Interview with Michael Zirpoli

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We’re so excited to welcome Michael Zirpoli, SPP’s Ecological Conservation and Training Resource Manager, to the SPP team! We sat down to get to know a little bit more about him and find out what he’s been up to here at SPP.  

Michael Zirpoli, SPP’s new Ecological Conservation and Training Resource Manager, shows off truffle mushrooms foraged with the help of a truffle dog. Photo by Heather Stewart-Ahn 

Could you tell us a little about your background and what brought you to SPP? 

I moved to Washington state in 2011 to go to Evergreen State College. I was in an alternative education class at Penn State, and they talked about Evergreen’s model of education, and I got really interested. I went home that night and did some research, booked a ticket out here for the next week, and ended up moving my life across the country and never looking back. That was the start of my journey with Evergreen, fourteen years later there is nowhere on Earth I would rather be.  

As a student, I took the Fungal Kingdom class with Paul Przybylowicz and Lalita Calabria. I ended up getting involved in a student originated independent research project with Lalita Calabria, investigating the effects of reindeer lichen aqueous extracts on Prairie plant germination and seedling growth. Part of that research involved connecting with Carl Elliott, the Conservation Nursery Manager for SPP.  

That was the first time I had ever heard of SPP. I knew people who had been involved in Gateways for Incarcerated Youth, and I always thought it was really cool that Evergreen did these programs that involved working in prisons. When I learned about SPP, it always sat in the back of my head as something to keep an eye out for if a job ever opened. Then a job opened up six years later!  

It’s kind of the perfect intersection of all of the work that I’ve done up to this point as well as a lot of personal stuff in my life. During a leave of absence with Evergreen, I had the opportunity, through an Americorps position, to work with the houseless population in the Olympia School District, which taught me a lot about working with marginalized communities in educational settings. I come from a family background of folks involved in law-enforcement and that side of the carceral system, I have also had family who have been incarcerated, so I’m familiar with the impacts the carceral system has on people‘s lives. SPP felt like an opportunity to take my interest in working in science and education aimed at underserved populations and do something incredibly positive and unique with it, all while still being involved in the Evergreen community. 

 

Michael with butterfly technicians and SPP Coordinators from Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women. (Top row from left to right: Xitlali Herrera, Michael Zirpoli, Shelly Lagroone, Jennifer Teitzel, Vickie Phillips, Mariana Cervantes. Bottom row: Kennie Calvert, Trista Egli) 

What’s your role at SPP? 

I’m the Ecological Conservation and Training Resource Manager for SPP, so my role is primarily focused on overseeing ongoing ecological conservation projects that SPP is involved in. That includes the Taylor’s Checkerspot butterfly program at Mission Creek and the Western Pond turtle program at Cedar Creek. I’m also involved in developing and disseminating SPP materials for the broader Evergreen community and broader community in general.  

What initiatives are you most excited about working on? 

I’m very excited to be involved in the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly program. As I mentioned, some of my undergraduate research involved working on the prairies. The plants that we worked with in that study were all plants that are host or nectar sources for the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly. It feels like an opportunity to get back into that world.   

As I’ve learned more about the Western Pond turtle program and about the fungal pathogen that attacks their shells, I’ve gotten excited about that initiative. I’m particularly excited to be involved in the rehabilitation of the turtles, as well as the chance to use my background in mycology to do independent education and research about the fungus itself. I can’t wait to learn more information about the fungal pathogen and teach the technicians about it! 

I also really love working with Evergreen students, they are some of the best students in the world. The fact that I get to work directly with our amazing graduate students is one of the best parts of the job for me. I also love that we get to work with state and federal agencies working on scientific conservation projects, not being expected to be the expert but more focused on disseminating that information to a broader audience. 

Michael at Cedar Creek Corrections Center on turtle intake day for the Western Pond Turtle program. Photos by Mikala Waldrup. 

What’s your favorite mushroom and why?  

