The Islands Conservation Corps, a program of the San Juan Islands Conservation District, is accepting applications to the 2024-25 Certificate in Ecological Restoration program in the San Juan Islands, offered in partnership with Western Washington University’s College of the Environment. This certificate combines academic coursework with hands-on fieldwork performing the fundamentals of ecological restoration. Working with regional land management agencies, students proactively address imminent threats to our environment through restoration, conservation, and adaptive management. Students will gain skills in ecological theory, conduct technical fieldwork, and collect and analyze field data using software such as ArcGIS and R studio. The ICC also recognizes the displacement of Coast Salish people from their ancestral homeland and fosters education in Tribal treaties and Co-Management to help members advocate for Tribal rights and indigenous land management in the conservation field.  

The program connects students to real-world challenges in conservation where research and inquiry can shape restoration planning and practices on public and private lands. ICC enrollees participate in an average of 24 fieldwork hours per week, receiving an AmeriCorps payment of $1,600 per month for first year members and $1,650 per month for second year members, and a $400 per month housing stipend. In addition, members receive a $3,697 education award that can be applied to their coursework throughout the year. To take the certificate courses for credit, the program requires an associate's degree or two years of college coursework completed. Students without two years of coursework are encouraged to apply and can audit the courses, receiving a non-accredited certificate at the end of the program.  

The program runs from September 2024 through June of 2025.