SJI Conservation Corps

The Madrona Institute has established the San Juan Island Conservation Corps (SJICC) as a youth stewardship program co-sponsored with the Stewardship Network of the San Juans.   Major funding is being provided by the National Park Service, with financial support from the Bureau of Land Management.  Local financial support is being provided by the San Juan Island Community Foundation, San Juan Masonic Lodge No. 175, and the United Way of San Juan County.  The SJI Conservation Corps offers young people in grades 7-9 with age-appropriate learning experiences in ecosystem stewardship.  Working closely with the award-winning Lopez Island Conservation Corps, the San Juan Island program began this past summer.  The SJI Conservation Corps recruited crewmembers at Friday Harbor Middle School and Spring Street International School.   The SJI Conservation Corps emphasizes field science/natural history, service learning, and leadership skills training on San Juan Island in partnership with San Juan Island National Historical Park, Bureau of Land Management, Lime Kiln Point State Park, San Juan County Park, San Juan County Land Bank, and the San Juan Preservation Trust.  Sarah Hanson serves as Program Manager of the SJICC, and the current program management team includes: Katie Fleming, Friends of the San Juans; Sharon Massey, Spring Street International School; Doug McCutchen, SJC Land Bank; Jerald Weaver, National Park Service; and Jenny Wilson, Friday Harbor Middle/High School.

Working closely with the Lopez Island Conservation Corps, the Madrona Institute is poised to help launch the Orcas Youth Conservation Corps (OYCC) this summer on Orcas Island.  The larger vision of these three conservation corps is to coordinate an integrated and cooperative set of youth stewardship programs among the three main islands of the San Juans.