Morels. I had the great fortune to catch morel fever from Mike Bueg, who’s faculty emeritus here at Evergreen. He was the first to teach mycology at Evergreen, and he was also Paul Przybylowicz’s mentor. I heard Mike talk about morels for the first time in fall 2016, and it started with being excited about picking morels for food. Morels are a great spring mushroom, one of the first things to get you out of the house after a long winter. There is a reason that there’s mushroom festivals across the world celebrating morels and the start of morel season! For me, morels are the harbinger of spring; it is life after the long winter.  

I was really into finding them and picking them, and then that turned into a multi-year collection project. I learned that the taxonomy regarding morels is in flux right now, and there’s a lot of research and not a lot of documentation of species diversity here in the Pacific Northwest, more people eat morels then collect them for science, go figure. So, the past five or six years I’ve spent every spring collecting samples from around Washington and preserving them. I ended up doing a multi-year research project investigating morel taxonomy, their characteristics in isolated culture, and methods for indoor and outdoor cultivation.  

One of the things I learned about morels is that people have been trying to cultivate them going back to the 1800s, but concerted efforts started in the 1970’s and 1980’s. There was one graduate student in San Francisco, Ronald Ower, who managed to cultivate them. He was the very first person ever to do it in the lab, but like in a broken-down freezer in the basement of his lab building with cultures he collected himself. I worked in the lab at Evergreen and thought, “I’ve got access to plenty of broken-down freezers, and a handful of morel isolations I’ve collected. I’m gonna try this.” I got close with my efforts, and then Covid happened. It slowed the process, but I’ve continued my work. I still have some bins in my backyard and I’m making plans to get back into the lab this summer to continue that cultivation research. I know this will be a project that follows me for the rest of my life. 

We talk about morel fever in the spring. In February, I’m like “I need to go walk around even though I know the ground is still frozen and mushrooms are still weeks away.” But that’s led me to finding and photographing morels in the earliest stages of their development, sometimes no more than a millimeter in size! I can admit it’s become a bit of an obsession. My wife could tell you it’s about this time of year when I start talking about all the plans for hunts, burns to check, meals to cook, and experiments to try. This is not a self-proclaimed title, but I’ve been referred to by Paul Przybylowicz as the local expert on morels.   

Michael with a box of morels foraged in Washington. Photo by Heidi Steinbach. 

What kind of things do you like to do in your free time?  

Aside from mushrooms? [laughs] Spending quality time with my best friend and wife, Heidi Steinbach, who also happens to be my former research partner. We have got two cats at home, so I spend a lot of time with them, I love a quiet day reading books on the couch with the cats. I love music, I like to play guitar, listen to records, and go to concerts. I enjoy being out on the water, especially whale watching and kayaking. I enjoy hiking and being out in the woods, camping, bird watching, foraging, and just general nature bathing.  

Tribal Sons and Evergreen Workshop: Plant Teachings with Kendra Aguilar 

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in collaboration Education Health

SPP recently had the honor of collaborating with Evergreen Native American and Indigenous Studies Faculty Kendra Aguilar to offer the first of many cultural workshops at Washington Corrections Center. The workshop was hosted by the Tribal Sons, a group of Indigenous incarcerated individuals at WCC. Tribal Sons was created to “promote the wellness and rehabilitation of [Indigenous] people through healing with Indigenous ceremonies and traditions.” We were joined by cultural leader Carolyn Hartness, Evergreen Tribal Relations Liaison Lyn Dennis, and DOC Director for Person Centered Services Megan Pirie.  

After introductions and a welcome led by Carolyn Hartness, Kendra Aguilar facilitated the plant teachings workshop. Students were able to touch and hold different native plant cuttings as Aguilar spoke about the social-emotional skills that can be learned from each plant. In recognizing the strengths that different plants possess and what they contribute to their environment, students were encouraged to apply those skills to their own lives as well. During a break, visitors got to hold some baby chicks from the Sustainable Practices Lab (SPL) too! 

The workshop concluded with a song and a tour led by Tribal Sons. SPP looks forward to expanding opportunities for cultural workshops in the future! 

