Submitted by The Islands Conservation Corps.

The Islands Conservation Corps (ICC), a workforce training program of the San Juan Islands Conservation District, is seeking housing options for first year and graduate-level student crew members for the season of September 12th of 2022 through July 12th of 2023.

The ICC provides critical restoration work in forest, woodland, riparian, and near-shore ecosystems throughout the San Juans archipelago. The program functions in partnership with Western Washington University (WWU) to provide participants with a Certificate in Ecological Restoration – establishing a baseline set of professional skills from which students can pursue a career in the field of natural resource management.

In 2022-2023, second year students will begin an M.A. in Environmental Studies, also through Western Washington University for an even higher level of local workforce training. These programs are cultivating the ecological leaders of tomorrow that will help our region face the increasing challenges of climate change.

We need your housing assistance! Student housing is the greatest challenge for this program’s ability to exist in the San Juans. If you or someone you know has access to housing in the islands and would be interested in renting to a student at a fair market rate, please contact the San Juan Islands Conservation District Forest Health Manager, Kai Hoffman-Krull at kai@sjicd.org.

The program provides students with a $350 monthly housing stipend that goes to support rental costs. The ICC is also requesting applications for the coming season, so please help share the word about the program and opportunity. To learn more visit www.sanjuanislandscd.org/icc.