This summer, Beatrice Booth, known to her friends and family as Trice, died after a lifetime committed to the biological sciences and promoting environmental education.
Trice was an avid naturalist and accomplished scientist, crediting an Audubon Society summer camp in Maine with inspiring her to pursue science and conservation. She earned a BA from Radcliffe College in 1960 and a MAT from Harvard in 1964. She earned MS and worked on the research staff of the University of Washington where she became a senior oceanographer, co-authoring 25 papers and identifying a new order of phytoplankton. After retiring from the University, she led the Audubon Washington board and was foundational in creating the Seward Park Audubon Center in Seattle.
For over two decades, Trice and her husband Bill Booth have been significant supporters of the program, building, and staff of the Seward Park Audubon Center. They funded scholarships, internships, and programming and allowed Seward Park Audubon Center to serve over 200,000 children and adults in exploration and appreciation for the natural world. Trice and Bill were also significant contributors to the Dungeness River Nature Center in Sequim, WA.
"Trice cared deeply about nature-based education and nurturing interest in science, especially for women and people from historically excluded backgrounds. Her thoughtful leadership and generosity to Audubon and the Nature Centers helped build programs that have engaged young people in science and conservation." ~Maggie Walker, Past-Chair, National Audubon Society
Trice will be missed by many friends and family members. However, her legacy will live on through all those she touched and inspired through the years. She is survived by her husband Bill Booth, three children, five grandchildren, and three siblings.
In addition to all Trice accomplished during her life, she also left a gift to the National Audubon Society in her estate plans. The family asks that memorials be made to the National Audubon Society or the University of Washington College of the Environment, Department of Oceanography.
