Fidalgo Nature School Board of Directors
ORGANIZATION: FIDALGO NATURE SCHOOL
Please visit the new page to apply.

Fidalgo Nature School’s mission is to provide quality, accessible, nature-based education for children in the local community, fostering their sense of belonging in the natural world and a lifelong connection with the outdoors. We primarily operate a licensed, all-outdoor preschool at Bowman Bay in lovely Deception Pass State Park. We are actively recruiting interested community members to join our nonprofit’s volunteer board of directors, and offering opportunities for progression into leadership positions. Never considered board service before? The benefits extend far beyond philanthropy:
- Enhance your resume;
- Personal growth and leadership experience;
- Sharpen skills, or learn a new skill; and
- Expand your personal and professional network.
Why FNS? We are a friendly, low-key, zero-drama crew that is passionate about the outdoors, education, kids, and supporting our school. We are committed to including and welcoming diverse voices, have no expectation for charitable contributions, and meet virtually once a month. Our board culture is supportive, collaborative, and consensus-based. Finally: we support our board members with training in the skills they need to become effective board members and nonprofit leaders with the BoardSource Certificate of Nonprofit Board Education Program (a $499 course that looks very nice on a resume!). Finally, members in leadership positions who are caregivers of young children can receive reimbursement for some of their personal babysitting expenses in support of their donated time.
Requirements:
- Be able to attend at least 9 out of 12 monthly virtual meetings per year;
- Be at least 16 years of age (new WA State laws governing board service now allow minors to serve on nonprofit boards!);
- Have 4 ( member-at-large ) to 15 ( leadership / officer ) hours to donate each month.
More opportunities with FIDALGO NATURE SCHOOL
No additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
About FIDALGO NATURE SCHOOL
Location:
1004 Commercial Ave, PMB 245, Anacortes, WA 98221, US
Mission Statement
Fidalgo Nature School’s mission is to provide quality, accessible, nature-based education for children in the local community, fostering their sense of belonging in the natural world and a lifelong connection with the outdoors.
Description
We are a non-profit, registered charity in Washington State that serves children 0-6 years old with outdoor education programming. We primarily operate a licensed outdoor preschool program for 3-6-year-old children, located inside Deception Pass State Park at Bowman Bay, but offer other programs for younger children in our area as well. We work to make our programs inclusive, equitable, affordable, and accessible to all children, including children belonging to groups that have been historically marginalized and underrepresented in outdoor programs.
We operate on part of the ancestral lands of Coast Salish Peoples, including the Samish and Swinomish. We recognize this and respect Indigenous Nations’ rights to sovereignty and self-determination.
The beautiful Bowman Bay area includes a wide variety of ecosystems and playscapes, and State Park infrastructure provides access to utilities, shelters, and emergency services. Students in our preschool program are dropped off and picked up each day at "home base," which shifts based on time of year. The class travels on foot from home base throughout the day to explore forests, beaches, and meadows within the park.
Our school is guided by the board of directors, advisory board, executive director and staff who together make decisions to implement a program that helps children in our community grow through play and emergent education in our outdoor classrooms.
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
1004 Commercial AvenuePMB 245Anacortes, WA 98221
DATE POSTED
February 3, 2023
SKILLS
- Marketing & Communications (Mar/Com)
- Event Planning / Management
- Fundraising
- Grant Writing / Research
- Spanish
- Outdoor Recreation
GOOD FOR
N/A
REQUIREMENTS
- Must be at least 16
- Orientation or Training
- This role can range in levels of commitment from at-large membership (4+ hrs/month), to committee membership (7+ hrs/month), to a position as an officer (secretary, treasurer, vice-chair, or chair; 5-15 hrs/month). Board service terms are 2 years.
- Must be able to attend at least 9 out of 12 virtual meetings per calendar year (currently on the first Monday of the month at 4:15 pm for 1 hour). We organize informal social events as well, but these are not mandatory.