Carolyn Hartness, Indigenous cultural leader and artist. Photo by Emily Passarelli.  
Cultural objects made by Tribal Sons members. Photo by Emily Passarelli.
SPP Coordinator Anneke Wilder and DOC Director for Person Centered Services Megan Pirie look at lichen during the plant teaching workshop. Photo by Emily Passarelli.  
A workshop student holds a rosebud. Photo by Emily Passarelli. 
 Lyn Dennis and Carolyn Hartness learn from a Douglas fir clipping. Photo by Emily Passarelli. 
Workshop leader Kendra Aguilar holds two baby chicks that are being raised in the Sustainable Practices Lab (SPL) at WCC. Photo by Emily Passarelli.
Workshop student and SPL member Juan Hernandez shows SPL’s vermiculture system to Kendra Aguilar and Lyn Dennis. Photo by Emily Passarelli. 

Nature Drawing at WCCW

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in Education Nature inside

SPP Workshops are starting back up in facilities after a hiatus, and we couldn’t be more excited! Recently SPP kicked off this initiative by hosting its first workshop since pre-pandemic at Washington Corrections Center for Women. 

The Introduction to Nature Drawing Workshop was a huge hit! Drawing from her background in scientific illustration, SPP Coordinator and artist Anneke Wilder led the workshop. Students learned about the history of nature drawing and illustration as well as some drawing tips and tricks. The second half of the workshop the students spent some time sketching from books or specimen that were brought in. Some SPP staff even joined in on the fun! 

We’re looking forward to bringing in more experts and educators that offer unique learning experiences to incarcerated students. 

Kelli Buggs Jones draws a few different specimen. Photo by Emily Passarelli. 

 

A student sketches a cedar frond. Photo by Emily Passarelli.  

 

Tatiana Baker shows off her drawing of a flower. Photo by Emily Passarelli.

 

SPP Coordinator and workshop host Anneke Wilder gives Michelle Gabel some tips on shading. Photo by Emily Passarelli.

 

Students got to choose from a variety of specimen for drawing subjects. Photo by Emily Passarelli.

 

Student Michelle Nichols and SPP Coordinator Laureen Dulo use images from books as references. Photo by Emily Passarelli.  

 

 

Interview with Salvador Hernandez, Conservation Nursery Program Coordinator    

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in Ecological Restoration SPP Network

A dedicated community of people is what powers the Sustainability in Prisons Project. We sat down with Sal Hernandez, one of our coordinators, to learn a little more about his background and role at SPP. 

Can you give us a little bit about your background and what brought you to SPP? 

I like working with plants and have been doing it for about a decade—mainly either identification, rehabilitation, or disease control. I managed and maintained a temperate woodland garden for a while. Recently I was an irrigation specialist, leading irrigation at an indoor nursery.  

I also believe in second chances. I was on a razor edge for a long time, and I could have ended up in a facility myself if I wasn’t on my game 24/7 as a child. One reason I’m here is because people were nice to me, and I want to be that for someone.   

Above: Sal Hernandez, Conservation Nursery Program Coordinator, teaching at WCCW. Below: Sal Hernandez with Michelle Nichols going over sowing logs. Photos by Emily Passarelli.  

What do you do at SPP? 

I teach students at Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) how to grow plants for prairie restoration and conservation around Washington. I teach how to maintain plants and look for disease, different germination practices, burning practices, and geology. I teach about the climate of Washington prairies and what a native prairie in Washington looks like, as well as how to preserve them.  

Why type of plants do you work with at the WCCW conservation nursery? 

We work with a variety of prairie plants. Several species of Lomatium and Quercus garryana (Garry oak) are two that we work with. Garry oaks are a longer-term plant that we’ll have for a couple of years. Those oaks pass hands because they will stay in the nursery for a long time, and many of the technicians will move on from the job or be released. So that care passes from team member to team member. We also grow strawberries, the native Fragaria virginiana, and Castilleja hispida (harsh Indian paintbrush). We grow those for the [Taylor’s checkerspot] butterflies. The paintbrush is also grown for seed collection since there are low numbers of that plant in the wild.  We grow a variety of other stuff too—whatever we need that year.  

