After ten months of service with Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, it is time for Kenzie and Myrriah to finish up their Washington Service Corps terms. While we are sad to see Kenzie go, we are excited that Myrriah is staying with SFEG as she accepted a temporary Habitat Specialist position. They both reflected on the past ten months:

Kenzie Kesling:

“When I joined Skagit Fisheries in September, I had no idea where my journey would lead. It’s incredible to think that ten months have already passed, and my life has undergone significant changes during this time. I am now preparing to leave my term at SFEG and go on to pursue a teacher’s certificate and a Master’s Degree in secondary education, to become a biology teacher in the near future.

While working as the Education Associate, I learned a great deal about salmon and Washington State’s efforts to restore their wild populations. As a native of Tacoma, Washington, I already knew that salmon is an important part of our local marine ecosystem. However, this experience allowed me to gain a more in-depth understanding of their world and appreciate their significance even more. As a bonus, I can now have meaningful conversations with my family’s fishing enthusiasts about salmon and understand what they are talking about.

One of my most cherished memories from this year was the opportunity to teach elementary school students how to plant trees. Their genuine excitement in wielding shovels and their joy in discovering worms and other creatures in the ground left a lasting impression on me. It made me realize that many of the students I worked with had limited exposure to the outdoors. Being able to bring them to a local outdoor classroom and instill a sense of environmental stewardship in these young students was almost magical as if I were rediscovering the wonders of life myself. I will genuinely miss this position and the privilege of working with everyone I had the pleasure of meeting during this transformative ten-month period. The Skagit community has left an indelible mark on my heart, and it will always hold a special place in my memories and experiences.”

Myrriah Crowley:

“As I wrap up my 10-month AmeriCorps service term as the Riparian Restoration Associate at Skagit Fisheries, I’m left reflecting on the numerous wonderful people I have met and all the great experiences I’ve had. When I first applied for this position the number one thing I was excited about was working with native plants at the SFEG Native Plant Nursery; I had no idea my love of plants would lead to a love of so many new niches in our local ecosystem. I have since become a lover of salmon; their resilience thrashing up streams and spawning colors beautifully accenting the waters as the leaves change and accent the adjacent forest, followed by their small but mighty alevin and fry stage, then out to the great Pacific they go! It truly is remarkable.

I have loved seeing all the interconnectedness that is held in this ecological mosaic as well. We are all a part of this environment and my time with SFEG has only made this more clear. I have met so many lovely people, had wonderful conversations and had the chance to try new things I never would have if not for the opportunities this position offered me. From spawner surveys to juvenile salmonid beach seining and volunteer fish forage surveys; from planting acres of restoration sites with excited and caring people (and very stoked kids and students) to vegetation monitoring and building a bridge with awesome teams, it has been hugely meaningful and I am so grateful to all of you that I have had the pleasure to meet. I’m looking forward to this fall as all five Pacific Salmon run upstream and I’m so excited to be continuing on with Skagit Fisheries after my AmeriCorps service term ends as a temporary Habitat Specialist.”