The fourth cohort of interns with the Wisdom Workforce program—a development and training program run by Wisdom of the Elders—has completed another successful season of restoration work! JCWC has been working with this program for several years now, and has benefitted greatly from their work on a variety of projects: clearing blackberries and other invasive species, harvesting and planting willow cuttings, and surveying for beavers, lamprey/steelhead, and salmon. Wait–willow cuttings? Yes, willows are among the few trees that will root from a cut branch if you stick it in the ground! This intern group learned the techniques for doing that, and were able to use some of the pieces we didn’t plant to make dream catchers.
These paid internships combine in-class instruction in restoration techniques, traditional ecological knowledge, ethnobotany, and other topics—provided by Wisdom of the Elders staff— with field experiences and training from staff at JCWC and other partners. These efforts achieve important restoration goals while building skilled restoration practitioners who can move environmental work forward into the future. Thank you, Wisdom Workforce interns!