Above: Garry Oaks (Quercus garryana) grown at the WCCW Conservation Nursery. Photo by SPP Staff. Bottom left: Harsh Indian paintbrush (Castilleja hispida). Photo by Rod Gilbert. Bottom right: Technicians plant seeds at the nursery. Photo by Emily Passarelli. 

What has been the biggest reward of working at WCCW? 

The biggest reward is seeing the technicians really latch on and get a lot from the program.  They are always wanting to know more and learning and progressing. Seeing them grow as people as well as students is rewarding.  

Students bring new ideas, or they try something new that works—they’re like “maybe this will make it easier.” Or they’re reading through books and they’re asking me questions like “How does this work?” and “What if we did that?”  

They are also curious about what they could pursue in the field post release and ask me questions about that process. I’m a big proponent of work, I guess, and I like people learning stuff that they can apply immediately. Getting hands in the dirt is very important to me, and I want to teach them skills that they can use afterwards. They’re very appreciative, and I like to see that they’re already planning beyond incarceration. And just from the few students released, their excitement to be out in the field growing stuff, touching dirt, that’s what is most rewarding. 

Above: Janee Medlock shows off two Garry Oaks (Quercus garryana). Below: Sal Hernandez working in the WCCW nursery. Photos by Emily Passarelli.  

What do you think is coolest northwest native plant adaptation? 

Oh definitely Castilleja hispida (harsh Indian paintbrush). It’s a hemiparasitic plant. It can grow on its own during the first few months of life, but it has to eat something so we intentionally plant sacrificial plants next to it that it will eventually kill. Typically, the sacrificial plant is yarrow because it’s a hardy plant.  I just think it’s funny that we have to plant other plants so they can eat them. Initially the paintbrush is a smaller plant, but once it connects to the roots of the yarrow it starts blooming thicker, and it grows greener and healthier.   

What do you do for fun outside of school and work? 

My main thing that I do is historical fencing. I get in full outfit. I fence with a local group that is part of a worldwide organization, and the local group has been great. It’s definitely a found family sort of vibe—a lot of us are really close and we hang out every Wednesday night. We go to tournaments all over the West Coast. During the adventure season we go camping, and we hang out by the fire at night and fight throughout the day. There’s a lot of singing and dancing, it’s really fun.  

Incarcerated Individuals at Washington Corrections Center Connect to their Ancestral Traditions with the Tribal Sons Medicine Garden

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in Environmental Justice Gardens Incarcerated Voices

Nourished by the compost processed on site and tended to by caring hands, the gardens at the Washington Corrections Center (WCC) are impressive bursts of color against the green Pacific Northwest landscape. In the summer the beds are filled with marigolds, cosmos, sunflowers, poppies and more, and they are a source of pride for the incarcerated gardeners.

Flower beds at WCC. Photos by Emily Passarelli.

One garden in particular offers not only an opportunity to learn gardening skills, but a way for indigenous gardeners to connect to their community and culture. The Tribal Sons Medicine Garden is home to medicinal and culturally significant plants such as sage, lavender, and cedar trees. Creation of the garden was spearheaded by indigenous community members, and it now provides a place of solace, growth, and connection.

A sign created by incarcerated individuals for the Tribal Sons Medicine Garden. Photo by Emily Passarelli.

Some of the herbs grown in the garden are used for ceremonies performed by tribal members in the facility. Since Native Americans are incarcerated at roughly 3.6x the rate of white people1, it is crucial to provide opportunities like the Tribal Sons Medicine Garden that allow them to continue stewarding their ancestral lands.

An incarcerated contributor to the garden was recently quoted in a King 5 article regarding his experience of the healing powers of the medicine garden: “This is harmony, this is peace, this is serenity,” he said. “This is healing, this is restoration, this is rehabilitation.”

Medicinal herbs recently planted in the Tribal Sons Medicine Garden. Photo by Emily Passarelli.

