Boots on the ground: Members clean, pack, and plant to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Every year, our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) members join AmeriCorps programs across the country to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a “day on” rather than a “day off.” On MLK Day of Service, members transform Dr. King's life and teachings into community service that empowers individuals and helps solve social problems. Let's take a look at some projects our members arranged this year!

Left to right: Members Raechal Burke, Jordan Billheimer, Presley Barbo, Emma Mobley, and Allie Trister spent MLK Day serving the non-profit organization Homeless Backpacks, in Lacey, packing bags of food for youth experiencing homelessness. Photo contributed by Raechal Burke.

Packing bags for food assistance  

One of our field crews in Tumwater took a break from planting trees and shrubs to help make sure youth experiencing homelessness had food for the following weekend. Members packed bags of food with Homeless Backpacks in Thurston County, an organization that provides free bags of food for middle and high school youth for the weekend, when government-supported meals are not available.

Members also served food or conducted inventory at 13 different food pantries or shelters across the state, including FISH Community Food Bank in Kittitas County, Everett Food Bank in Snohomish County, and Helping Hands Food Bank in Skagit County.

Mailing books to support education

Another field crew in Tumwater supported enrichment and educational opportunities for incarcerated people across the country through the nonprofit Books to Prisoners Olympia in Thurston County.

“It was a heartwarming and rewarding experience,” said WCC AmeriCorps member Grace McLarty. “We got to choose books based on letters we received, and write letters to incarcerated people.” The crew rounded out their day leading volunteers in invasive species removal with Capitol Land Trust. “We had an amazing day and are grateful to have been able to serve our communities,” Grace said.

Left to right: Members Julie Pick, Mason Haynes, and Rainer Connelly select books for specific prisoners based on hand-written letters. Photo by Grace McLarty.

Building and painting walls for accessible housing 

WCC members built homes, assembled furniture, and improved facilities at 15 different affordable housing or senior housing organizations across the state. In Jefferson, Pierce, and Skagit counties, members assisted with painting and construction activities with the global nonprofit housing organization Habitat for Humanity.

One of our crews cleaned rooms and facilities at Admiral House in King County, one of Plymouth Healing Communities’ apartment buildings. Plymouth Healing Communities provides housing and companionship to people living with housing instability and mental illness. Staff and residents invited our WCC members to enjoy food and conversation together after they wrapped up cleaning tasks, and our members shared that turned out to be a highlight of the day.

“My favorite and most challenging aspect of my MLK day of service experience was that it required me to exercise a completely different set of skills than the ones we use in our usual line of project work,” said AmeriCorps member Jon Simo. “Socializing with the residents is a skill that comes the least naturally to me than any other. However, that was precisely what made it so rewarding for me. I got to meet and help people from very different walks of life from my own.”

Planting trees for healthy ecosystems

Left to right: Members Bryan Sibrian, Ben Papadopoulos, Malise Yun, Abby Jackson, Lilya Jaeren, Tyler Ransier,
and Gabby Alampay. Photo contributed by Lilya Jaeren.

Seven Individual Placement AmeriCorps members opted to serve outdoors for their MLK Day of Service with Nisqually Land Trust in Thurston County. Together with community volunteers, they planted more than 1,000 native trees and shrubs.

“All seven of us do monitoring for our everyday projects so it was nice to do some environmental restoration, and good exercise digging holes and hammering stakes into the ground,” said Lilya Jaeren, who serves on the state Department of Natural Resources' Aquatic Reserves Team. “It was nice to know that our efforts will have a positive impact on the Nisqually River Watershed.”

In addition, a handful of crew members honed their leadership skills by teaching community volunteers about safety and planting techniques for a restoration event at Whatcom Falls Park in Skagit County, with Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, City of Bellingham, and Washington Trails Association. In total, volunteers planted 592 native shrubs, ferns, and trees, re-planted more than 2,000 feet of social trails, spread almost 50 cubic yards of mulch, and removed almost 10 cubic yards of invasive Himalayan blackberry, English holly, and English ivy!

These activities will help improve habitat for salmon and octher wildlife along Whatcom Creek, and hopefully inspire local residents to continue getting their hands dirty and building community by attending future volunteer events.

Honoring Dr. King's legacy all year

Our WCC joins thousands of AmeriCorps members, community members, and organizations across the nation in striving to honor Dr. King's legacy every day. As an AmeriCorps program focusing on environmental stewardship, WCC commits to continuing conversations about justice and service, creating a service atmosphere where all can thrive, and working to ensure service opportunities are available to everyone.

Boots on the ground: AmeriCorps members embark on environmental projects statewide

Our 300 Washington Conservation Corps AmeriCorps members are three months into their 11-month service terms, gaining valuable hands-on field skills and supporting critical restoration and trail enhancement projects. Join us for a tour across the state to learn about a few of their accomplishments so far!

 Part of our Kirkland crew gathers around the nurse log they created. Photo by Kelli Sheldon.

Simulated nurse log boosts educational accessibility in King County

City of Kirkland is a new year-long partner for WCC and members are supporting the city’s Green Kirkland Partnership during their 11-month term. The program features collaboration between City of Kirkland, nonprofit partners, businesses, and the community to work toward restoring and maintaining more than 500 acres of urban parks and green spaces across the city.

