Summer Youth Program
Meet the Youth Crew
Now Hiring 2025 Summer Youth Crew Positions
Position Title: Youth Crew Leader
Supervised by: Restoration Project Manager
Full-time, Temporary: 40 hours per week, 10 weeks: June 30- September 5, 2025
Pay Rate: $28 per hour.
Working Conditions: This position includes daily field work Monday-Thursday with occasional off site field trips and ability to work from home on Fridays. A work truck can be available for field work use.
Work Location: Public Parks in Auburn, Washington.
Send Cover Letter and Resume to: Erik@midsoundfisheries.org
Application Deadline: May 15, 2025. Interviews are anticipated the week of May 19th.
See full job description:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14b5hN41Im5wC0TOD814h5Z-YaOU1DoiU/view?usp=sharing
Position Title: Assistant Crew Leader
Supervised by: Crew Leader and Restoration Project Manager
Part-time Temporary: 24 hours per week, July 7th- August 28th, 2025 with in person orientation on July 3rd.
Pay Rate: $23 per hour.
Working Conditions: This position includes daily field work Monday-Thursday with occasional off site field trips.
Work Location: Public Parks in Auburn, Washington.
Send Cover Letter and Resume to: Erik@midsoundfisheries.org
Application Deadline: May 21, 2025. Interviews are anticipated the week of May 27th, 2025.
Full Job Description:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N4c2NB4HVCYGqlo7hc-cPXCDQvgm3SQ2/view?usp=sharing
Position Title: Crew member
Supervised by: Crew Leader and Assistant Crew Leader
Part time/ temporary: Monday-Thursday 9am-3pm, for a total of 24 hours per week
Start and end date: July 7th, 2025 – August 28th, 2025
Pay Rate and Benefits: $18 per hour. Work boots, work pants, and daily lunch provided.
Work Locations: Mainly Fenster Park, and occasionally Isaac Evans Park, Dykstra Park, Mary Olson Farm
Timeline: 8 positions open until May 30th, or until all spaces are filled.
Qualifications: No experience necessary. Must be 16-18 years old. Must be able to get to Auburn
worksites by 9am every morning.
To apply please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/nhybbMM1ytQmjTcm9
The Youth Crew Restoration Training Program takes places during the summer in Auburn, Washington. In 2023, the Crew removed over 18,000 square feet of invasive blackberry from crucial salmon habitat areas, conducted a solarizing experiment to help contain blackberry, participated in native plant ID and water quality testing, and learned from guest speakers about their journeys to their green careers.
Youth Crew 2020-2021
In 2020 and 2021, Partner In Employment, an organization that works to guarantee the long-term economic stability of newly arrived refugees and immigrants in King County, connected Mid Sound with youth who, with Mid Sound staff, worked on a restoration crew in the Summer and Fall. It was an opportunity for these youth to learn about green jobs, habitat restoration, and build their resumes for future employment.
They were an amazing and dedicated group. Despite all the challenges –such as getting used to working outdoors for long days, hot afternoons in the summer and cold rainy mornings in the fall, wearing masks and frequently washing hands to keep the work site safe from COVID-19, wildfire smoke and high winds, tough digging conditions, and so so much blackberry –they rocked it! It’s easy to see how much they accomplished just by looking at the numbers from 2020 and 2021:
- Provided 6,851 total hours towards improving habitat along the Lower Green River at Fenster Park and Isaac-Evans Park for salmon and for people;
- Cleared over 350 cubic yards of invasive species from over 56,025 square feet of riparian habitat
- Spread more than 1,500 square feet of mulch on cleared areas;
- Removed 107 bags of garbage from these parks; and
- Planted over 722 native trees and shrubs!
The numbers only paint part of the picture, and the true benefits of the program go way beyond habitat! The youth were wonderful ambassadors in Auburn Parks, sharing their knowledge with curious walkers and park users. They learned to identify more than 30 invasive and native species, giving them a new perspective on the outdoors. As part of a culminating project, the youth learned to assess a site, determine which plants were a good fit, and create a planting plan. They then helped lead a volunteer event to plant their site!
Weekly zoom lessons expanded their knowledge about green careers and helped workshop resumes, while also teaching them about salmon, watersheds, water quality, and more. Their confidence grew as the season went on, quickly identifying new plants, asking questions, sharing new ideas and help problem solve on the fly.
This was a wonderful learning opportunity and a great partnership. Bringing together these amazing, energetic young people, Partner in Employment, Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, and Sound Salmon Solutions—with support from the Port of Seattle—will leave a lasting impact for all of us who were a part of it. At our end of the season celebration and reflection, one of the youth said, “I’m gonna miss my shovel” as another called out “Are we doing this next year??”
Partners in this project included: Partner in Employment, Sound Salmon Solutions, and Auburn Parks & Recreation. It was made possible by funding provided by Port of Seattle, King County Flood Control District, WRIA 9.