During a recent Foundations in Composting class meeting, students performed a soil test in the medicine garden with the help of composting expert Sally Brown. Halfway through the test, the chunk of test soil dropped suddenly back to the ground. “They wanted it back,” one of the indigenous gardeners joked, “the ancestors wanted the soil back.” 

 

1 Vera Institute of Justice. ​ (2019). Incarceration Trends in Washington. ​ Retrieved from http://www.vera.org/state-incarceration-trends. ​

 

 

In the Field with the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Program  

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in Conservation Programs Ecological Restoration Partners

By Marisa Pushee and Courtney Murphy 

An adult Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly rests on a flower. Photo by Keegan Curry. 

On a drizzly morning in early June, SPP program partners gathered at Scatter Creek Wildlife Area to connect and share experiences working with the federally endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly (Euphydrayas editha taylori). Incarcerated butterfly technicians and Department of Corrections (DOC) professionals from Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW) gathered with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists and The Evergreen State College (TESC) staff. 

SPP Butterfly Coordinator, Courtney Murphy, and WDFW lead the team as they delve into plant identification. Photo by Kelli Bush. 

With binoculars and plant ID guides in hand, the team was excited by the rich biodiversity and felt inspired to see checkerspot habitat up close. WDFW works diligently on restoration at Scatter Creek—planting native species that are critical for the Taylor’s checkerspot to use as host plants, for food, and for basking. The opportunity to see the butterflies’ prairie habitat first-hand proved an eye-opening experience for colleagues across the program. The butterfly program technicians at MCCCW work year-round to successfully rear and breed the endangered butterfly in captivity. Through their work with SPP, butterfly technicians learn extensively about prairie ecosystems. For many, this was their first opportunity to see essential native plants like paintbrush and lupine.  

Butterfly technicians touch native flowers that make up the habitat of Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies. Photo by Kelli Bush. 

Many of the program technicians expressed interest in careers in restoration and environmental studies, and the field visit offered an opportunity to further grow their professional network and gain more information about working in the sciences. WDFW biologists, Andrew Dechaine and Melinda Vickers, shared with the team the diversity of careers paths that can lead to work with wildlife and provided information on upcoming job openings.  

SPP Butterfly Technician shows her lupine tattoo next to lupine growing at the restoration site. Photo by Kelli Bush. 
The MCCCW SPP team from left to right (top row: Shelly Lagroone, Vickie Phillips, Karmen Moen, Dalynn Martinez, Jennifer Teitzel, Alivia Garcia, Courtney Robbins, Theresa Boyer ; bottom row: Trista Egli, Radalyn King, Kennie Calvert). Photo by Courtney Murphy. 

DOC Corrections professionals were also able to connect with the SPP team and learn more about the endangered butterfly that their dedicated work helps support, taking that knowledge with them to strengthen the program and support the technicians in their work. The Scatter Creek site visit provided an exciting opportunity for colleagues to build connections with one another and with the prairie habitat that the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly calls home! 

Turtle Release 2024!

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in Biology Conservation Programs Partners

By Mikala Waldrup, SPP Ecological Program Coordinator 

On Tuesday, April 2nd, the Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) team along with the turtle technicians from Cedar Creek Correction Center (CCCC), The Department of Corrections (DOC) Staff, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff (WDFW) visited the Pierce County Recovery Site to release western pond turtles (WPT) back to their native ponds after treatment from a shell disease. During this field trip, we released 11 turtles that received follow up care from incarcerated turtle technicians at CCCC after receiving acute veterinary treatment. These turtles, a Washington state listed endangered species, were found to have a shell disease that, left untreated, can be fatal. This shell disease is caused by a keratin eating fungus that infects the WPTs and creates lesions and pitting on their shells. These lesions make their normally hard shells soft. Turtles that show symptoms of shell disease are brought to PAWS Wildlife and Rehabilitation Center (PAWS) or The Oregon Zoo for treatment.  