Among our Kirkland crew’s first projects was a unique chance to support both education and physical accessibility efforts in the city’s McAuliffe Park. AmeriCorps members created a simulated nurse log in a more accessible space to educate the public about traditional old growth forest elements.

“A nurse log is a fallen tree that creates a nutrient rich habitat for young seedlings as it decays,” said crew supervisor Kelli Sheldon. Having a nurse log labeled in a public park affords people the opportunity to learn about ecosystem benefits they provide without requiring visitors hike on technical or uneven trail terrain.

AmeriCorps members started the project with a large poplar tree log. Members used handsaws, circular saws, and Pulaskis (a hand tool used to fight wildfires) to form a small trench on the top of the log. Then they planted a hemlock tree and red huckleberry bush. Finally, they covered the log with a thick coating of moss that grows naturally on nurse logs and provided moisture for the freshly planted vegetation.

A WCC AmeriCorps member enjoys the sunshine as she plants the tree sapling. Photo by Kelli Sheldon

“The crew had a great time constructing the nurse log. It was a great opportunity for us to try out some new hand tools and get creative,” Sheldon said. The AmeriCorps members supporting City of Kirkland shared they value the variety of projects and learning opportunities the city has offered.

“We served at one restoration site early in the year that was less than half an acre in size, yet we discovered and removed more than 10 different types of invasive species from that single site,” said AmeriCorps member Celia Thurman. “Not only was this a huge learning opportunity for the crew and me to learn how to identify these species, but I got to know how to manage each differently as well.”

This fall, members have supported restoration efforts at seven different Kirkland public parks,  improving 1.5 acres for to benefit the public while planting 292 native trees and shrubs.

Isthmus Trail gets a lift in Kilisut Harbor

In November, AmeriCorps members serving North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC) spent a week improving the Isthmus Trail at Kilisut Harbor in Jefferson County. Members improved 88 feet of the trail leading to the beach, including building more stairs and adding a railing to ensure public safety and accessibility for community members.

“The crew groomed the remainder of the pathway leading to the beach so it was more clearly-defined and easier to traverse,” said AmeriCorps member Torin Blake.

AmeriCorps member Christian Akers installs rebar as part of the trail construction project.
Photo contributed by Owen French.

Finally, the crew planted 25 native shrubs around the staircase to prevent erosion and increase wildlife habitat. The trail improvements are part of the larger Kilisut Harbor Restoration Project, led by NOSC, that will create intertidal habitat by restoring the tidal connection between south Kilisut Harbor and Oak Bay.

Members support salmon recovery along upper Yakima basin

WCC AmeriCorps members serving the Yakama Nation collaborated with Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group (MFEG) in mid-October to plant native trees and shrubs along a section of the North Fork Teanaway River in Kittitas County. Since the area was first designated for restoration in 2011, the final phases of this restoration project are long time coming.

In summer 2019, MFEG contracted to have several carefully engineered large woody debris structures installed in the river. The structures support salmon habitat by slowing water flow and creating small rearing pools ideal for juvenile salmon.

AmeriCorps member Isabel Casillas puts the finishing touches on a native tree along the North Fork Teanaway River. Photo by Laura Schlabach.

To restore the spaces affected by heavy log-installation equipment, AmeriCorps members led nine volunteers from Trout Unlimited who served 54 hours planting native trees and shrubs. The native plants will help secure the soil and protect the river from erosion.

In nearby Cle Elum, members also planted 4,500 native trees and shrubs along the Yakima River in six days. The vegetation will prevent erosion and eventually improve salmon habitat by shading and cooling the water, making it more conducive for spawning.

Padilla Bay visitors learn about salmon life-cycle

In addition to field crew opportunities, WCC offers an internship program called the Individual Placement (IP) program. IP Izzi Lavallee serves as an education coordinator at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Skagit County. She is part of a team that teaches free monthly educational programs for Mini Explorers (ages 3 to 5) and Junior Ecologists (ages 6 to 9).

AmeriCorps member Izzi Lavallee.
Photo contributed by Izzi. 

"Each month we cover a host of different estuary related topics including curriculum like 'Awesome Eagles,' 'Marvelous Mammals,' 'Camouflage Critters,' or 'Elegant Eelgrass,'" Izzi said.  She describes an inspiring moment during a recent Junior Ecologist program.

“We learned about the importance of salmon ecologically and culturally, their role in the ecosystem, and the stages of their lifecycle. At the end of the class, I read ‘Salmon Creek’ by Annette LeBox and Karen Reczuch. It is a sonorous story about the lifecycle of salmon, told through the intimate lens of a particular Pacific wild salmon named Sumi,” she said.


The story concludes with Sumi completing her lifecycle and spawning her very own nest of eggs – known as redds. Izzi describes illustrations that beautifully capture eagles, otters, and bears feasting on the sea’s bounty, and poetic words that detail the creek’s fresh, earthy smell imprinting on Sumi’s eggs (the next generation of salmon who will return to spawn near the nest someday).

“The author leaves space for the audience to infer that Sumi has died,” Izzi said.  “A little girl with a sad and concerned look on her face asked, ‘Did Sumi die?’”

Izzi responded by gesturing to the salmon life cycle they had all drawn on the board, and it dawned on the children that Sumi’s life ended.

Izzi asked the youngsters, “Who else was able to live on in the story?”

