Salvador Hernandez
Conservation Nursery Program Coordinator MES Program, The Evergreen State College
Salvador was born in the Central Valley of California. Coming from a family of field workers, he was the first to attend college. Starting as an automotive technician, his goal was to open his own auto shop. This would soon change when his biology professor saw potential in him and told him that he should pursue a career in it. He would later rebuild the greenhouse on campus to allow future students to use it as a lab space. On his weekends, Sal would volunteer at a public garden that would grow fruits and vegetables for anyone who would come by. Eventually Sal would move to Humboldt County to continue his studies as a botanist.
Once in Humboldt, Sal would begin attending Humboldt State University, eventually getting a bachelor’s degree in biology. During his time there, he worked at a nursery to learn how to cultivate plants, treat pathogens, and insect infestations. Later, he would go on to maintain a temperate woodland botanical garden. This is where Sal gained his love for restoring native habitats as he was taught to identify invasive species and replace them with their native counterparts. Finally, Sal would move to Washington to attend Evergreen State College.
After reaching Washington, Sal would yet again find himself working at a nursery but this time, he would focus on irrigation techniques and feeding schedules. At the same time, he would get accepted into the Master of Environmental Studies program. Sometime after he would find the Sustainability in Prison Project and begin the next part of his journey.