Once treated, the turtles move to CCCC for longer term care. The turtle technicians prepared and fed the turtles a varied diet of smelt, mealworms, night crawlers, turtle pellets, mixed greens, and reptile gel. They also provided daily water changes and weekly tank cleanings to prevent possible infections in the turtles’ post-treatment wounds. With daily behavior observations, the technicians quickly learned the personality each turtle had—some were shy and preferred to hide while others were bold and sassy, preferring to bask all day.  

During the 2023-2024 season, SPP and the turtle technicians cared for 23 turtles both before and after the turtles received veterinary care. When reflecting on this season, turtle technician Robert Asagai wrote, “Although this was a program/job provided by SPP and DOC, I really enjoyed it and felt that it wasn’t. I looked forward to coming in everyday and doing something that was outside of everyday prison stuff. It felt like a safe place or a place of peace.” 

A WPT swimming away upon release.

Below: A WPT being swabbed to see if the shell disease is present post treatment prior to release.

Due to the pandemic, this was the first time the technicians and DOC staff have been able to attend a release since 2019, which added a special element to the day. Prior to releasing the turtles back into their ponds, the technicians and wildlife biologist swabbed each turtle to further study shell disease treatment. The technicians work so hard throughout the season caring for the turtles and ensuring they are recovering from their treatments, and it was so great to have them attend the release. It was also neat to see a lot of the concepts that we were learning about together, such as wetland ecology, in person at the recovery site.

During our visit to the Pierce County Recovery Site, the WDFW wildlife biologist took the team on a tour of the recovery area, and we were able to check on several nest sites that had teeny tiny turtle hatchlings. This was a highlight for everyone to see the next generation of a species we are all working to conserve and protect. Upon release, the turtles swam away and rejoined their population just in time for the summer and the WPT mating season. SPP and the Cedar Creek crew are very happy to see the successful release of the WPTs but will be missing the turtles until the next batch are trapped for treatment next season. 

Teeny tiny turtle hatchlings seen at the release site, each no bigger than a half dollar. Photos by SPP staff.

Welcoming Sarah Larson to the SPP Team

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in Education

Meet Sarah Larson, the new SPP Education Development Manager!

Sarah grew up in the South Puget Sound and considers Tacoma her hometown. Growing up in Washington, she has always been interested in the natural world. A few years after moving to Olympia, she learned about the Master of Environmental Studies (MES) program at The Evergreen State College. The program was a perfect fit, eventually bringing her to SPP in 2020 as the Program Operations Coordinator.

Sarah Larson and Carl Elliott load plants for the Conservation Nursery program at Washington Corrections Center for Women. Photo by Savannah Richard.

As the Program Operation Coordinator, Sarah assisted the SPP team with administrative tasks, reports, planning, and educational development. While she primarily worked at The Evergreen State College, she frequently supported other coordinators, helping with the butterfly, conservation nursery, and turtle programs, especially when the pandemic limited incarcerated technicians’ access to program areas. She helped ensure that endangered species like the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly and Western Pond Turtle received vital care when technicians could not reach the program area. She really enjoyed working with other coordinators and supporting their programs, but it wasn’t until the incarcerated technicians were out of quarantine and able to work alongside her in the program areas that the full depth of the programs and what they mean became apparent.

Sarah Larson and Kelli Bush learn about the Sustainable Practices Lab composting program from Chris McGill at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Photo by Carl Elliott.

During spring and summer of 2022, Sarah stepped in as the Sagebrush Program Coordinator. She worked with incarcerated technicians at Stafford Creek Corrections Center to grow native sagebrush for restoration projects in eastern Washington. She also delivered educational content, allowing technicians to earn academic credit from The Evergreen State College. She appreciated the opportunity to coordinate a program and work directly with incarcerated technicians.

Sagebrush growing in a hoop house at Stafford Creek Corrections Center. Photo by Sarah Larson.