Many small faces turned hopeful, especially after a little girl replied, “The bear and the eagle and her babies got to live because of her sacrifice” while a young boy chimed in confidently, “The cycle continues forever and ever!”

“It made me tear up a bit,” Izzi reflected. “This is why we do place-based environmental education. These kids are making connections, developing an understanding of ecology, finding love and meaning in these ecosystems. These kids are our future. Given access to rich, nourishing education, these kiddos will grow into strong advocates, stewards and protectors for our salmon creeks, for our home.”

Members distribute salmon carcasses in Chiwawa River

Our Wenatchee Spike Crew spent the first half of October adding marine-derived nutrients to the Chiwawa River using a method many likely would deem too stinky for their liking: tossing in dead salmon carcasses.

WCC partner Cascade Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group (CFEG) is leading the five-year Chiwawa River Nutrient Enhancement Project to give the local waterway a nutrient boost.  Our AmeriCorps members quite literally carried the project in year two. During two back-to-back weeks, members carried 50-pound bags of condensed salmon carcasses (known as analogs or pellets) to dump into the beautiful Chiwawa River.

WCC AmeriCorps members carry heavy bags of salmon analogs
to distribute in the Chiwawa River. Photo contributed by CFEG.

CFEG timed the project to mimic the nutrients that would naturally occur after returning Chinook and Coho salmon spawn. The analogs will decompose and return nutrients to the river, which will in turn provide a food source for insects juvenile salmon eat.  By the end of the second week, members had dispersed 42,000 pounds of salmon analogs to the river.

Wildlife are not the only ones who benefit from nutrient enhancement; the project afforded new AmeriCorps members  an opportunity  to get to know one another. Before hauling each 50-pound bag of salmon analog through a mile-long trek to the river, they cheered “for the fish!” to one another before lifting a bag.

AmeriCorps member Kevin Wooldridge reflected on his first spike experience. "For me, there was so much more to the project than just dumping pellets into the river," he said. "This was an opportunity to spend quality time with the members of my crew. Being able to share the experience together was one of the best parts of the Chiwawa River Nutrient Enhancement Project!"

Boots on the Ground: Salmon carcasses make a splash in Chiwawa River

This is my first year as an AmeriCorps member with the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC). I serve on a “spike crew” – or travel assignment crew –  based out of Wenatchee.

WCC AmeriCorps member Kevin Wooldridge*

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and recently lived in New York City. I moved back to Washington this summer to be closer to family. I enjoy working outdoors and even once operated a smolt trap, so I knew WCC would be a good fit. Now, I’m just one month into the position but I believe the networking opportunities and hands-on experiences with our state, federal, and non-profit partners will help me decide if I want to pursue a career in the environmental field.

Day one: meeting my new crew

I met my fellow AmeriCorps members in Wenatchee on our first day of service, and we prepared for our first project on the Chiwawa River. Kelly Gilchrist, my crew supervisor,  and fellow crew members Khalil English, Rilea Dills, Chance Smith, and Bailey Haller are all awesome people with unique personalities. I look forward to serving alongside them. Since our first project was a spike, WCC provides food and lodging. So we got to stop along the way to purchase groceries. Then we headed out to meet the team from Cascade Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group (CFEG), our partner organization for our first project.

Project orientation: Chiwawa River gets a nutrient boost

Our task during the first half of October was adding marine-derived nutrients into the Chiwawa River. This meant tossing in thousands of pounds of salmon carcasses compressed into pellets (also called analogs)! As the analogs decompose, they return nutrients to the river. As insects move in to eat the pellets, they in turn become an excellent food source for juvenile salmon. Before we started unloading bags of stinky salmon pellets from a trailer into several truck beds, CFEG Executive Director Jason Lundgren gave us a brief introduction into what we would be doing and why. As we drove to the five-mile reach of the upper Chiwawa River where we would be applying the salmon analogs, I was impressed by the breathtaking mountains, crisp air, and fall colors. I had never been to the area before and even in the cold and rain it was easy to get distracted by all the sheer beauty that surrounded us.

“For the fish!” we all chimed in before hauling the 50-pound pound salmon pellet bags through a mile-long obstacle course of thick brush and fallen trees to access the riverside. We made trip after trip, stacking bags near the river until the trucks were empty. We then donned waders and made our way to different spots in the river, being careful to avoid areas with salmon egg nests – or redds. Some of the treatment spots required we wade long distances up or downstream, which was tiring but so much fun! The last step was cutting open the bags and pouring the nutrients evenly into the Chiwawa.

CCFEG and WCC carry heavy bags of salmon analogs through the Chiwawa River before dumping them in.*

Prioritizing safety on the daily

Although we did not know exactly what to expect on our first project, we knew what precautions to take along the way. It was important to wear enough layers and have extra socks handy on rainy, cold days to keep warm. Our strenuous activities also meant it was crucial to drink enough water and consume plenty of calories. To prevent accidents, we also had to be extremely careful how we placed our feet in the river. Although these seem like basic safety measures, being mindful of them was important to successfully complete the project.

By the second week, we were experts in hauling those stinky bags around. We learned the best way to carry them, cut them open, and effectively dump the pellets in the water. We knew all the trails to the river by heart and were prepared to face any weather. We dispersed a total of 42,000 pounds of salmon analogs into the Chiwawa River!  Because we were ahead of schedule, some of us got the opportunity to help Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife with electrofishing, a fun learning experience. Electrofishing is a common technique used to sample fish populations. Biologists deliver an electrical charge into a body of water to temporarily stun and collect the fish, record data, then release the unharmed fish back into the water.

