Drissia Ras

Graduate Research Assistant, MES Program
The Evergreen State College

Drissia Ras was born in Morocco, in a city surrounded by small farms. Her best days were those she spent out in the field. She grew up in a very diverse region with mountains, forest, desert, ocean—beautiful landscapes. For cultural reasons, as a girl she was not allowed to explore her as environment widely as she would of loved to.

In 2007, Drissia was in college and a Bachelor of Environmental Science was offered by the institution for the first time. She became one of the first students in her region to major in environmental studies. Thanks to her professors, Drissia was introduced to the field of environmental NGOs. She volunteered with a local organization for a couple of years, promoting ecotourism and establishing a healthy communication between the Parks Department and the local population in her region.

Drissia was selected to participate in an environmental program with a Seattle organization in 2009. As a corps member for six months and a crew leader for a year, she undertook various environmental restoration projects such as trail building, invasive species removal, and stream restoration. Back in Morocco, Drissia applied her experience to developing a program for environmental education for kids.

Drissia’s love for the environment pushed her to learn more about environmental studies. In 2012 she enrolled at The Evergreen State College as a student in Master of Environmental Studies. It was a wonderful year for her; her dream  to go back to school became a reality, and she was asked to join the SPP as a conservation nursery intern.

Drissia has an huge capacity for compassion. She is able to see the good in people.Working for the SPP, she is able to apply both her passion for the environment and her caring for people.

Funny facts about Drissia: She loves being outside, and she loves planting and sowing. With every seed she sows she feels like a little part of her goes away to grow up somewhere else and have a different journey. She also literally likes to hug trees—she thinks that she can feel the life in them.