In MES, Sarah studied a wide variety of topics. She earned her undergraduate degree in geology at WWU and focused on a variety of topics during the MES program, including flood mitigation in the Chehalis River basin and red alder nitrogen inputs to Puget Sound. Sarah points to some of the amazing people with ecology and botany backgrounds she met in her cohort that inspired her to complete a thesis on plants. Her thesis focused on herb Robert, a common invasive plant in the region, and worked to identify what mechanisms it may use to outcompete native species and establish itself in relatively intact habitats.

Sarah is now taking on a new role at SPP as the Educational Development Manager! She is excited to help design fun and engaging educational materials for incarcerated students and unconventional settings. She recognizes that SPP does not exist in a vacuum and is grateful to continue collaborating with and learning from the many SPP partners and other education providers. Most of all, she looks forward to learning more about prison education and how best to serve the population.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys being outdoors and anything involving plants or rocks! She also teaches environmental science and geology classes for Centralia College at Green Hill School and Cedar Creek Corrections Center. She loves traveling, hiking, and camping with her two children (especially if there are opportunities to see new plants)

Tacoma Community College’s Horticulture Program is in Full Bloom!

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in collaboration Gardens Partners

Horticulture students and teaching assistants from Tacoma Community College (TCC) have been busy growing succulents, flowers, houseplants, produce, and more at Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW).

Some of the many house plants and flowers grown in TCC’s horticulture program. Photo by Derek Thedell.

The program, a partnership between WCCW and TCC, provides students the opportunity to earn college credit while developing hands-on skills. Students spend time in the classroom learning about horticulture techniques and practices with TCC instructors and a volunteer Master Gardener.  Students then implement what they have learned about plant production and care in two facility greenhouses and gardens throughout the grounds. 

Some of the many succulents and plants available for WCCW to purchase. Photo by Derek Thedell.

Produce grown in the gardens often makes its way to the WCCW kitchen and is incorporated into menu items.

Some of the produce harvested by TCC horticulture students. Photo by Derek Thedell.

Other plants, like the ornamental kale, go to local businesses and organizations for landscaping.

Ornamental Kale at WCCW. Photo by Derek Thedell.

Some of the plants and flowers even go to the Governor’s mansion for special occasions throughout the year!  Overall, TCC’s horticulture program is the perfect example of the importance of partnerships in delivering high-quality programs in WA prisons.

Gardens at Stafford Creek Corrections Center

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By Sarah Larson, SPP Sagebrush Coordinator

Incarcerated gardeners have been tending to their gardens since the season began this past spring. Despite delays in planting due to the unusually long and cool spring, the gardeners managed to plant a variety of vegetables throughout the facility. Harvests occur each Monday morning with the bounty being donated to the Coastal Harvest food bank in Hoquiam. As of mid-September, they’ve grown and donated an amazing 6,000 lbs. of produce! 

Gardens are placed throughout the facility wherever space is available. The incarcerated population has access to gardens in the main gardening hub and adjacent to individual living units. Photos by Sarah Larson. 

The gardeners don’t just grow vegetables, they also incorporate wildflowers and perennials. While this helps beautify the grounds, it also does an incredibly important job of supporting the Stafford Creek honey bees. The bees forage for pollen and nectar, while also pollinating many of the vegetables. 

A Stafford Creek honey bee visits a poppy flower in the pollinator garden. Photos by Sarah Larson. 

Gardeners often experiment with new plant varieties, giving them the opportunity to learn more about the needs of different plants and how to solve issues with pests and diseases. Gardeners also collect and store seeds that are then sown the following year. 

A wide variety of plants are grown in the hoop houses, which extend the growing season and protect plants from winter frosts. Maintenance crew gardeners, Robert Souza and Bob Covington, tend to the plants in one of the hoop houses (bottom left). Photos by Sarah Larson. 

With sustainability in mind, the gardeners get very creative in repurposing old containers to grow plants in. Many items are repurposed, like recycling bins, water barrels, laundry tubs, as well as reusing black plastic nursery pots.

Clever and sustainable container solutions used throughout the gardens. Photos by Sarah Larson.
A weekly garden harvest packaged in reusable crates and ready to be picked up by the food bank (bottom). Photo by Sarah Larson.