L to R: Kelly Gilchrist, Bailey Haller, Kevin Wooldridge,

Rilea Dills, Chance Smith (not pictured Khalil English).*

Inspiration and bonding

I was inspired by CFEG staff members’ passion, drive, and ability to face adversity head on every day. The life of an environmentalist can be uncertain, and it is admirable these people are doing all they can to help save local wildlife. Everyone seemed to love the work, and their passion was contagious. The feeling of being part of something larger than myself kept me going when the cold or fatigue hit. I want to give a huge “thank you” to CFEG for their hard work, and making our first project experience memorable.

This project was so much more than just dumping pellets into the river. I got the opportunity to spend quality time with my fellow AmeriCorps members! Making communal dinners, playing cards and video games, and sharing stories next to the warm fireplace after a long day outdoors made everything so much better. Being able to share the experience together was one of the best parts of the Chiwawa River Nutrient Enhancement Project.

By Kevin Wooldridge, WCC AmeriCorps member, Wenatchee Spike Crew 
*Photos contributed by Kelly Gilchrist (1, 3) and Cascade Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group (2).

Enhancing and preserving wetlands large and small making critical difference

Washington Conservation Corps AmeriCorps members team up to plant native trees and shrubs throughout 9-acre wetland restoration site in the city of Monroe, recently renamed Foothills Wetlands Preserve. Photo courtesy Nikki Johnson.

With just a few days left in May, American Wetlands Month is winding down. We wanted to share our role in protecting, restoring, and managing Washington’s wetlands resources.

In Washington, wetlands cover about 2 percent—or 938,000 acres—of the state’s local land area. That may seem like a lot but in the past 230 years, Washington has lost about 31 percent of its wetlands, the places where water covers the soil, or is present at or near the soil surface either permanently or seasonally.

Filtering water, controlling erosion, and offering habitat refuge

Wetlands provide tremendous environmental and economic benefits. They help control flooding and erosion caused by stormwater runoff. Wetlands filter our water, keeping pollutants such as nutrients and heavy metals from our streams, rivers, lakes, and underground sources of drinking water.

These areas provide habitat for salmon that our endangered orca need to survive, and offer refuge for other fish and wildlife species. We depend on wetlands for fishing, boating, swimming and other recreation activities.

Ecology is committed to protecting the quantity and the quality of the state’s remaining wetlands, especially through the 1974 state Shoreline Management Act designed to protect and manage development along Washington’s 28,000 miles of freshwater and marine shorelines.

Programs focus on large-scale wetland restoration

While we work diligently to protect our remaining wetlands using strategies to avoid, minimize, and compensate for adverse wetland impacts, we are also investing in large-scale restoration projects such as Floodplains by Design, Wetland Mitigation Banking, and the Chehalis Basin Strategy. These programs are designed to restore, enhance, and protect our floodplains, watersheds, and wetlands, boost aquatic habitat, and reduce flood-related damages to our communities.

Washington Conservation Corps restoring, enhancing wetlands in Snohomish County

WCC AmeriCorps member plants native shrub at Jennings 

Memorial Park in Marysville. Photo by Bethany McAuliffe.

Smaller projects to restore, enhance, and preserve state wetlands are also critical. Through AmeriCorps, our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) program offers young adult and military veteran members a wealth of hands on experience, field skills, and training opportunities—including helping restore, enhance, and protect local wetland resources.

To complete trail and environmental restoration projects, WCC collaborates with a wide range of sponsors from around the state including local and tribal governments, state and federal agencies, and public-benefit nonprofit organizations.

Restoring Jennings Memorial Park wetland

For the past six years, Snohomish Conservation District has sponsored a WCC crew to support habitat restoration projects on private and public spaces throughout the county. Among the 2019 projects our crew has been focused on includes restoring a wetland area at Jennings Memorial Park in Marysville. These activities are funded through an Ecology grant through the Centennial Clean Water Program.

The 30-acre city park features walking trails, picnic areas, shelters, and ballfields. There is also a 16-acre wetland area dominated by invasive plant species including reed canary grass and bittersweet nightshade. Allen Creek, part of an 11-mile watershed that drains to Ebey Slough in the Snohomish River estuary, runs through the park. The creek’s wetlands offer important habitat for chum and coho salmon as well as other fish and wildlife species.

Jennings Memorial Park is the centerpiece of the city’s parks system where the public can enjoy nature and other outdoor recreation activities. In winter 2019, our six-person WCC crew planted more than 10 acres of trees in the park’s wetland area—a total of 16,500 willow stakes! On Earth Day 2019, the city and conservation district hosted an event in which volunteers planted another 1,500 native trees and shrubs to help restore and protect the wetland.

This summer, our crew will evaluate the site and take care of the 18,000 new plantings. And for the next two years, our AmeriCorps members will also continue planting native trees and shrubs at the wetland.

Kelli Sheldon, supervisor for the WCC crew serving Snohomish Conservation District, said: “This wetland restoration project is especially rewarding because so many members of the public approach us to ask questions and give their gratitude.”

North end of Jennings Memorial Park is now home to thousands of live staked willow trees, marked with flags to aid teams returning this summer to maintain the wetland site. Photo courtesy Kelli Sheldon.

