A few years ago, John Conley, a retired public health director, volunteered on one of our Real Learning and Real Work (RLRW) field trips. He remembers what a Blue Heron student said about her day at Salmon Creek during that field trip, “I’m going to take my grandchildren for a walk in these woods one day.” She was referring to the saplings that her class just planted to improve riparian habitat for salmon.

Shaelyn is from Olympia, WA. Growing up, Shaelyn raised Nigerian dwarf pygmy mixes and Oberhasli goats in 4-H for county and state fairs. In addition to 4-H, Shaelyn took piano lessons for 12 years and enjoys playing in her spare time. She is enthusiastic about animals and the environment, which inspired her to obtain a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from Washington State University (Class of 2021). She hopes to continue working in the field of conservation. Besides playing piano in her free time, Shaelyn enjoys walking, hiking, camping, horseback riding, and spending time with her family.

Sean grew up in Port Townsend. After joining the WCC he became a budding salmon enthusiast. Sean's previous work experience includes working at Red Dog Farm, landscaping and roofing. He obtained a B.A. degree in agriculture.

John is from Moreno, California and currently lives in Port Orchard, Washington. His hobbies include playing virtual reality games and taking care of his many pet lizards. John's future plans are to work as a BMW technician and someday improve his reptile care skills.

Stephen is a small town lad originating from Clallam Bay/Sekiu. As the locals would describe it, “Quaint little drinking town with a fishing problem.” After spending 18 years there he moved to Ellensburg and got a B.S. in Biology with a focus on Ecology and Conservation. Shortly afterwards he joined the WCC as a corps member on the NOSC crew in his first year. He was promoted to Owen French’s assistant in his second year. Stephen was then hired on as a supervisor in Yakima working for the North Yakima Conservation District for 2 years. He then hopped over to Belfair as a supervisor for 6 months, then to Snoqualmie for a year, then Renton for the King Conservation District before finally taking over the NOSC crew when Owen took a WCC coordinator job, coming full circle. It was a lot of moving around but all worth it for the experience he gained. He is also a Pittsburgh Steelers fan through thick and thin.

Vern was born and raised in Port Angeles, where he developed a love for the outdoors camping with the family and backpacking in the Olympics. He left in his early 20’s and worked for the US Forest Service, BLM, and National Park Service before settling into a job with a city as environmental programs manager. During those working years he completed a BS degree in Environmental Science and a Masters in Environmental Management. Upon retirement, Vern and Vida returned to the Olympic Peninsula and settled in Port Townsend. Vern has been a NOSC volunteer since 2016, participating in chum and coho salmon surveys and habitat restoration projects. He enjoys gardening, live music, hiking, and exploring wild places. Vern believes strongly in NOSC’s mission to restore salmon habitat and help educate the next generation and looks forward to helping support this important work.

Sarah joined the NOSC board at the end of 2021. She is a CPA and the owner of The Business Guides, an accounting firm focused on small businesses and their owners. Sarah studied studio art, economics, and accounting at Linfield College, and following graduation, moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and traveled in India before returning to the Northwest. After several years in fundraising in Seattle, she and her husband Justin relocated to Port Townsend. When she’s not at the office, Sarah and Justin are likely out looking for birds to add to their life list (700+) or dreaming up travel plans to tropical environments. In fair weather she joins Justin on their Rustler 31 sailboat out on Port Townsend Bay or on trips to the San Juan Islands.