Three recently graduated high school seniors received a total of $4,000 in Whidbey Audubon Conservation Scholarship awards at a ceremony in May.

Bailey Armos (South Whidbey High School), Alexxis Otto (Coupeville High School) and Bree Daigneault (Coupeville) were selected as recipients for the scholarships. All three plan to attend four-year colleges or universities to study in a conservation-related field. They have also participated in multiple environmental activities on Whidbey Island during their high school years.

Armos will study environmental science at the University of Washington in the fall. She worked at the Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks for summers doing trail work, while she completed an extensive Beach Watchers training program as a senior. She also received training in Interpretive Environmental Education for South Whidbey Central Whidbey State Parks, monitored seabirds in the Whidbey Pigeon Guillemot Study and has taught about algae. She plans to seek a graduate degree following her undergraduate studies.

Otto will study environmental studies and outdoor education as her major and minor respectively at Prescott College in Arizona. She’s volunteered as a trail builder with the Washington Trails Association, participated in numerous Whidbey Camano Land Trust work parties and has applied for summer work with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.

Daigneault plans to study marine biology in the Distinguished Marine Scholars Program at Western Washington with an emphasis on public relations and communications. Her high school experiences included collecting and examining seawater samples and nutrient content for plankton. She also participated in training and research in the study of harmful algae bloom at the San de Fuca marine lab.