Enhancing Monroe's Foothills Wetlands Preserve

The WCC crew serving the conservation district is also supporting another wetland restoration efforts at a 9-acre Foothills Wetlands Preserve in Monroe. Cripple Creek, a tributary to French Creek in the Snohomish River basin, runs through a portion of the wetlands serving as habitat for coho salmon and beaver. Unfortunately, invasive reed canary grass and bittersweet nightshade also dominate the wetlands park.

In 2016, our WCC crew began their wetland restoration effort at the park by installing beaver exclusion fencing along Cripple Creek. The fencing surrounds the majority of the project site in order to prevent beaver damage. In the three subsequent winters, AmeriCorps members have planted a whopping 25,025 native trees and shrubs and removed more than 8,000 square feet of bittersweet nightshade from the area.

“Due to its visibility from very busy State Route 2, this wetlands project has been very important to show what active restoration looks like to all who pass through the area,” Sheldon said.

This year, the city and Snohomish Conservation District worked together to rename the wetlands park through a contest for children age 9 to 14. The top suggestions were submitted to the Monroe City Council to make the final decision, and the park was officially renamed Foothills Wetlands Preserve on May 14!

By Kelli Sheldon, WCC AmeriCorps, and Curt Hart, Ecology communications

Boots on the ground: Restoring habitat through partnerships in Bellingham

On Earth Day 2019, Washington Conservation Corps is thrilled to highlight nearly two decades of close partnership with City of Bellingham. The City began sponsoring WCC field crews after the tragic 1999 Olympic Pipe Line explosion in Whatcom Creek. Our AmeriCorps members’ activities along Whatcom County’s rivers and streams have helped restore more than 160 acres of critical habitat on 70 properties throughout the City and Lake Whatcom watershed. Our members serving with City of Bellingham are continuing to improve habitat along these riparian corridors to help restore local salmon runs that have suffered due to increased urbanization.

Donning waders and counting fish

WCC AmeriCorps members record smolt trap data.
Photo contributed by Paul Argites and Nick Saling.

Sometimes, a day of service on these crews means donning hip waders and counting fish! Recently, AmeriCorps members helped build the City’s first smolt trap in Padden Creek. Smolt are juvenile salmon getting ready to migrate from fresh water to the ocean. Smolt traps temporarily and safely trap any fish migrating through a water passage. Our members learned the ins and outs of smolt trap construction, and continue to help monitor these traps. In Spring 2018, members recorded more than 3,689 juvenile fish in the Padden Creek trap in a single day! 

Evaluating how fish are using a creek after habitat enhancement plays an important role in efforts to recover salmon.  “This documentation benefits these species by informing future restoration designs as well as providing data to support funding future enhancement projects,” said Sara Brooke Benjamin, coordinator for Bellingham’s environmental monitoring program.

Daylighting Padden Creek

Our members installed more than 15,000
native plants as part of the Padden Creek
Daylight project. Photo by WCC/Ecology.

The smolt trap in Padden Creek help researchers learn about the effectiveness of the Padden Creek “daylighting” project. City of Bellingham re-routed a large section of the creek that had flowed through a concrete tunnel since the 1890s. The City constructed a nearly mile-long creek channel to replace the tunnel. Members kicked off the planting phase of the project, installing more than 15,000 native plants and ensuring freshly installed plants survived their first spring. The project has helped restore fish passage, improve water quality, and reduce flood risks for nearby residents.

WCC crews also conducted surveys for spawning salmon and their nests, called “redds.” During spring 2016, crew members walked about two miles of Padden Creek, searching for salmon and redds and recording data. Those surveys revealed that chum salmon can now access and are spawning in parts of the creek previously inaccessible to them!

Engaging the community

In addition to the restoration activities, community engagement plays an important role in project success. “The crews facilitated greater community understanding and participation by helping host three community work parties along our City streams,” said Analiese Burns, habitat restoration manager for City of Bellingham. “These crew members have contributed to our quality of life and in return, they leave with the skills necessary to continue their career of service.”

Watch a smolt trap in action

Visit City of Bellingham’s website to watch a short video on how smolt traps work, and visit Ecology's website to learn more about riparian restoration efforts in Whatcom County and statewide.

This could be your office! WCC AmeriCorps members serving in Skagit County
take a lunch break. Photo contributed by Josh Boswell.

Join WCC

We are currently accepting applications for 3-month member positions! Learn more and apply on our website. Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps.

Boots on the ground: WCC answers deployment calls to the Carolinas and Florida

In addition to planting native trees and shrubs along rivers and streams, and building hiking trails, our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) members provide disaster services in Washington and across the country. Our members and supervisors have assisted communities after fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, oil spills, and more. So far this fall, our members have been deployed to South Carolina and Florida to assist families after devastating hurricanes. Learn more about our latest deployments below!

Last Sunday, Dec. 2, 36 AmeriCorps members and WCC staff departed for North Carolina and Florida to assist communities after Hurricanes Florence and Michael made landfall. Members will collaborate with AmeriCorps programs from around the nation to remove hazard trees, install roof tarps, muck and gut structures, and serve as command staff to help organize the overall response effort.  Learn more about current WCC community assistance and recovery activities in a recent blog.

Our AmeriCorps members install a tarp on a home in Florida.
Photo contributed by Chelsea Krimme.

