Seattle Office

SCA started here in 1957 when the first volunteers arrived at Olympic and Grand Teton National Parks, and today SCA’s Northwest regional office administers and supports SCA programming  in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and in British Columbia, Canada.  Since SCA’s headquarters relocated from Vashon Island to New Hampshire in 1976, we have maintained a steady presence in the area.  Our regional office in the heart of Seattle’s International District also operates SCA’s local Community Programs such as the Northwest Conservation Leadership Corps and hosts SCA’s Native Plant Corps.

SCA and Boeing Working Together

Saturday, October 24, SCA celebrated the expanding of a new pilot program that removes financial barriers for low-income and underrepresented youth so they too can learn about the environment and conservation. Through a new $150,000 grant from the Boeing Company Charitable Trust, the SCA will provide meaningful work experience and educational opportunities for 150 Seattle-area high school students in the coming year.  To kick off the newly expanded program, students worked alongside Boeing employees and other volunteers to remove invasive plants and perform restoration at Cheasty Greenspace on Beacon Hill in Seattle.

National Parks: Northwest Stories on KCTS

Did you watch National Parks: America's Best Idea?  The new documentary from Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan premiered in late September on PBS.  In anticipation of it, KCTS premiered Northwest Stories telling the untold local stories of Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic national parks.  You can revisit the storm damage of 2007 at Mount Rainier National Park and the massive volunteer response that SCA helped to facilitate.  SCA's founder, Liz Titus Putnam, is the focus of another video highlighting the start of SCA and the importance of connecting youth with nature.  Check out these great stories!

A Busy SCA Summer Comes to a Close

SCA is wrapping up another busy and successful summer around Washington State and the Pacific Northwest.  SCA alumna, Jaya (pictured below), just finished her first summer as a seasonal National Park Service staff member.  Jaya was joined by fellow SCA alumna, Wendy, at North Cascades National Park as both served as seasonal staff.  Jaya was an interpretive ranger and Wendy worked in the maintenance department.  Both had an amazing summer! 

SCA had three high school crews serve at Mount Rainier National Park this summer.  Both Wendy and Jaya served with SCA at Mount Rainier in past years.  Here is a picture of the final crew enjoying the sunset!

SCA Active Throughout the Northwest

SCA is once again heading into a very active summer field season around Washington State and the Northwest.  The Urban Forestry Corps kicked off at the end of June for a second summer in Seattle Parks, as well as White Center and Auburn.  The Corps is an in-city crew spending seven weeks in conservation service in city parks, the University of Washington Botanic Garden, and on lands stewarded by the Cascade Land Conservancy.  This is an exciting program for local high school-aged students to provide an opportunity to learn hands-on service and make some money with a summer job at the same time.

SCA is also working this summer in Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic national parks.  We have a variety of programs in the parks that include high school crews and interns.  We have innovative programs including a group of students from International Christian University in Japan serving as interns with the National Park Service in the western United States.  We also have new internships programs this year focused on climate change and public safety.  The focus of the Climate Change Intern will be to assist in implementing the vision of the NPS:

• To make all parks, sites and administrative facilities carbon neutral by the centennial of the park service in 2016
• To assure that both impacts and mitigations of climate change be included into the general management plans (as a separate Climate Action Plan that was also integrated into the larger plan) of all units and included in the Environmental Management Systems of all units
• To develop inventories of all the resources – both natural and cultural features – endangered by climate change to assure that both park managers and the public understand what is at stake
• To develop strategies and implement them regarding public education on all of the above

The intern will be supporting other national parks in Washington State and will collaborate with other SCA Climate Change Interns serving at Crater Lake National Park, Haleakala National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The focus of the Public Safety Intern will be to evaluate visitor understanding of risks associated with being on the snow fields above Paradise and to develop methodologies to educate the public and prevent serious injuries, incidents or death. 

SCA also has multiple high school programs in the field in Washington State this summer.  SCA is marking the fourth year of partnership with the North Cascades Institute with the North Cascades WILD program to introduce 54 young people without wilderness experience from inner-city Seattle and rural Skagit County to a 12 day conservation service and education program on Ross Lake in the heart of the park.  Three Conservation Leadership Crews will be serving at Mount Rainier National Park.  These 15-day crews of 8 members and 2 crew leaders are comprised of Seattle urban high school students that have participated during the school year in a leadership and conservation skills development program in Seattle. They will continue flood recovery work with the trails and natural resources teams.  In Olympic National Park, SCA has fielded its 53rd consecutive high school crew!

SCA’s Northwest regional office thanks our many loyal partners and funders.

Thank you to our key partners in conservation!

• National Park Serice
• USDA Forest Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• North Cascades Institute
• University of Washington Botanic Gardens
• Green Seattle Partnership
• Cascade Land Conservancy
• Seattle Youth Employment Program
• Seattle Parks and Recreation
• Seward Park Environmental and Audubon Center
• King County Parks and Recreation
• King County Department of Natural Resources
• King County Youth Source
• Seattle Public Schools
• Highline Public Schools
• Auburn School District

Thank you to our funders in conservation!

• The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
• The Boeing Company Charitable Trust
• Bullitt Foundation
• Islands Fund
• Juniper Foundation
• The Lightfoot Foundation
• Martin-Fabert Foundation
• National Wildlife Federation
• The Norcliffe Foundation
• The Russell Family Foundation
• The Seattle Foundation
• Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission
• Starbucks
• Wal-Mart Foundation
• WYCO

SCA Northwest

Jay A. Satz
Vice President of Western Initiatives
1265 South Main Street, Suite 210
Seattle, WA 98144
Ph:  206-324-4649 
Fx: 206-324-4998
email