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Saying Farewell to Our AmeriCorps, and Hello to New Beginnings

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Every year, mid July sneaks up on us at Skagit Fisheries as a bittersweet time. This is the time of year where our Washington Conservation Corps (WSC) AmeriCorps members’ terms end, and the time comes for them to move on from their positions at Skagit Fisheries. Each September through July, we get the opportunity to grow alongside two individuals – our WSC Restoration Associate and our WSC Education Associate. These past ten and a half months, Connor Garrod and Clare Spain filled these roles, and this is what they had to say about their terms:

 

“When I was a vegetation monitoring intern with Skagit Fisheries back in 2022, I knew that the Restoration Associate position was something I wanted to pursue after I graduated from college. I feel so incredibly grateful that that dream came true for this year! The amount of information and skills I gained during this position is priceless.

Clare and Connor at Pomona Grange Park

I’ve learned a lot of skills this year, as well as learning a lot about myself. I grew up spending time outdoors, but never working through tougher elements. Week after week of walking a stream for spawner surveys, I could feel my body adapting and becoming used to having uneven ground, fluctuating water levels, and varying heights of logs to go over and under. Cutting open fish was something that scared me, but by the end of the season didn’t faze me. This position also helped improve my shyness and bring me out of my shell. From talking to people at outreach events to fundraising for planting parties to helping teach kiddos, I now feel comfortable with talking to people of all ages. I am so grateful for all the people I met and worked with during my term, as their insight has aided so much to the experiences I’ve had. I didn’t think I would ever be comfortable around types of machinery, but after building a 40-foot pedestrian bridge and using a brush cutter for mechanical site maintenance, I feel a bit stronger in that area! Overall, I’ve learned that my limits are larger than I think. The resilience of the salmon and native species we’ve witnessed all year long has really seemed to rub off on me.

 

The time to leave is bittersweet, with leaving my coworkers who have become friends and losing access to the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to, but having so much to look forward to. Both personally and professionally, I’ve labeled this chapter of my life “the best year yet”. The ‘yet’ part is key, as I look forward to using all I’ve gained this year. I will be starting my master’s degree at Northern Arizona University this coming fall, studying the effects of climate change on Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests and how to make them more resilient. I am looking forward to spending more time with my family, as well as discovering my hometown all over again as an adult.” – Connor Garrod, Restoration Associate

 

Connor, Clare, and Holly pulling ivy at Cottonwood Island

 

 

 

Connor and Clare, planting party extraordinaires, in matching gray rain jackets

“When I accepted the Education Associate position with Skagit Fisheries  in May of 2023 I had no idea the scope of all that I would learn and experience. After graduating college in December 2022, I was working as an environmental educator in Maryland, where I grew up. I fell in love with teaching and being outside all day. The curiosity of my students inspired me, and I decided I wanted to pursue this field in a new part of the United States. Skagit Fisheries gave me that opportunity and so much more.

 

When I moved to Washington I had no knowledge regarding salmon. Now looking back in July, I can see clearly how much I have learned. I have met so many amazing people of all ages and walks of life ranging from elementary students to the public at outreach events. In more cases than not, I found myself filling the role of student. Just a few of the awesome experiences I have had in my 10.5 month term have been raising coho, beach seining, stewarding restoration sites, planting trees, and seeing salmon spawn. I got out of my comfort zone many times this year. I never thought I would be able to help plan events as big as Earth Day and Trivia Night, but with the guidance I received at Skagit Fisheries I was able to do all of this. I am grateful for all the people I have met this year and how this position has helped me solidify what I hope to accomplish for the rest of my career. 

Following my term I hope to continue working as an environmental educator.  I decided that my time in Washington is not over yet, and will be extending my stay for a bit longer. I look forward to the opportunity to grow more and expand on the experiences I have gained as an AmeriCorps member at Skagit Fisheries.” – Clare Spain, Education Associate

 

Thank you both for your hard work and enthusiasm this year – you will be missed, but we can’t wait to see what you both go on to do in the future!

-Holly Henderson, Communications and Development Coordinator

Farewell AmeriCorps!

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As we say goodbye to our 2021-2022 AmeriCorps associates, we asked them to share some insights into their experience serving at SFEG. Here’s what they had to say:

 

Megan Cahill – Education Associate

I was unaware of the impact Skagit Fisheries would have on me when I first arrived at the office in Mount Vernon. Now 10 months later I am left with a greater sense of purpose about what direction I want to grow into both career and lifestyle. Through the trials and tribulations, I feel confident that my time at Skagit fisheries will stay with me as inspirational material in as I pursue getting my teaching certificate in mid-level sciences.

I spent the first few years after college working in positions that found me in the educator type role. Whether it was working at an animal shelter, as a community outreach coordinator, or food insecurity coordinator, the most satisfying part of these positions involved teaching people and helping problem solve how to make problems better understood. And yet I was quickly transitioning through these jobs, rarely staying for longer than 1.5 years. It finally clicked with me early 2021 that I needed to explore being in an educator position with kids, outside of the classroom. Luckily SFEG was still accepting applications for the educator position for WSC, and within 2 weeks of applying, Lucy emailed me the news that I was hired for the position.

