top of page

​

Island Conservation Corps Crew Members
​
Cohort 5, 2024-2025

 

​

​​

​Erin (they/them) grew up on a different island in the Salish Sea, Bainbridge Island. Spending their childhood biking, camping, and beach combing all around western Washington, Erin developed a deep appreciation for the natural world. While spending a term in college at the Friday Harbor Labs, they fell in love with the San Juans. After finishing a degree in biology at Whitman College and working in wildlife research and stream restoration, Erin is incredibly excited to be back in the islands. Through ICC, they hope to deepen their ecological knowledge and learn about responsible land management. Long term, they would love to be able to plan and implement restoration projects that incorporate research and indigenous knowledge. In their free time, they love to read, craft, and spend time outdoors.

​

​

​

​

Charlotte has spent most of her life surrounded by water. Growing up on Kent Island in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, her childhood was enriched by the exploration of the Eastern Shore’s woodlands and wetlands. It was through these every-day interactions with her local ecosystems that she developed a strong desire to understand and protect them. As an Environmental Science student at Dickinson College, Charlotte became engrossed in the flora and fauna of the Mid-Atlantic through field-based learning and research. Intent on experiencing a diversity of ecosystems, she spent a semester abroad at the Center for Marine Resource Studies in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Through her academic experiences, and as a student worker with the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM), Charlotte developed the strong belief that science should be accessible, collaborative, inclusive, and community-based. She was heavily influenced by the work of scholars such as Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, which strengthened her desire to use science as a tool to show gratitude and appreciation for the world. Charlotte now finds herself once again surrounded by water, this time a bit cooler than that of the Chesapeake Bay or Western Atlantic. She comes to the San Juan islands excited to explore yet another unique ecosystem, to learn from those who call these islands home, and to develop her own relationships with the land. 

​

​

Originally raised in Long Island, NY, Antonio brought his avid interests and inquiries in philosophy, environmental science, and terrestrial ecology with him along a winding trail leading to Friday Harbor, Washington. As a teenager, Antonio first connected with environmental science research during a grassland habitat management project, successfully re-establishing a long lost breeding ground for the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly. Soon after, these interests meandered and found home in Atlanta, GA, during his time as an undergraduate at Emory University. Studying resilience theory, consciousness theories, and classical music performance catalyzed a deepening of meaning for time spent interacting with environments, trees, people and culture. Upon graduating, Antonio spent years largely working in terrestrial ecology and environmental education fields in Alaska, California, Georgia, and Montana. In January of 2023, Antonio started a Masters degree in Environmental Studies at the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, with research interests in environmental thought, systems theory, environmental stewardship and empowerment theory. With graduation on the horizon in December of 2024, Antonio is exhilarated to be starting in this position and additional graduate program! In addition to these interests, Antonio spends his time climbing, mountain biking, playing and recording music, watching movies, and creating art.

​

​

Andi comes to the San Juan Islands from Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley. They were raised at the valley’s south end, in Eugene, and have been living at its north end, in Portland, for the last five years. Andi’s passion for the living world was developed in childhood, thanks to their parents, their friends, their generous community, and their non-human teachers. Andi brings excitement, commitment, conviction, anger, and grief with them into the world of ecological stewardship. Andi has witnessed the wanton destruction and simplification of the living world since their youth, and they are unwavering in their dedication to building a more resilient and adaptive future where some loss might be prevented and some joy might be preserved. Andi is actively asking, “How might this future be achieved?” “what would this future look like?” and “How can they be a proactive part of it?” So far, the answers that have come back to them sum up how ecological work begins and ends at the relationship level, and that systems that rely on domination (i.e. whiteness, colonization, capitalism, patriarchy, etc.) always lead to destructive relationships with the living world. Andi is working on building life-promoting relationships with other people and the rest of the living that surrounds us all. They aim to do this through careful observation, an eye to historic atrocities, question-asking, patience, and deliberate action. To find joy Andi plays with clay, reads books, rides their bike, and drinks tea with friends.  