Continuing response in Florida 

Our AmeriCorps members have been serving in Florida since mid-October. The first wave of AmeriCorps members helped set up response operations in Tallahassee, train additional AmeriCorps program members, and returned home to Washington Nov. 20.

Full of fresh energy, a second wave of 24 members and supervisors arrived in Florida this past weekend, ready to hit the ground running! They spent their first few days in Panama City training on how to install roof tarps, learning command staff roles, and getting ready to move into the field to assist people and communities impacted by Hurricane Michael. Primary field projects will include removing debris and hazard trees from homes, structures, and yards. They will also potentially be involved in stripping homes down to the bare studs to remove water-damaged material and prevent mold. This activity is called “mucking and gutting.”

Chelsea Krimme, a WCC crew supervisor, demonstrates
how to safely remove a hazard tree. Photo contributed
by Leo Arias.

As of Nov. 12, AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams, also called A-DRTs, had removed 383 hazard trees and installed tarps or performed temporary repairs on 31 homes or structures in Florida.

Answering a call to North Carolina  

We have 12 WCC AmeriCorps members and supervisors teaming up with Utah Conservation Corps to assist communities in North Carolina, based out of the town of Willard. While several will hold command staff positions, the other 10 will serve as strike teams, assisting survivors with muck and gut projects. They are focusing on suppressing mold in homes and serving as a “mobile strike team unit” –  assisting prioritized homes and structures located farther away that have yet to receive assistance.

Support continues in South Carolina

Our second wave of members serving in South Carolina arrived in mid-November and they have already settled into their roles as part of command staff. AmeriCorps member Daja Curtis, serving as a media officer for AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team, was deeply affected by the effects of the storm immediately upon arrival.

Before moving out into the field, AmeriCorps members
receive training on tarp installation procedures.
Photo contributed by Chelsea Krimme.

“After only being here for three days, I have been touched by the stories and amazing spirits of the survivors,” Curtis said. “The homeowners I've been in contact with have been underserved and faced many hardships, but they stay hopeful doing everything they can to start their lives over with a smile on their face.”

As of Dec. 4, A-DRTs have cleared 3,539 cubic yards of debris and conducted mold suppression on 11 South Carolina homes.

Learn more about WCC

Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. Recruitment for 11-month positions in the 2018-19 year has wrapped up, but six-month positions will open in January 2019! See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more on our website. 

Boots on the ground: WCC assists communities after Hurricanes Florence, Michael

In addition to planting native trees and shrubs along rivers and streams, and creating and improving hiking trails, our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) members provide disaster services in Washington and across the country. Our crews and supervisors have assisted communities after fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, oil spills, and more. Join us for a closer look into our recent and ongoing deployments to South Carolina and Florida to assist communities after Hurricanes Florence and Michael made landfall.

Sixty-two AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team members gather in Bennettsville
in early November (about 60 percent of the entire team). Photo contributed
by Luke Wigle.

Starting off a new service year with disaster deployment

WCC’s 285 members kicked off a new year of AmeriCorps service on Oct. 1. And just two weeks later, 12 WCC AmeriCorps members and crew supervisors traded their shovels for deployment ID badges as they departed for South Carolina to assist communities after Hurricane Florence hit in September.

Our teams were charged with setting up operations for additional AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams (A-DRTs), and leading training sessions, such as cultural awareness, and safety, upon their arrival. Other tasks included managing volunteers and donations, and supporting call centers to record homeowners and community members’ existing projects and needs. They also headed out to the field to lead “muck and gut” efforts – stripping a home down to the studs to remove water-damaged material.

As of Nov. 17, A-DRTs had cleared 2,800 cubic yards of debris from homes and yards, and mucked and gutted 70 structures among many other accomplishments!

WCC AmeriCorps member Seth Benish and supervisor Rob Crawford team
up on the first muck and gut project. Photo contributed by Kristine Solis.

Redirected to serve in Florida

After helping establish deployment operations in South Carolina, five of our 12 WCC AmeriCorps members and a supervisor traveled to Florida to start setting up similar operations in Tallahassee. Communities there also need assistance after the devastating effects of Hurricane Michael, especially on projects like hazard tree removal and roof tarp installation.

Our teams also welcomed incoming A-DRTs from six more AmeriCorps programs from other parts of the country, and provided initial training including how to install roof tarps effectively. 

As of Nov. 12, A-DRTs also had removed 383 hazard trees and installed tarps or performed 

temporary repairs on 31 homes or structures.

WCC AmeriCorps members remove debris from
a home in Florida. Photo contributed by Paolo Rosen.

 Fresh energy in South Carolina

Members serving the initial deployment to South Carolina returned home to Washington on Nov. 15, and our members serving in Florida will return home on Nov. 20. On Friday, Nov. 16, five additional WCC AmeriCorps members departed for South Carolina to continue serving communities affected by Hurricane Florence.

Learn more about what happens leading up to and during a disaster response assignment on our latest blog. If federal authorities request and our resources allow, WCC also stands poised to help other communities in other U.S. states and territories recover from recent natural disasters.

Learn more about WCC

Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. Six-month positions will open in January 2019! See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more on our website. 

A WCC AmeriCorps member learns how to safely install a roof
tarp. Photo contributed by Paolo Rosen.

Boots on the ground: How does WCC respond to out-of-state disasters?