One of my most fond memories is when I delivered eggs for all 11 locations that were participating in Salmon in Schools.  No matter the age or size of classes, students were captivated by the tiny tupperware. Every time I would show students 300 eggs, they were confused that the number could be so big and yet the salmon so little. Handing students their own salmon solidified my confidence in their ability to keep the lives of the salmon in good care. You could see their heart swell with excitement when they were gifted responsibility over them. After the program ended, I like to imagine that students visit the streams we released those same salmon. That they tell their loved ones all not only what they named the fish but why it is good to have leaves in the creek, or the name of a native plant, or what salmon nests are called. Learning is not difficult to cultivate when you can hold life in the shape of a small orange ball.

 

Casey Hart – Habitat Restoration Associate

It is hard to believe my time with Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, (first as a WCC crew member and then as the WSC Riparian Restoration Associate) has already come to an end. When I began my time on the WCC crew, I had little knowledge of salmon enhancement. I learned how valuable and complex restoration work is, and how critically important salmon enhancement is for the health of the Skagit river ecosystems and communities. I gained skills of teamwork and grit, and now have so much respect for crews and technicians working all day in PNW weather conditions. As my WCC time ended, I wanted to continue to help out and learn from SFEG, and did just that as the AmeriCorps Riparian Restoration Associate.

As a WSC member, I learned how to manage a nursery, met incredible volunteers through leading planting and potting events, and have been filled with so much happiness watching the excitement and interest of students on SFEG field trips. I will always reminisce on my time hiking Ennis Creek to conduct spawner surveys and will never forget the pure joy of my first time watching coho salmon guard their redds. Throughout my time I was able to shadow SFEG staff to learn key skills to help me on my career path.  My time with SFEG came to an end too soon, but I could not have had a better ending with a very successful Earth Day event that my fellow WSC members and I worked hard to plan all year.

These experiences and the skills I gained the past two years allowed me to land a dream job as a Research Associate for Ross Strategic: a consulting company where I will apply the skills I gained through SFEG to continue to tackle environmental issues. I cannot be more grateful for the SFEG staff who have both helped me blossom into my career path and work hard every day to make a difference in the salmon restoration world and the Skagit community.

 

Sam Mackin – Community Engagement Associate

After 10 months of serving with Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, my AmeriCorps service term is finally coming to an end. This is a difficult concept to wrap my head around because somewhere along the line in those 10 short months, SFEG started feeling like home. It isn’t often that a place of work can elicit such a feeling, but due to the nature of my position, the community we’ve cultivated, and our amazing, dedicated staff, I’m not surprised in the slightest that I already miss it. It feels like only yesterday that I was excitedly touring the office for the first time, not wanting to go home at the end of the day. Of course, that was likely because I was a newcomer to Washington at the time, and I didn’t have a sense of belonging yet. Only a year prior was I fresh out of college and working as a grocery delivery driver in Virginia, and though I didn’t hate the work, I longed to be doing something that would make me feel more fulfilled. That’s why I was overjoyed when I was accepted to the position of Community Engagement Associate at SFEG. It had been my dream to work in the environmental field ever since I graduated, and I now had a chance to make it come true.

My day-to-day work was everything I could have hoped for given the communications skillset that I had acquired in college. I was able to apply my knowledge to further the efforts of SFEG by posting on social media, maintaining our website, managing volunteer records, and coordinating volunteer events. Interacting with volunteers was one of the highlights of my time here; it was so refreshing to work with such a dedicated group of people who chose to spend their free time assisting with our various salmon restoration projects. The enthusiasm that they demonstrated in helping the environment also extended to the staff I had the pleasure of working with. Being a part of such a passionate team inspired me to always do my best to make a positive impact in some way, no matter how big or small.

As I exit my service, I will continue to chase the feeling of fulfillment that I found at Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, but it’ll be a tough act to follow. Thank you to AmeriCorps and the Washington Service Corps for providing this opportunity, and to the amazing staff and volunteers who made this an unforgettable experience.

 

AmeriCorps Position Open – Education Associate

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Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group seeks an individual to fill a Washington Service Corps Individual Placement position. Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group is a private non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and protection of salmon resources. Our goals are primarily met by educating and involving the community in hands-on stream restoration activities. This position assists with environmental education activities related to salmon habitat enhancement. Much of the position entails the delivery of education and outreach programs to kids and adults in and out of the classroom.

Pay: Monthly stipend of $1,450 through AmeriCorps program
Duration: September 1, 2021 – July 15, 2022
Benefits: Health Insurance provided by AmeriCorps program. After completing 1700 hours of service an education award of $6,195 is available from AmeriCorps

Requirements

  • Must be at least 18 years old at the time of enrollment
  • Must reside in Washington State at time of enrollment
  • Must be able to provide own transportation (mileage will be reimbursed)
  • Must be willing to commit to 40 hours per week for the entire duration of the placement
  • Interest and education related to environmental education
  • Knowledge of salmon and watershed ecology
  • Excellent organizational skills and communication skills (both written and verbal)
  • Comfortable using Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Responsibilities and Duties

  • Assist with the development of school-based education programs in local watersheds
  • Deliver educational programs for students both in and out of the classroom
  • Assist with implementation of Junior Stream Stewards and Salmon in the Classroom programs by organizing regular classroom activities for K-12 students as well as coordinate field trips and service projects
  • Plan and lead service-learning projects for local students
  • Assist with coordination of volunteers for riparian planting activities to restore local salmon streams
  • Manage student interns assisting with education programs
  • Assist other AmeriCorps Members with occasional field monitoring (spawner surveys and vegetation surveys)

Apply Today HERE

Please direct questions to Lucy DeGrace: ldegrace@skagitfisheries.org (360) 336-0172 ext 301
*Applications accepted until the position is filled