​

​

Ana Henry (2nd Year)

Ana is a transplant from the Southwest. Growing up in Texas and spending summer’s in New Mexico and Colorado where she eventually went to school. Earning a bachelor’s in Environmental studies with a focus in biology and regenerative agriculture at Fort Lewis College, while maintaining a slew of odd jobs to support classes. Working as a babysitter, tutor, lab assistant, animal room helper, landscaper, greenhouse manager, horse rancher, and (the one that caught her heart the most) farmer. Farming on reconciled indigenous land alongside other native farmers cemented her passion for working with intentionality towards the land and its communities (and getting her hands dirty along the way). After graduating in December, Ana decided to bring this passion to the Northwest where she is eagerly learning all she can about this land and its peoples, with hopes of someday taking the knowledge back to her Cherokee community.

​

​

Genevieve Gislason (2nd Year)

Genevieve Gislason (they/she) grew up on San Juan Island, and like many other island kids, moved to Bellingham after high school to attend Western Washington University. They graduated in 2020 with a bachelors in Studio Art. Their art practice explores the idea that the mundane is sacred, using mediums such as linocut and woodblock relief prints, acrylic painting, and mixed media pieces integrating found objects to explore the liminal space between 2D and 3D artwork. In early 2021, Genevieve moved back to San Juan to work at New Hannah Farm, where they’ve been for the past 3 years. This experience highlighted the importance of local food systems and found that they vastly prefer working outside! They’ve found a fascination with soil health and a holistic approach to agricultural land management. Genevieve plans to keep their skillset in the San Juans, and hopes to find a career that combines their love of small scale agriculture with their desire to protect and manage the ecosystems of these incredible islands.

​​

​

Maya Virshup (2nd Year)

Maya (she/her) found her love of the outdoors and plant biology exploring the trails and diverse ecosystems of her home state, California. While working toward her Bachelors degree in biology from Whitman College, she was also lucky enough to experience the wonders of Washington’s wilderness and knew it was a place she wanted to learn more about and explore. After working in a biomedical research lab in Boston, she decided to make a switch into a biology field she felt more passionate about, ecology and restoration. This desire to gain hands on experience and a greater knowledge of ecological research led Maya to the ICC, where she is excited to help restore and experience the beauty of the San Juan Islands (and get to work outside)! Maya is specifically interested in learning on how to combat effects of climate change through restoration and learn about the way in which collaborative restoration efforts are implemented. In her free time Maya enjoys trail running, rock climbing, biking, and swimming in most bodies of water. 

​

Nick Walsh (2nd Year)

Nick (he/him) is an enthusiast outdoor advocate from the Bay Area CA that values understanding the relationship between healthy environments and thriving communities. This affinity for nature led to a bachelors in Environmental Engineering (UC San Diego 2018) and professional work in scientific research, sustainability initiatives, and natural resource management. He has enjoyed previous roles as a spotted owl surveyor, outdoor educator, and project manager. Nick's goals through ICC are to better understand ecological restoration techniques for application in environmental work and/or to prepare for graduate level research. His hobbies include board games, sports, and leisure time.

​

​

Sage Enright (2nd Year)

Sage (she/her) grew up in Washington state spending most summers hiking in the Olympic Mountains, kayaking around the San Juan islands, and camping along the Oregon coast. She is a recent Fall 2022 Western Washington University graduate who earned her bachelor of science degree in Geology and completed a minor in computer science. She is planning on attending graduate school fall 2024 to earn a masters in environmental science with a marine and estuarine focus. Her research interests are focused on the connection between geology and coastal ecology with an emphasis on eelgrass restoration after conducting original field work Summer 2022 while completing her Field Camp course with the University of Oregon. Sage is also part of this year's cohort of Rising TIDES (Toward an Inclusive, Diverse, and Enriched Society) and presented her research on eelgrass at the biennial Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation conference last November. She is excited to start her learning of local ecology by getting hands-on experience and education through this ICC season and volunteering at UW Friday Harbor Labs on current eelgrass research.

​

​

​

​

Zoey Smith Portrait.jpg
Ana Henry Portrait 1.jpg
Genevieve Gislason Portrait.JPG
_P4A7908.jpg
Nick Walsh Portrait.jpg
Sage Enright Portrait.jpg
Kit Varda Portrait.jpg
JS_Portrait.jpg
7644fe_3a2ba797ff8b4a13ae08f614755b82c2~mv2.webp

San Juan Islands Conservation District

915 Spring St.

Friday Harbor, WA 98250

360-378-6621

​

Mailing Address

PO Box 1728

Friday Harbor, WA 98250

​

©2025 by San Juan Islands Conservation District.

bottom of page