Tag Archives: sustainability

Building sustainable Food Systems: Garden to Kitchen Workshop at Stafford Creek Correctional Center

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in collaboration Gardens Partners

By Laureen Dulo

You may not expect it, but Washington State prisons are full of a variety of gardens. Garden types vary depending on the facility’s climate, partnerships, goals, and programs. Most facilities feature a variety of gardens which may include educational gardens to accompany SPP’s Foundations in Gardening classes, produce gardens for donation or on-site use, herb and medicinal gardens, culture gardens for cultural groups, flower gardens, pollinator friendly gardens, small orchards, rental plot gardens, and drought tolerant native plant gardens. These gardens not only enrich the prison environment but also have positive effects on incarcerated individuals, correctional staff, and visitors.

By cultivating gardens and actively using or donating their produce, incarcerated individuals have the opportunity to gain valuable gardening skills, knowledge about healthy eating, and contribute positively to the local communities. Since 2020, almost 200 students have taken SPP’s 4-credit Foundations in Gardening course. In 2024, prisons reported donating 110,399 lbs. of produce to local food banks and using 131,482 lbs. of produce grown on site within the facilities. However, challenges persist, mainly related to incarcerated individuals having access to the fresh produce grown at facilities.

Some plants and flowers from the gardens at Stafford Creek Correctional Center. Photos by Emily Passarelli.

To address these challenges, SPP, with support from former Secretary Strange and other Department of Corrections (DOC) leadership, launched the ‘Garden to Kitchen Project’ (G2K Project) in the Fall of 2021. The goal of this initiative was to create a stronger link between kitchen managers, plant managers, incarcerated gardeners, and various stakeholders to tackle existing barriers and improve access to fresh produce in prisons.

The Garden to Kitchen Project began by collecting information on the challenges and successes associated with utilizing prison-grown produce in facility kitchens. To gain a comprehensive understanding, SPP reached out to plant and kitchen managers across twelve prisons to discuss the limitations and obstacles related to growing, cleaning, and preparing produce. Additionally, the G2K team conducted several in-person listening sessions with incarcerated gardeners to further identify challenges regarding produce access. These gardeners expressed frustration over the waste of facility-grown produce and the lack of formal education on cleaning and preparing it. They also highlighted issues such as staffing shortages, movement closures, small crew sizes, and quarantines. Concerns were raised about the lack of compost and fertilizers, the absence of a formal planting plan, unfair pricing of produce, and the inability to have produce in living unit.

Building on the insights gathered, the Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC) took the lead in piloting the Garden to Kitchen  initiative, with support from SPP. To address the challenges identified, SPP provided resources including composting tumblers, seeds, materials for garden beds, books, and garden tools. These contributions were designed to enhance the facility’s capacity to grow and effectively utilize produce, fostering a more sustainable connection between the garden and the kitchen. Through these efforts, the initiative aimed to overcome the previously identified obstacles and improve the overall efficiency and sustainability of produce use within the facility.

To address more barriers, SPP is actively leading sustainability workshops focused on addressing the challenges identified by gardeners, kitchen managers, and plant managers, like delivering dirty produce to the kitchens.

On April 2, 2025, Stafford Creek Correctional Center hosted an inspiring and thought-provoking workshop featuring Kristen McIvor, Director of Harvest Pierce County. Founded in 2010, Harvest Pierce County aims to bridge the gap between food, community, and the environment by engaging residents in creating a just and nutritious food system. With over 15 years of experience in cultivating sustainable food systems in Tacoma, WA, McIvor brought a wealth of knowledge and passion to the conversation, emphasizing the critical role of community engagement in creating a more just and healthy food system. During her presentation, she discussed the importance of building sustainable systems that promote transforming garden produce into healthy meals

Kristen Mclvor introducing herself to students from Stafford Creek Correctional Center. Photo by Emily Passarelli.

McIvor outlined key programs that were relevant to challenges identified by the facility. Essential practices like basic garden planning, recognizing planting schedules, and understanding food safety were highlighted, with emphasis on understanding your kitchen’s needs, barriers, and limitations

McIvor also shared practical tips that included harvesting techniques specific to various crops, with an emphasis on timing and handling to ensure food safety and quality. Participants were encouraged to engage with the kitchen staff to explore how to prepare their produce, understand any logistical barriers they may face and food safety practices like worker hygiene and proper harvesting methods to mitigate contamination risks.

