Fall 2024

62 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 4 Photo: Kelli Uldall A manda Preece describes herself as “a bird person who is becom- ing enamored of fish.”An avid bird watcher, she held the position of environmental advocate at the Monterey Audubon Society and is currently a California State Parks environmental scientist. When Preece is not spotting, photographing and teaching kids about birds, she can be found floating in the kelp tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, feeding fish and talking about marine life. “The more time I spend with fish, the more I learn how amazing they are,” she says. She hasn’t forsaken her feathered friends, however. Now serving on the Audubon board, a member of its conservation committee and editor of the society’s newsletter “Little Sanderling,” she is dedicated to conserving and celebrating the bird population of the Monterey Bay area. Preece clocks more than 50 hours a month between her work at the Aquarium—where she has volunteered for 10 years—and with the Audubon Society. And that’s in addition to her full-time State Parks posi- tion. She is passionate about protecting the fauna of our area. “We need to get as many people involved in bird conservation as possible,” she says. “These habitats need protection to reduce harm to birds and bird habi- tat.”That also applies to the world under the sea. — Michael Chatfield VOLUNTE ER PROF I L E Amanda Preece