird: The pink robin is simply a beautiful bird.

Zach Slavin (He/him)

Zach Slavin is an avid birdwatcher and overall nature enthusiast. He grew up in rural Connecticut and while he has always loved getting lost in the woods and encountering interesting wildlife he only discovered this crazy thing called birdwatching after moving to DC in 2009. Since then he has gained a new perspective on the world through birding and has traveled to some amazing places and met some really amazing people in the birding community. He has worked in environmental education and conservation as well as in the DC restaurant industry and also enjoys advocacy, sci-fi novels, cooking, and spending time with his (indoor!) cat.

Favorite bird: Pileated woodpecker – they look and sound exactly how I always imagined flying dinosaurs would look and sound.

Aparna Ananthakrishnan (She/her)

Aparna Ananthakrishnan grew up in a bustling city of over 10 million people in Southern India and found refuge in the lush tropical forests along with her father who introduced and nurtured her passion for birds and nature. Primarily a backyard birder, she was amazed at the various creatures that made the urban sprawl their home, in India and in other cities across the countries she lived in, most recent of which was Thailand. A public health professional by training, Aparna is enthusiastic about the positive influences of natural spaces on human health and wellbeing and is a keen advocate of equitable access and availability of these refuges to all peoples. A resident of Ward 8, Aparna loves biking along the Anacostia River Trail, finding DIY home hacks, gardening and discovering new restaurants and cuisines. As she begins a new chapter in DC, she is inspired by her fellow birding community and excited for all the winged friends she is yet to meet and greet.

Favorite Bird: The great Indian hornbill whose majestic flapping wings can be heard from miles below.

Nikol McCombs

Nikol “Niki” McCombs is a proud native Washingtonian, nature enthusiast and lifelong backyard birder. Her childhood interest in the natural world was sparked by her mother’s passion for identifying birds by sound on their family walks through Rock Creek Park and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

That interest was fueled by her career as a zoo animal keeper and environmental education conference planner. Now, with 20 years in Federal Service as an event planner and project manager, she is excited to combine her passion for equity in nature and professional expertise to advance the DC Audubon Society mission for every resident in the District to feel meaningful benefits of bird conservation through education and advocacy.

She firmly believes in eliminating barriers to the healing power of nature. Niki wants to cultivate awareness and appreciation of the natural world to encourage people to take action to heal themselves and the world.

She is mother to an active middle schooler and a high schooler. She enjoys excursions in the Kenilworth Aquatic gardens, cooking, cycling, and learning about and honoring the cultural and culinary history of the natural places she visits.

Favorite Bird: Red-winged blackbird—I love its distinctive call and striking color pattern on a shoreline.

Dara M. Wilson

Dara M. Wilson is a conservation communications specialist whose involvement in nature-based programs is multidisciplinary in development and in practice. Dara received her Bachelors in International Studies with a Concentration in International Development from American University, School of International Service in Washington, D.C. While she pursued her undergraduate degree, Dara developed a strong interest in ecology after spending her summers abroad in Bolivia’s Amazon basin. At the Smithsonian Zoological Park she developed skills in informal science teaching methods and subsequently worked for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in the Republic of Panamá to better familiarize herself with the nuances of international and environmental development within a non-profit organization. Dara strengthened outreach and educational initiatives for endangered amphibians and contributed to several other ecological field research projects during her time abroad.

Dara continues to practice environmental conservation through her contributions to the citizen support organization for Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, mentorship of university students involved in Audubon Florida’s Conservation Leadership Initiative (CLI), and leadership within the group responsible for the creation and execution of the annual #BlackBirdersWeek festival.

Favorite Bird: Blue-gray tanager. Its the first bird I actively paid attention to and learned to identify by ear.

Allyson Shaw (She/her)

Allyson Shaw is an animal lover and nature enthusiast at heart. She's also a writer, editor, and digital producer for Nat Geo Kids and Nat Geo Family; her passion is informing kids about environmental wonders and challenges, and giving them the tools to help protect our Earth. Allyson grew up in Kansas but has called Capitol Hill home for over a decade. She hopes to help create more opportunities to appreciate and protect her winged neighbors.

Favorite Bird: Lately Allyson has been completely charmed by the waddling American woodcock. 

Hunter Raab

Born and raised in Seattle, WA, birding has helped Hunter develop a stronger connection to nature, as well as provide a peaceful and easy way to relax in day-to-day life. In his free time he enjoys photography, skateboarding, biking, chess and of course...birding. Professionally he creates videos for a wide array of companies and people.

Favorite Bird: Northern Cardinal :)

Matthew Schantin

Matthew Schantin was a lifelong Oregonian before moving to Washington D.C., instilling a deep love of the outdoors and eventually birds. During the pandemic, he became an avid birder going on hikes in the PNW, but garnered coast to coast birding experience from his time at Rider University in New Jersey. There he studied political science and sustainability, furthering his passion for environmental conservation and walking the same woods environmental philosopher Aldo Leopold once wandered. Now living in D.C., Matthew is a public affairs professional working on a wide range of issue areas. Outside of birding, he enjoys running around the monuments and playing board games with friends in his free time. 

Favorite Bird: Steller's Jay - A brilliant blue bird with a stellar black crest!

Bradley Williams

Bradley grew up across the US in South Carolina, Arizona, and Texas, before moving to Washington, DC in 2022. It was through exploring the deserts and swamps across the country that his deep appreciation for nature blossomed. He currently leads wildlife policy and advocacy work at the Sierra Club, fighting tirelessly to preserve the nation’s most vulnerable species. In his free time, you can find him birding in Rock Creek Park or exploring new nature spots around the Nation's Capitol."

Favorite Bird: Wood Stork

Chris Murray (He/him)

Chris is a lecturer in political science and coordinates the internship and academic programs at the Marquette University Les Aspin Center for Government. He teaches courses in the area of American politics. A native of Wisconsin, Chris has lived in Washington, D.C., for the past 20 years and was introduced to birding largely through DC Audubon’s monthly bird walks. Chris serves as the Chair of the Governance Committee. When he is not birding, he enjoys scouring the area’s record stores for treasures and trying to prevent the further decline of his once relatively decent tennis game.

Chris will be the Chair of the Advisory Board as the immediate Past President.

Favorite Bird: Red-headed woodpecker.