GPI Workforce Crews: Building Skills and Restoring Ecosystems

Nestled in the forested landscapes of Washington state, Glacier Peak Institute (GPI) is making significant strides in workforce development through hands-on training programs that prepare participants for careers in forestry, ecological restoration, and maintenance. Through strategic partnerships with organizations like Skagit Land Trust and the Darrington Collaborative, GPI's workforce development crew is not only acquiring valuable skills but also contributing meaningfully to environmental preservation and restoration efforts across Skagit and Snohomish Counties.

Skagit Land Trust Partnership Projects

The partnership between GPI and Skagit Land Trust was a win-win collaboration in Skagit County. GPI's crew dedicated nine days to projects across three of Skagit Land Trust’s conservation projects involving important ecological restoration work while gaining practical experience. At the Utopia Conservation Area, the crew engaged in blackberry removal, a labor-intensive but essential task for habitat restoration. Invasive blackberry species can quickly overtake native plant species, reducing biodiversity and degrading wildlife habitat. At Barr Creek our crew's trail maintenance work highlighted their growing confidence and skills as they tackled a particularly ambitious project to relocate 65 feet of the Hegg-Benson trail to create a wider and smoother route for visitors to enjoy. This complex project involved removing large tripping-hazard rocks from the trail bed, felling precarious trees damaged during windstorms, and constructing rock retaining walls to prevent future erosion resulting in improved access, enhanced safety, and long-term usability of this area for the public.  

Darrington Collaborative: Huckleberry Enhancement Projects

Historically in Washington, large fields of huckleberries once provided much needed habitat and served as a critical source of food for local wildlife including grizzly bears and migratory birds. Huckleberries also hold great cultural significance for local tribes who hold them as a “first food” used in many sacred traditions. 

As mountain hemlock and Pacific silver fir tree stands encroach into big-leaf huckleberry fields, the canopy formed can reduce sunlight on the forest floor by as much as 70%, negatively impacting the diversity of plant species available for food and habitat needed for local wildlife and peoples to thrive. To counter this, GPI's workforce development crews are thinning small-diameter trees to reduce canopy cover below 30%, creating the sunlit conditions huckleberries and other understory plants need to flourish.

Building Career Pathways 

What makes GPI's Workforce Development Crew program particularly valuable is its focus on real-world projects with tangible outcomes. Participants aren't simply learning theory—they're actively contributing to community needs while developing marketable skills that can lead to careers in natural resource management, ecological restoration, forestry, and trail construction.

By partnering with organizations like Skagit Land Trust and Darrington Collaborative, we’re multiplying impact across the region as we help our crews build professional networks and gain exposure to potential employers. The varied nature of projects—from invasive species removal to trail construction to culturally significant habitat restoration—ensures that crew members develop a diverse skill set that increases their employability across multiple sectors.

As environmental challenges continue to grow and the need for skilled workers in ecological restoration increases, programs like GPI's Workforce Development Crew represent an innovative approach to addressing both workforce development and environmental conservation simultaneously. Through our collective efforts, and with support from our community, we’re working to grow our workforce training programs to prepare the next generation of skilled workers that will steward and restore our natural landscapes for years to come. 

Funding for workforce development is heavily dependent on government grants and contracts which are often project specific and do not cover the total costs of these important programs needed to bring economic strength back to rural communities.

If you’d like to learn more about how to support our efforts through partnerships or sponsorships contact our Workforce Development Manager, Marlena White by email at marlena.white@glacierpeakinstitute.org