San Juan Islands Conservation District
San Juan County, Washington
Meet the 2021-2022 Crew!
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Sam Breazeal
My pronouns are he/him. I am a gardener, a landscaper and a stablehand. I've spent much of the last eight or so years working on small farms, small enough that I'm more comfortable with a broadfork than a tractor. I have some training in permaculture design, and have also spent time working in a nursery. Outside of work, I'm often still in the garden, but beyond that, I enjoy woodcarving, reading, and playing the cello.
For potential work opportunities please email:
Julia Jaquery
I use she/her and they/them pronouns. My background is in human biology, but I fell in love with the woods through forest defense activism in so-called Oregon, in Kalapuya and Molalla territories mainly. This guided me to pursue training as an herbalist, identifying and wildcrafting medicine and food plants of Eastern and Western ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. I honor the Native peoples who have loved and tended to the prolific and beautiful landscapes that are my greatest teachers, and I look forward to continuing to cultivate honorable stewardship practices and right-relationship with the Samish, Coast Salish, and Lummi lands and people.
Yuki Wilmerding
I grew up on San Juan Island, but have spent years traveling, working, and living in other countries and hemispheres. I’ve recently shifted my focus towards more local and meaningful work and am helping restore eelgrass in the Salish Sea. I have a love for marine life, sailing, and the ocean itself. I am also appreciative of the land based flora and fauna and love spending time amongst the trees and moss.
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Bernard Cowen
My pronouns are he/him/his. My formal education is in GIS and Cartography, but I've always tried to soak up any knowledge of the outside world that I could. I 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, I've been doing cartographic design work and GIS for Green Trails Maps where I've helped produce recreation maps in a handful of Oregon Wilderness areas. I enjoy playing music, frisbee and soccer or adventuring in my van going backpacking or surfing. I also like to spend time alone reading or playing video games.
Anna Campbell
My pronouns are she/her/hers and I am passionate about all things nature and all things craft! Climate justice is a very important topic to me, and I am always excited to be learning and trying new things. I have worked in childcare and the small grocery business specializing in local foods and products for about 6 years. I like to spend my time biking and exploring, learning about native plants, playing music, growing and making food and sewing clothes and making other crafts!
Andrew Jansen
I grew up in the Skagit Valley. I have been through many different careers in my life so far, but have found my passion in the cocreation of sustainable land tending practices. My past experience includes working with the Department of Land and Natural Resources performing culturally informed native ecosystem restoration and management in the mountains of Kauai, working in arboriculture and sustainable forestry in the northern Sierras and on Orcas, and volunteering on permaculture and organic farms around the world.
Matt Currey
My name is Matt, and my pronouns are he/him. I grew up around Portland, Or where I worked in the restaurant industry as a chef for many years and then later on as a farm worker. Moved to Orcas Island in 2019 with my amazing wife of 6 years Brea and our dog Ivy. Since moving to Orcas I’ve spent almost everyday outside, working seasonally on farms, landscaping, and oyster harvesting. In my spare time I still love cooking and help my wife with her small baker, being politically active, spending time in and learning about the nature world, reading, traveling and photography.
Susan Ridl
My pronouns are she/her/hers. I was born into a farming community in central North Dakota. I spent most of my 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 my backyard. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology in Salt Lake City, Utah. I then learned 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. I am a licensed veterinary technician in Washington state. For the past 2 years I have been working as a caregiver at the local hospital on San Juan Island as a Phlebotomist and Laboratory Assistant. I enjoy getting my hands dirty: remodeling my home, building a garden, wood-working, and learning how to care for indoor and outdoor plants. I occasionally get the urge to try cooking something new that is sweet or savory like panna cotta. I am passionate about supporting local businesses and farms, and reducing my spending within monopolies. I spend a lot of my time with my honey Oswyn and our 4 mischievous furbabies. I'm very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work alongside and learn from professionals in the field that, like me, are a little bit wild for the wilderness.