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Island Conservation Corps Crew Members

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Cohort 3, 2022-2023

 

Eve Bernhard

Eve (she/her) grew up among the ancient mountains and fertile river valleys of the Atlantic Northeast, and much of her childhood was spent barefoot in uncut meadows and pathless forests, and devouring a wide variety of books. Much of Eve's work in the world has been in the tending and studying of plants and animals. She has cared for and researched a menagerie of creatures ranging from subalpine butterflies to tiny, endangered cacti to ducks to whitebark pine trees to goats. Eve has a sincere interest in all sorts of fields, forests, and waterways. Among many hats worn: farmer (sometimes on faraway lands), goatpacker (in Wyoming and Utah), nature mentor/outdoor educator, dog walker, seed collector, snowshoe guide, and librarian. Most recently, prior to the ICC, Eve spent five years working as a seasonal Biological Science Technician for the North Cascades National Park, doing primarily native plant propagation and ecological monitoring. These days, when not participating in ICC-related projects, she can most often be found tending to the goats and gardens of Island Thyme Farm, or painting, writing, and frolicking in wild spaces with her sweet hound Nootka!

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June Haselton

June (she/they) was raised on an island surrounded by a big loving family and tightly knit community. Over the years, she has worked on farms, in permaculture landscaping, and with children. June studied herbalism and botany, spent a lot of time outside observing ecology, and a lot of time inside with her crafts. June is currently most passionate about bringing prescribed fire back to the land. She has mentors, friends, family, and plant communities to thank for being her teachers in this ongoing process of learning to be in reciprocal relationship to the landscapes around her. 

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Campbell Mishel

Campbell (he/him) developed a deep love for the outdoors and deep ecology playing in the woods of Colorado where he grew up. This inspired himto get a degree in sustainability studies from Colorado Mountain College. The desire for more hands on experience and to continue growing his knowledge about ecology is what drew Campbell to the ICC. He was also ready for a change of scenery! Campbell's current goals for the ICC is to continue to learn as much as possible different restoration work. His goals for the future are to possibly continue with ICC in the masters program and to find meaningful work that allows him to be a steward of the environment. 

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Noah Link

Noah (he/him) moved to the San Juans this fall from Michigan, where he grew up and went to school. After running a market farm in central Detroit for many years, Noah went back to graduate school to study environmental economics. He is interested in ICC’s work on biochar and other ways to sequester carbon through ecological restoration and permaculture. When not working in the woods, Noah enjoys hiking with his partner Andy and dog Henry, rock climbing, kayaking, drawing and printing, puzzles and games, cooking, and playing guitar.

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Brendan Casey 

​Over the last couple years Brendan's love affair with the state of Washington has only become increasingly hopeless. Brendan (he/him) spent most of hisyoung adulthood in his home state of Montana working in both the outdoor and indoor industries as a trail worker, landscaper, barista, and musician. Brendan moved to Washington in the Spring of 2021 to work as a kayak/adventure guide here in the San Juans and surrounding area and has found no end to his ever growing affinity and curiosity about the natural wonders this place has to offer. He loves learning about natural systems and trying to figure out what the most skillful way is to interact with them. Brendan hopes to find a career in the outdoor industry that keeps him active and helps to connect people with their environment in a healthy and sustainable way.

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Libby Taylor-Manning

Libby (she/her) graduated from Western Washington University this past spring where she studied environmental science and chemistry and was a member of the Climate Leadership Certificate program with the Sustainability Engagement Institute. Libby is from Seattle, WA where she was introduced to ecological restoration and environmental issues through volunteer work with the Student Conservation Association. Since interning with the Twisp Tree Board in the Methow Valley and experiencing the Cedar Creek fire of 2021, Libby became interested in forest ecology and the effects of wildfires as an ecological disturbance and a culturally impactful process. This summer she had the opportunity to work on field research investigating the effect of wildfires on early seral plant communities and fuel loads in Western Cascadia. Libby hopes to learn more about the special ecosystems and fire regimes of the islands this year while getting to interact more with the land and people. 

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Maggie Long

Maggie (she/her) grew up in the PNW and has returend home after six years in the Bay Area where she completed her bachelors in economics and pursued a career in equestrian vaulting. Coming from the country's largest food producer and with a love for local, seasonal cooking, herinterest in land conservation originally lay in preserving and improving working farm lands. Maggie is enjoying the opportunity to learn about the management of public lands and is happy for the excuse to spend her days working outdoors. In her free time, she continues to vault on Vancouver Island, working on a local farm, and enjoying all that the Islands have to offer!

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Cohort 2  — MA Students, 2021-2023
 

 

Susan Ridl

Susan (she/her) was born into a farming community in central North Dakota. She spent most of her youth in Wyoming, surrounded by tales of western adventure and exploration, and seeing the Union Pacific Railroad, wild horses, bison, elk, moose, trout, and rattlesnakes in her backyard. Susan earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology in Salt Lake City, Utah. She then went on to learn from some of the best technicians and veterinarians in the industry in an AVMA accredited veterinary technology program in Florida, while volunteering at a local marine rehab center, helping rehabilitate sea turtles. Susan is a licensed veterinary technician in Washington state. For the past 2 years she has been working as a caregiver at the local hospital on San Juan Island as a Phlebotomist and Laboratory Assistant. Susan enjoys getting her hands dirty: remodeling her home, building a garden, wood-working, and learning how to care for indoor and outdoor plants. She occasionally gets the urge to try cooking something new that is sweet or savory like panna cotta. Susan is passionate about supporting local businesses and farms, and reducing her spending within monopolies. She spends alot of time with her honey Oswyn and their 4 mischievous furbabies. Susan feels very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work alongside and learn from professionals in the field that, like her, are a little bit wild for the wilderness. 

 

Julia Jaquery

Julia (she/her) has a background is in human biology, but she fell in love with the woods through forest defense activism in so-called Oregon, in Kalapuya and Molalla territories mainly. This guided her to pursue training as an herbalist, identifying and wildcrafting medicine and food plants of Eastern and Western ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. Julia honors the Native peoples who have loved and tended to the prolific and beautiful landscapes that are her greatest teachers, and she looks forward to continuing to cultivate honorable stewardship practices and right-relationship with the Samish, Coast Salish, and Lummi lands and people.

 

Bernard Cowen

Bernard (he/him) has a formal education in GIS and Cartography, but has always tried to soak up any knowledge of the outside world that he could. He spent many hours volunteering at the environmental non-profit Cascadia Wildlands learning about public land timber sales and forest defense movements. Since graduating from University of Oregon, Bernard has been doing cartographic design work and GIS for Green Trails Maps where he has helped produce recreation maps in a handful of Oregon Wilderness areas. Bernard enjoys playing music, frisbee and soccer or adventuring in his van going backpacking or surfing. He also like to spend time alone reading or playing video games. 

 

Yuki Wilmerding

Yuki (she/her) grew up on San Juan Island and for also for a short time on Stuart Island. She feels a deep connection to this place, which has only deepened after the work with ICC and  learning about ecological systems. Her current joys include adventures with her doggo Douglas (yes, named after the tree) and any time she can spend in, or on, the ocean. Yuki is starting classes to become a scientific diver and is doing grad work relating to eelgrass restoration using seeds! She has also recently found a passion for map making and am excited to complete her GIS course. Yuki would love to be hired to make maps throughout her career., where ever it may take her. One hobby that she will always be at odds with is her love to travel, but Yuki is finding that although staying in one place can be challenging, the benefits are numerous, so she is finding peace within that.