Kristen Mclvor discusses the work they do at Harvest Pierce County with students from Stafford Creek Correctional Center Photo by Emily Passarelli.

The workshop sparked meaningful dialogue about the unique challenges of connecting prison-grown produce to institutional kitchens. Issues such as food safety regulations, kitchen infrastructure, and access barriers remain significant. Yet, with open communication and a commitment to collaborative problem-solving, progress is possible. Programs like those led by Harvest Pierce County, along with the efforts of the Sustainability in Prisons Project, continue to demonstrate how innovation, partnership, and equity can transform systems from within.

Kristen Mclvor discusses the various programs under Harvest Pierce County with students from Stafford Creek Correctional Center. Photo by Emily Passarelli.

The workshop was a remarkable gathering, attended by incarcerated students, SCCC staff, SPP staff, and Sally Brown, one of SPP’s long-term partners and a UW research professor. As the workshop concluded, students engaged with both Kristen and Sally, asking insightful questions that sparked meaningful discussions. Following this, Kristen and Sally enjoyed a visit to the beautiful gardens at SCCC, witnessing firsthand the incredible progress being made, an inspiring wrap-up to a productive day. To learn more about Kristen and her impactful work at Harvest Pierce County, please visit their website:https://piercecd.org/190/Urban-Agriculture

As we prepare for the next phase of the Gardens to Kitchens Project, we encourage stakeholders, community members, and partner organizations to stay engaged. Together, we can cultivate not only gardens but also thriving ecosystems that support health, dignity, and sustainability both inside and outside of prison walls.

Sally Brown (left) and Kristen Mclvor (right) answering students’ questions at the end of the workshop. Photos by Emily Passarelli. 

Interview with Mikala Waldrup, SPP’s Ecological Program Coordinator

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in Conservation Programs Partners

We sat down with Mikala to learn more about her role at SPP, as well as her SPP supported thesis work. 

Mikala Waldrup with a Western Pond turtle. Photo by Xitlali Herrera.

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

After undergrad I joined a Conservation Corps, which was an AmeriCorps program that mainly focused on conservation, disaster relief, and wildland firefighting and fire mitigation. I spent three years with that program, mostly doing conservation, stewardship, and learning about management practices and restoration ecology through hands-on practice. But I didn’t feel like I had the science background, or the educational background, and I felt like to be more marketable to potential employers I wanted to pursue a master’s degree. 

 I also love learning, and I felt ready and excited to go back to school. I wanted to move the Pacific Northwest and Evergreen just spoke the most to me. My aunt used to live out here in Washington, and I would visit in the summers in high school. I fell in love with the flora and landscapes that are out here, and it felt right. I really love the Evergreen model in terms of not having grades or tests, and the learning community that it can create.  

I was looking for a new job in the transition and the SPP position that I’m currently in was open. I love doing environmental interpretation and education, and I also love doing hands-on conservation work. Getting to work with the western pond turtles and also getting to lead educational modules, seminars, and workshops has just been a dream come true for me.  

Could you expand a little bit on your program and the work you do with SPP?  

As the Ecological Program Coordinator, I facilitate the Western Pond turtle recovery program and coordinate the ecological programs at Cedar Creek Corrections Center.  

The western pond turtle is one of two native turtles in Washington, and it is afflicted by a shell disease. It’s caused by a fungus (Emydomyces) that eats away at the keratin in the shells. It creates pits and lesions, and when that happens, it can create a fluid sack underneath the turtle’s shell. This can press against the lungs or the spinal cord as the turtle is trying to heal itself. If it’s left untreated it can kill the turtles. Wildlife biologists with Fish and Wildlife go out and catch the turtles in the wild, assess them in the field for shell disease, and then bring them to vet partners where they undergo CT scans. Infected turtles go through surgical debridement during which affected parts of the shell are removed. They then fill it with bone cement similar to how a filling is done in dental work. After they’ve been in care at the zoo and the vets for a period of time, they come to Cedar Creek for longer-term care. The technicians feed them daily, clean their enclosures, monitor health, and maintain environmental conditions. 