Our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) provides disaster services in Washington and across the country. Our crews and supervisors have assisted communities after fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, oil spills, and more. Join us for a closer look inside the process of how we implement out-of-state deployments and a disaster response roundup from the AmeriCorps service year that we just concluded!

Our AmeriCorps members responded to severe flooding in Missouri in 2016.

WCC services requested at the federal level

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a direct partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps. When a disaster strikes, FEMA can leverage AmeriCorps members—including our Washington Conservation Corps—to assist disaster response efforts by issuing a “mission assignment” dedicating funds for direct service in identified, underserved communities affected by the disaster. 

How do AmeriCorps members fit in?

Nationwide, 17 programs collectively respond to disaster mission assignments. Working together, they form AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams or A-DRT. Many of these programs are similar to WCC, providing hands-on service opportunities to youth, young adults, and military veterans. 

A-DRT members gather for a photo during the third wave of
response efforts in Missouri in 2016.

‘How many crews can you send, and when can they arrive?’

When a disaster response assignment is likely, CNCS puts out a call for availability to all A-DRTs across the country. They report to FEMA how many A-DRT members are available, and when. 

In the WCC, our project coordinators manage our 52 crews and 19 individual placement AmeriCorps members. They work closely with WCC Program Director Nick Mott to determine if we are able to respond. WCC strives to respond as often as we can, while also prioritizing our habitat restoration and trail projects for our partners here in Washington. 

Upon finalizing the mission assignment, a flurry of travel plans and logistics begin. WCC staff and supervisors coordinate tools and supplies, order team identification badges, and make sure our AmeriCorps members have the information they need to pack for disaster deployments that can take them away from home for up to 30 days at a time.

WCC supervisors and members hold key leadership positions

With 15 years of disaster response experience, WCC often receives requests to take key leadership positions during disaster deployments. WCC supervisors often serve as incident commander, safety officer, or planning chief. From our experiences, WCC knows how to work in a formalized incident command structure. Their defined roles during deployments help ensure effective communication as well as smooth transitions between different waves of A-DRT members. While WCC deploys at least one of our five disaster response specialists each mission assignment, any WCC crew has the potential of deploying.

Personal protective equipment such as Tyvek suits and respirators
help keep members safe during field assignments.

After A-DRTs arrive, our WCC supervisors and AmeriCorps members lead and participate in trainings. They also set up forward operating bases or primary “hubs” in identified communities. This means another wave of details and logistics: securing food distribution, laundry and shower facilities, tool and equipment storage, and more!

Then, members head out to assist communities in need in the form of “strike teams.” AmeriCorps members receive training to complete a variety of field tasks, including:

• Removing hazard trees from homes and structures.

• Installing blue tarps and making temporary roof repairs. 

• “Mucking and “gutting” – a term for stripping a home to remove water-damaged material.

• Removing debris from homes and yards.

• Conducting mold suppression.

WCC’s training program also focuses on managing volunteers and volunteer reception centers as well as mental health, safety, and communications needs. 

Year-in-Review: 2017-2018 Disaster Response

In addition to restoring salmon habitat, planting native trees and shrubs, and building trails, the 2017-2018 AmeriCorps service year was a whirlwind of disaster response accomplishments! WCC embarked on the largest deployment in program history due to an unprecedented request from FEMA after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria made landfall in September 2017.

In six months, WCC deployed two-thirds of program member and staff to Texas, Florida, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico to assist underserved communities after these devastating hurricanes.

In response to the hurricanes, WCC and A-DRT:

• Mucked and gutted 611 structures.

• Cleared 53,979 cubic yards of debris from homes and yards.

• Temporarily repaired or installed tarps on 544 roofs.

• Sorted 132,713 pounds of donations.

• Removed 2,284 trees posing a hazard.

Our AmeriCorps members filled and placed sandbags in
three eastern Washington counties in May.

When local disasters occur, local and tribal government partners also request WCC assistance. In May, WCC deployed teams to fill and stack sandbags for residents in Ferry, Okanogan and Pend Oreille counties after severe flooding. We also responded to 12 wildfires, mostly in northwest Washington. In total, 258 members and staff provided nearly 120,000 hours to communities in need over the course of last year.

Learn more about WCC

Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. Recruitment for the 2018-19 year is just wrapping up, but six-month positions will open in January 2019! See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more on our website.

Our AmeriCorps members restore habitat for wildlife and salmon, and build and
maintain backcountry and urban trails across Washington.

Boots on the ground: Touring WCC projects across the state

From the peaks of the Olympic Mountains to the fields of Eastern Washington, our 53 (six-member) Washington Conservation Corps crews and 14 Individual Placement AmeriCorps members complete hundreds of restoration and habitat enhancement projects annually. Join us on a spin around the state to learn more about a few of the projects our AmeriCorps members have contributed to this year!

Assessing smolt traps along Padden Creek in North Puget Sound

This spring, WCC AmeriCorps members serving the City of Bellingham started checking smolt traps along Padden Creek - in some long-awaited sunshine! Several years ago, the City of Bellingham helped re-route – or “daylight” – a portion of Padden Creek that once ran through a tunnel. The project has helped restore fish passage, improve water quality, and reduce flood risks for nearby residents. Members played a key role in kicking off the planting phase of the city project, installing more than 15,000 native plants and ensuring freshly planted shrubs survived their first spring.

