Skagit Valley College Students Dig Into Conservation

February 21, 2026

The future of conservation isn’t waiting for a distant tomorrow. It’s showing up today, sleeves rolled up, ready to work- just like the Skagit Valley College (SVC) student volunteers who pitch in at Skagit Land Trust work parties. The group’s curiosity and commitment turn classroom lessons into local, lasting change.

SVC students have participated in many work parties over the last seven years. Last fall, they rescued about 100 previously planted trees from the greedy grasp of invasive Himalayan blackberry at Skagit Land Trust’s (the Trust’s) Minkler Lake Conservation Area. Around the same time, they removed about 750 old blue tube protectors that were no longer needed by growing seedlings at the Trust’s Tope Ryan Conservation Area.

Sean Howard, Madison Gray, Jordan Blackwell, and Jaylani Lizama pause for a picture while removing blue tubes at Tope Ryan.

This winter, the students also helped us plant 200 live stakes over at our Green Road Marsh Conservation Area. SVC students have also conducted research at Barney Lake and March Point and taken field trips to our protected lands at Tope Ryan, Utopia, Samish Island, and Barney Lake.

SVC volunteers have smiles on their faces as tehy remove invasive Himalayan blackberry at Minkler Lake Conservation Area.

SVC instructor Sean Howard appreciates how work parties create opportunities for the group to collectively learn a great deal about actual projects that are being enacted and fine-tuned. Conservation student Jordan Blackwell says that helping with these local projects inspires him to study harder and pursue future volunteer opportunities in order “to make the Pacific Northwest a better place for all of us.” Conservation student Jaylani Lizama also loves supporting healthier habitats over the long term. She encourages other young people “to see that local conservation efforts are something we can be part of right now.”

Trust staff have been consistently impressed by Skagit Valley College students’ enthusiasm and passion for restoration. Our Stewardship
Coordinator Jonathan Worley finds their energy inspiring and predicts that these students will be critical players in restoration throughout the Skagit when they graduate.

This Skagit Valley College volunteer team reminds us that land stewardship is a community effort that we can be part of today. If this is what the next generation of environmental leaders looks like, we feel hopeful about what’s ahead!

Volunteers from Skagit Valley College gather for a group photo after planting live stakes at Green Road Marsh.

Skagit Land Trust relies on volunteers who bring their knowledge, talents, and time to support local conservation. Are you interested in becoming a volunteer? You can visit our website to sign-up for a work party, or contact Stacy Dahl, our Volunteer & Education Programs Coordinator, to see how your skills can be used to further our mission of local conservation: stacyd@skagitlandtrust.org or cal/ 360-428-7878 x212.