My piece of the puzzle is coordinating that effort between all the partners (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, PAWS, The Oregon Zoo, and Cedar Creek Corrections Center) and the technicians. Each week I go into the facility and lead education, and we talk about the turtle’s recovery. We note if there’s any health concerns, take pictures, and weigh the turtles. I also bring in outside partners to give the technicians a more well-rounded picture of the full recovery and the broader partnership.  

Western Pond turtle exhibiting signs of shell disease. Photo by Xitlali Herrera.

You also are doing an SPP supported thesis in restoration work. We’d love to hear more about that.  

Yeah, so I am doing a thesis on Oregon White Oaks (Quercus garryana), which is the only native oak species here in Washington, and their relationship to prescribed fire. Oregon white oaks are a transition species, meaning that they typically inhabit areas between open prairies to a more closed canopy forest. Conifer encroachment and fire suppression have really put the species at risk. I’m studying the effects of prescribed fire on both mature and immature (seedlings and saplings) white oaks.  

SPP grows this species in conservation nurseries at Stafford Creek (SCCC), Washington Corrections Center (WCC), and Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW). I think there’s several thousand that have been sowed within the last year, and they will be grown and planted back out into the prairies in oak savannah and oak woodlands here in Western Washington. My thesis is related to prairie oak restoration work. 

Mikala doing thesis field work at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). Photo by JBLM staff.

What are you hoping to do with your degree after Evergreen? 

Get a job (laughs). I would love to go into something related to restoration ecology or fire ecology. Ideally, I would be able to do some hands-on work, and my most ideal position would look something like half field/half office. I’d like to be involved in decision-making regarding restoration practices happening in the field. I also really love the work that SPP does and would love to continue incorporating ecological restoration with the human side of it—the human restoration and healing that can happen through nature. So, if there’s a way to marry all of those things that’s really a dream for me.  

What is your favorite reptile or amphibian?  

You know I wasn’t really into them before this position! I think turtles are pretty cool and yeah, I guess I would say the Western Pond turtle because it’s the species that I have worked most closely with and they’re just really cute. The corners of their mouths are turned up, so they always look like they’re smiling. They’re very photogenic whether or not they are smiling, maybe that’s anthropomorphizing them, but they’re a really docile, calm species. They have a lot to teach us in terms of the pace at which they move, as they are a slow growing species. They move slowly; they live long lives. They do everything really slowly. The shell disease comes on slowly. The treatment of it is slow. The recovery is slow. They have something to teach us in terms of moving slowly through our days and in our society. 

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

I love to garden, do yoga, and watercolor. I also love exploring trails and our natural areas here. Grad school doesn’t provide a lot of time for extracurriculars or hobbies, but it is really nice to have a few things that bring me a lot of joy and stress relief. I also love making lots of vegan recipes.  

Anything else you’d like the readers to know?  

I think I just really want to emphasize the SPP model and how transformative it is—the partnership between biologists, veterinary partners, incarcerated technicians, our DOC partners, the coordinators, and SPP staff. The way the SPP model is built everyone should be benefiting if it’s working correctly, and if anyone within the partnership is not benefiting there’s something going wrong. And I just think that that model where the partnership is the project is so cool. Getting to work with such a diverse group of people with different backgrounds is something that I’m so grateful for, and I’m very grateful for the support that SPP has given me throughout my grad school career. I’m grateful for the gift of presence from the technicians I work with. I just want to express my gratitude for SPP and all that it does for so many people.  

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.  

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.

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. 

WCC Seed Nursery

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By Michelle Klim

This season, the sustainability crew at The Washington Corrections Center (WCC) in Shelton, WA planted native prairie plants for seed harvesting. These plants, which include Plectritis congesta, Collinsia parviflora, and Collinsia grandiflora, are being used in prairie restoration for the endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly. 

 

Despite work delays, the crew was able to sow the field and harvest the seeds-which are currently curing inside before they’re packaged and distributed. This process involved deconstructing old garden beds that previously housed violets, reshaping the soil, planting ground cover, sowing the seeds twice, and weeding the rows weekly.   