WCC AmeriCorps members and supervisor Paul Argites team up
to record data at a smolt trap along Padden Creek. Photo by Mitch Metcalf.

In addition, our restoration crews are often involved in installing and gathering data from smolt traps – structures in a stream that help measure the quantity of juvenile fish moving through a waterway. Members also conduct stream surveys and take photos using previously installed photo points.

Data from smolt traps along Padden Creek show how juvenile salmonids are using the creek following the 2015 daylighting project. On a single spring day, members recorded more than 400 juvenile fish in the traps.

Restoring the Klickitat River in Eastern Washington

In fall 2017, ten AmeriCorps members serving in Eastern Washington spent two weeks transporting and planting native trees and shrubs along a four-mile stretch of Klickitat River that provides habitat for threatened salmon and steelhead. Our members transported native plants as much as four miles a day by foot, planting 6,098 native trees and shrubs along the river.

Since the project required long hikes to reach planting sites, members learned about project preparation as well as proper techniques for planting in difficult, rocky soil.  

“Our days consisted of de-potting plants for a specific section, loading them in plant bags and starting our hike that was anywhere from a half-mile to four miles long, depending on what section we were at,” said WCC crew supervisor Leo Arias.

Members take a well-deserved lunch break along the Klickitat River.
Photo contributed by Adrianne Grimm.

The native vegetation will create shade for juvenile salmon and improve erosion control, important elements to the overall effort of helping the river reconnect with its floodplain.

The Klickitat River restoration project also involved adding large woody debris and re-establishing backwater channels to create more suitable habitat for juvenile salmon. Yakama Nation Fisheries  and non-profit Columbia Land Trust have been collaborating on the large-scale floodplain restoration project since 2007. 

Monitoring seagrass in Washington's Puget Sound aquatic reserves

Puget SoundCorps members serving the state Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Aquatic Reserves Program starting hitting Puget Sound beaches in April to support seagrass monitoring and more. DNR will use the data to learn more about seagrass, a critical component for a healthy nearshore ecosystem. 

WCC AmeriCorps member Lydia Mahr monitors common
eelgrass in a plot on Cypress Island Aquatic Reserve. Photo
contributed by Taylor Belisle.

What does collecting this data actually involve? Members place square plots along a transect – a long measuring tape – and record the species and numbers of all seagrass within the plot. They also collect sediment samples for examination back at the lab. AmeriCorps members also use temperature and light sensors to collect even more information about current water conditions. 

'Spring cleaning' the Overland Trail on Kitsap Peninsula

Our DNR crew serving in Tahuya in Kitsap County embarked on spring projects by getting the Overland Trail ready for seasonal hikers. The 18.5-mile trail, located near Belfair, was full of thick brush and downed trees after the blustery 2017-18 winter. With a summer of upcoming recreation support projects, the Overland Trail and surrounding trail networks afforded members a great opportunity to get in rhythm with multi-week trail projects.

During their first week, members navigated through a few power equipment glitches but the crew conquered initial tasks such as removing encroaching plants and brush, digging drainage structures to move water off the trail, and removing hazards such as sharp sticks and leaning but standing dead trees. 

Sometimes crews team up to complete trail projects! Here, 10 WCC
AmeriCorps members from two crews in northwest Washington gather on
a freshly-constructed section of the Harry-Osborne State Forest trail.
Photo contributed by Trevor Cassidy. 

“An extended trail assignment gives a crew the chance to get acquainted with a backcountry setting and developing efficiencies as they progress from week to week,” said supervisor Brennan Moores. “We have fallen into our grove of daily operations. Crew members are keying in on safety and continue to maintain our standard crew procedures: Safety, quality and quantity." 

A month into the project, our members completed activities on the Overland Trail and moved on to building fencing. They provided hikers with a trail free of hazards and drainage channels cleared of leaves. Their efforts also mean all-terrain vehicles are more likely to stay on the trail rather than driving through wooded areas to avoid standing water and harming sensitive understory plants.

Individual Placement Program members clean up Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail on Martin Luther King Jr Day

WCC Individual Placement member Stevie Knapp organized a debris cleanup along Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail for her Martin Luther King Jr Day project in February. Stevie scouted the project site before the event, but on the morning of the national holiday, she spotted a section of the creek that had gone unnoticed during their initial site visit.

“The area was filled with garbage, so much so that you could barely see the creek,” Stevie said, adding that members chose to refocus their efforts on the newly spotted section.

Since MLK Day this winter, Stevie has organized workshops
on Plastics Pollution and Policy for August 2018 as part of
her role as King Conservation District's education program
coordinator. Photo by Laura Schlabach.

After a welcome and safety talk, the five-person team donned gloves and grabbed some buckets to start collecting debris. Just four hours later, the team had collected 978 glass bottles, 20 cardboard containers, 150 plastic bags, 70 plastic food packaging items, 76 aluminum cans, and more miscellaneous items.

“This event goes to show that even with a small amount of people, you can make a big difference,” Stevie said.  The next day, she sent the data to Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group that advises ocean policy at federal and state levels.

Join WCC

Do you want to help the environment, meet great people and make a difference in your community? WCC is currently recruiting for the 2018-2019 AmeriCorps service year! Ecology's WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps.

See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set. Learn more and apply online today to become a WCC member: www.ecology.wa.gov/wcc