Justin, the Mckenzie Watershed Council education coordinator, started out working for a civil engineer when an old classmate asked him to come talk to students about plants. Since then, he’s been hooked (no pun intended, he says). Fast forward and Justin has now been working as the Mckenzie Watershed Council’s education coordinator for the past five years and been involved with Salmon Watch for eight. His favorite part is getting to see the students that really connect with the curriculum. One student, he remembers, stood out to him in particular, giving him a thank you card that read:
“Thank you for teaching us about the outdoors. I told my parents about what you taught us and it blew their minds. Someday I want to be like you.”
Moments like those are what make volunteering and educating worth it for Justin. “Just the idea that we can connect with at least one, maybe two students a day that are going to see what’s happening here, be inspired, and become that next generation of environmental stewards. I think that’s my favorite part.” –Justin