Technicians weeded the rows weekly (top). SPP Conservation Manager Carl Elliot and a WCC crew member discuss seed ripeness and harvest dates (left). A technician shows Plectritis congesta seeds. Photos by Michelle Klim.

 

Technicians harvested Plectritis congesta by knocking the seeds off the plant and into a bin. Photo by Michelle Klim.

During the harvesting process, the crew noticed that there were seeds being left behind. They came up with an innovative solution- using a wireless shop-vac to collect them. They separated the seeds from the soil by shaking them through sieves but still had some small debris in the mix. After some trial and error, they came up with a solution- submerging the seeds in water and collecting the ones that float or bunch together.

Seeds that were dropped while harvesting were vacuumed up and sorted through. Shown is what is collected by the vacuum. Photo by Michelle Klim.

A WCC Technician collecting Collinisia seeds from a water bath. Photo by Michelle Klim.

A technician holds the seeds that have been separated out by water. The seeds will dry and cure before they are weighed and packaged. Photo by Michelle Klim.

The work was not easy, but the team was able to work together to come up with solutions and complete the harvest.  

From worms to flies, SPP is enriching the soil of 2022 with a new composting program!

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Written by Derek Thedell, Composting Education Coordinator

At SPP, we believe collaboration is key to successful, resilient programs. One collaboration we are excited to share about is the Foundations in Composting education course, which has been in development since the summer of 2021. With the support of a generous donor, many partners, and Institute for Applied Ecology’s Sagebrush in Prisons Project the new course will be available in Washington prisons and offered at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada!  

Greenhouse and thermophilic composting bins at WCC in Shelton, photo by Emily Passarelli.

This curriculum is modeled from the Foundations in Gardening course written in 2020 and focuses on the science and impacts of composting from small to commercial scales. The curriculum will also introduce careers in sustainability and include cultural and historical components throughout the curriculum. Additionally, once completed, we will present it to The Evergreen State College for review for college credit.

Module or chapter development is currently in progress and includes input and voices from experts in our communities including incarcerated individuals, corrections staff, formerly incarcerated individuals, Evergreen Master of Environmental Studies graduates, local composting experts, Tilth Alliance, Centralia College staff, and professors at the University of Washington. You might recognize a few faces and voices, including Nick Hacheney and Juan Hernandez who were composting leaders at the massively successful composting program at Monroe Correctional Center.

Alongside expert composters, Foundations in Composting will feature information from significant written resources, such as Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis.

Last November, SPP had the privilege of hosting a course planning meeting at the Washington Corrections Center (WCC) in Shelton. Collaboration is a fundamental part of the SPP program development process. Bringing in the voices and input of the incarcerated composting educators and technicians, Department of Corrections staff, and community experts helps assure that our program is inclusive and well-rounded.

Active worm bin compost managed by the sustainability crew at WCC, photo by Jennifer Bass.

Currently, the sustainability crew at WCC, led by Corrections Specialist 3 Jeff Sanders, has several active composting projects including thermophilic piles (pictured), bokashi, vermicomposting using worms (pictured) and black soldier flies. SPP hopes to provide an educational opportunity to supplement these active projects in the future using this curriculum.

The compost at WCC is utilized in their many gardens, and the black soldier fly larva are even used to feed the chickens! Photos by Jennifer Bass.

Development of the curriculum is slated to be finished by spring, with the pilot program in Nevada getting started quickly after that. Until then, we will continue to write, edit, and edit some more for this exciting new program. One thing is for sure, the future of composting education in prisons is bright!

 

 

SPP Bees Preparing for Winter

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in Education Nature inside

As the cold and rainy months appear, the SPP beekeepers are preparing to tuck the bees in for the winter.  

After a long season of sunshine and collecting pollen, the bees are starting to return to the hives for the colder months. While bees do not necessarily hibernate in the winter, they do retreat to their hives and stick closely together when the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit to stay warm. Winter can be a difficult time for bees and their beekeepers. An article written by NPR, stated that in 2019, about 40% of hives did not survive the winter. The SPP beekeepers at various facilities are hard at work to protect the bees from mites, harsh temperatures, and heavy rain.  

