March 4-11 is AmeriCorps Week.  Since 1997 SFEG has been fortunate to have one or more members of one or more branches of AmeriCorps serving to complete salmon habitat restoration and community engagement programs in the Skagit and Samish River watersheds.

KayLani Siplin and Taylor Schmuki

This year KayLani Siplin, serving through Washington Service Corps, is teaching local youth about salmon habitat and engaging them in service-learning projects to cultivate a sense of stewardship of our natural world.

Casey Costello, from WCC year 2011-12

Taylor Schmuki, serving through Washington Conservation Corps, is coordinating our native plant nursery and assisting our field staff with on-the-ground salmon habitat restoration projects.

In addition, each year SFEG employs the services of at least one Washington Conservation Corps crew of 6 individuals and others to help implement salmon habitat restoration projects throughout our project boundaries.  Since 1997 no fewer than 36 young men and women have passed through SFEG’s doors as AmeriCorps members, and many more as members of AmeriCorps crews.  Four of those were subsequently hired on as SFEG staff. In that time, they have potted and planted hundreds of thousands of native plants, counted thousands of spawning salmon, engaged thousands of people in stewardship, and much more.  SFEG and many other nonprofits around the country

Mitch Biggs, WCC crew leader, shows that it’s not all glamorous work!

simply could not have done all that we have without them!

Katie Lutz, WSC 2011-12