From Tree Kangaroos to Cohousing — A Conversation with Tina & Mike — Newsletter, May 31 2026
One of our favorite things about Sunnyside Village is the people finding their way here, and the stories they bring with them. This month, we sat down with members Tina and Mike, who spent decades as animal caregivers at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo.
What started as a conversation about tree kangaroos and Komodo dragons quickly turned into something deeper: a reflection on patience, observation, caring for others, and why cohousing feels like the natural next step for two people who've spent their lives building connection, whether with animals or with each other. We think you'll love getting to know them.
-Norm & Jennie
From Tree Kangaroos to Cohousing
When I sat down with Sunnyside members Tina and Mike to talk about their years at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, I expected to hear a few fun animal stories. What I didn’t expect was how naturally the conversation would turn toward community, connection, and why Sunnyside feels like the right next chapter in their lives.
Both Tina and Mike spent decades working in animal care, though Tina laughed that the terminology has changed over the years.
“Back when we started, we were zookeepers,” Tina told me. “Now a lot of places say animal caregivers or animal keepers. The language keeps evolving.”
Tina’s journey into zoo work happened almost by accident. After graduating from UMass Amherst with a degree in zoology, she drove to Florida with a friend who had landed an internship at a zoo.
Mike with a baby gorilla
“I thought I’d just find any job to make ends meet,” she said. “But they had an opening for a keeper, and I fell into it. And I loved it. Every day was different. You were always learning something new.”
Mike’s inspiration came much earlier — from a childhood encounter with an orca named Namu at the old Seattle Public Aquarium.
“Seeing that orca changed my life,” Mike said. “It sparked my interest not just in animals, but in the natural world and biodiversity itself.” That passion eventually led him towards a passion for all animals and the natural world.
Tina worked with a huge variety of animals over the years but admits she has a special soft spot for tree kangaroos. “They’re these amazing little marsupials that evolved back into the trees,” she said. “I just fell in love with them.”
Tina with a leopard friend
One of the most memorable stories Tina shared involved a large Komodo dragon suffering from arthritis and gout. The veterinary staff decided to try acupuncture and laser therapy.
At first, Tina was skeptical.
“I honestly wasn’t even sure acupuncture worked on people,” she laughed.
But after several treatments, the Komodo dragon voluntarily walked over to the treatment station, settled into place, and visibly relaxed during the session.
“He gave this huge sigh,” Tina said. “This giant lizard just completely relaxed. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it.”
What Brought Them to Sunnyside
As we talked, it became clear how much zoo work shaped the way both Tina and Mike think about people and community.
“Animals can’t talk with you directly,” Tina explained. “You learn patience. You learn observation. You learn that every individual is different.” That perspective carries naturally into cohousing.
“At the zoo, we all worked toward a common goal — excellent animal care,” Tina said. “You had to rely on each other. That’s very similar to cohousing.”
When they began thinking about retirement, Tina and Mike knew they wanted to stay in the Pacific Northwest, close to both nature and culture. Then Mike spotted an article about Sunnyside Village Cohousing in the Everett paper.
“The idea of individual cottages really appealed to us,” Tina said. “You have your own space, but you’re still part of a community.” They were also drawn to the location — close enough to Everett’s theater, baseball, concerts, and arts scene, while still surrounded by wetlands, birds, and open space.
Saltwater estuary near Sunnyside Village
“We picked our cottage partly because it faces the eagle nest,” Tina added with a smile.
What stood out most to them, though, was the sense of connection already forming among future neighbors.
“You start feeling like part of the community before the community even exists,” Tina said.
Mike described cohousing as a conscious alternative to the isolation he saw many older adults experience.
“I watched my parents age in a pretty isolated way,” he said. “I didn’t want that for us. I wanted to age in place with community around us — not alone.”
Then Mike gave me one of my favorite lines from the whole interview: “Sunnyside is kind of the antidote to AI,” he said. “We have each other.”
What It Truly Means to Care
Toward the end of our conversation, we talked about how years of caring for animals shaped the way they think about the environment and their role in the world.
For Tina and Mike, conservation isn’t just an abstract idea or a list of “green” buzzwords. It’s a daily practice rooted in care, observation, and responsibility. They spoke about reducing waste, composting, protecting biodiversity, and understanding how even small individual choices can ripple outward and make a difference.
Sunnyside members gardening together
“One person really can help save a species,” Tina said. “And they can inspire other people to care too.”
That mindset is part of what drew them to Sunnyside. The wetlands, the eagle nest, the walking paths, the shared stewardship of the land — all of it reflects values they’ve spent a lifetime practicing.
Mike summed it up in a single word:
“Care.”
Care for animals. Care for the environment. Care for people. And now, care for a community they are helping build together at Sunnyside.
Closing Thoughts
What strikes us reading these interviews and welcoming new members is how many different life paths are leading people toward the same thing — connection, community, and a more meaningful way of living. Tina and Mike’s reflections on caring for animals and the natural world feel deeply connected to what we’re building at Sunnyside.
Warmly,
Norm and Jennie and all of us at Sunnyside Village Cohousing
Come as a guest, leave as a neighbor
Register for our Thursday Zoom session
and see if Sunnyside feels like home.