Stafford Creek Corrections Center

Beekeepers at Stafford Creek Corrections Center are testing an insulated hive this winter. The bee club introduced the hive in September, carefully transferring bees from a wooden hive frame to a plastic insulated hive.  

The new insulated hive at SCCC by the old wooden hive. Photo by Shohei Morita.

While transferring the hive, the bee club was surprised to find that one hive was missing a Queen! The bee club conducted a detailed search of every panel and used the situation to teach new beekeepers about the signs of a missing queen and overall bee health.   

SCCC Bee Club members comb through the wooden frames looking for a Queen. Photo by Shohei Morita.

After combining two hives in the insulated hive, SCCC bee club and bees are prepared for the winter! The bees adjusted well to the new hive and are beginning to return, store honey, and cluster together for the winter.  

Cedar Creek Corrections Center

The Cedar Creek beekeepers are also busy preparing the bees for winter. The bees at McNeil Island are still bringing some colorful pollen into the hive as well as propolis from tree resins to fill any cracks in the hive before winter. 

Bees at the small entrance that Cedar Creek beekeepers will modify before winter. The bees have propolized the edge of the wood to completely seal the hive.  Photo by Laurie Pyne at McNeil Island.  

The Cedar Creek beekeepers provided additional feed and are providing ample amounts of liquid syrup to help prepare for the cooler months. As the temperature begins to get colder, the beekeepers are prepared to add a sugar brick for emergencies and to apply quilt boxes with more shavings.  

Washington Corrections Center for Women

Beekeepers at Washington Corrections Center for Women are preparing for winter by building quilt boxes and making sugar cakes. The WCCW beekeepers have four healthy hives heading into the cooler months and are currently going through twenty cups of sugar a week! 

Beehive at WCCW. Photo by SPP Staff.

 The beekeepers use cedar ships to fill the quilt boxes and are actively monitoring to prevent hornet invasion. In the coming months, the beekeepers are excited to host educational group classes while the bees cluster for the winter.  

While the bees are heading in for the winter, SPP beekeepers are headed to the hives to prepare dry, warm, and cozy environments for the coming months.  

Growth!

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in collaboration Gardens Partners Sustainable Operations

Text and photos by Marisa Pushee, SPP Conservation Coordinator.

Following some adjustments this past winter, the aquaponics system at Cedar Creek Corrections Center (CCCC) is now thriving. It took a lot of work and perseverance from Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Biological Technicians, but their dedication has paid off.

Earlier this winter, SPP technicians noticed that these plants were looking a little yellow, an indication that they weren’t getting enough iron.

In January, Nick Naselli and Daniel Cherniske, co-founders of Symbiotic Cycles, assessed the state of the system and found that the pH, at 7.8-8, was too alkaline for plant life. The high pH had made the iron in the system inaccessible to the plants, resulting in yellowing of the leaves and stunted growth. In order to combat these problems, Symbiotic Cycles and SPP Biological Technicians changed the system’s bio-media from grow stones to red pumice rock and added iron nutrient to the system. Take a look through the photos to see the impact of these adjustments!

SPP Biological Technician, Lorenzo Stewart, situates the plugs in the system’s raft beds.
With the adjustments to the pH and iron levels, the greens started to take off.
SPP Biological Technician, Donald McLain, checks the plants for insects. Technicians spray plant leaves with a mixture of olive oil, garlic, natural soap, and water to deter the aphids.
Symbiotic Cycles Co-founder, Daniel Cherniske, assesses system progress during a recent site visit to Cedar Creek.

Plants that do well in an aquaponics system include leafy greens like lettuce, kale, chard, mustard greens, and bok choy. Cilantro and chives also thrive, and they even help keep away aphids.
The greens from this system are used in Cedar Creek’s kitchens to help provide the facility’s incarcerated population with fresh, healthy meals.

The greens are looking much better, well on their way to harvest.
After a little TLC, the plants are looking plush! The fan in this photo helps improve air circulation, which is beneficial for the plants and can help deter aphids.

With summer around the corner, SPP Biological Technicians will soon have to combat rising temperatures and increased sun exposure, but the introduction of a fan and shade cloth will help maintain a healthy and productive system.