"the mountain and the sea are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books." -john lubbock
Meet Our Team
The Salish Sea School is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, inclusion, and connectedness. We are able to grow and learn better together with a diverse team. We welcome the unique contributions that one can bring in terms of their education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.
We are stronger together with the collective sum of individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent which ultimately brings about a healthier planet.
Click on the pictures below to learn more.
Mission
The Student Leadership Team equips young people with the skills, confidence, connections, and real-world experience to thrive in marine conservation. Members collaborate with peers, staff, scientists, and local experts to shape agendas, complete meaningful projects, and support the Salish Sea.
Students do not just learn about leadership—they make decisions, take action, and become leaders while building a network of like-minded peers and mentors that can support them for years to come.
Qualifications and Expectations
Applicants must:
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Be age 13-18 years old
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Be passionate about marine biology and conservation
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Respect marine life, fellow students, and diverse perspectives
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Participate actively and work cooperatively
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Communicate through the team’s Discord channel
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Contribute ideas, projects, outreach, and occasional public speaking
Time Commitment
Student leaders meet virtually once a month, with no more than two meetings per month, usually on Sunday evenings for one hour between 7:00–9:00 p.m. Pacific. The team may also hold one or two in-person gatherings each year.
Most activities are virtual, so students do not need to live locally to participate. Local students may also help with in-person community outreach events.
What We’ve Been Up To
In 2021, the student leaders led an incredible virtual Summit for Southern Resident orcas, participated in a marine debris survey, led a post-card writing campaign in support of the breaching of the lower Snake River dams, and discussed other relevant issues regarding the Salish Sea.
In June 2022, student leaders performed a Salish Sea School social media takeover and posted about the Southern Resident orcas and how you can help from home.
For Orca Recovery Day in October 2022, students are working on cartoons to teach elementary students about the Southern Resident orcas and the impacts of stormwater.
For the 2024-25 school year, the team focused our projects on raising awareness. Each student put together flyers and infographics on a variety of topics to inform the public and create change. The students also had the opportunity to learn from and connect with many guest experts.
For 2025-26, we spent the first half of the year developing skills in communication, storytelling, and persuasion. And the second half creating a virtual summit on how young people can make a difference.
You can watch the summit here.
We also connected together in person to further connect, conduct marine mammal research, and have fun!
Meet Our 2025-2026 Student Leadership Team
We are proud to introduce you to our student leaders that bring their passion for the oceans from across the country! We are stronger together with the collective sum of individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent which ultimately brings about a healthier planet.
Alexandra Guard
I want to help others learn of the importance of the Salish Sea and by extension, all ecosystems of the ocean. I feel that this would be a great opportunity for me to give something back on issues that I am very passionate about.
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not." - The Lorax, Dr. Seuss
"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." - RBG
Kathryn Badstuebner
I’ve lived my entire life in the Pacific Northwest. I love all the nature we have here but especially the Puget Sound and Salish Sea. I would beg my parents to take me tide-pooling and boating so I could see the wildlife and ecosystem. The Salish Sea is so important as it’s home to loads of amazing species, and we need to protect it and them. I want to learn and teach others about the sea and how to protect it.
“A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself” -Franklin D. Roosevelt
Nateli Sanderson
I feel extremely grateful to have grown up surrounded by such a beautiful and diverse ecosystem and I am dedicated to protecting it. I look forward to new opportunities and experiences with this program and hope to expand my impact and inspire others. The SRKWs have inspired me and changed my outlook, and so any chance I get I would like to give back to them.
“Here we are, the most clever species ever to have lived. So how is it we can destroy the only planet we have?” - Dr. Jane Goodall
Lucy Auer
I’ve grown up on the Salish Sea, and oceans in general, and have always loved learning from it. I want to be a part of protecting and supporting the incredible place that has seen me through all stages of life. I hope to continue on this path of education and be able to protect and support the incredible ecosystems the ocean houses and the marine mammals depending on us for their future.
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” - Dr. Seuss
Ames Black O'Neal
I live n Portland, Oregon and attend Sunnyside Environmental School. I am an avid reader who is drawn to books about nature and will watch any documentary narrated by David Attenbourogh in a heartbeat.
Owen Handley
I’ve always had an interest in marine species, and I love learning about new animals! I have a deep passion for the environment, and enjoy teaching others about it! I am so grateful that I live so close to one of the richest and most diverse marine environments on Earth. In my free time, I enjoy playing Fishing Planet, Minecraft, my drum set, and basketball!
“It is a curious situation that the sea, from which life first arose should now be threatened by the activities of one form of that life. But the sea, though changed in a sinister way, will continue to exist; the threat is rather to life itself.” - Rachel Carson
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Ingrid Haugo
Sophie Naffziger
Position Open
Sage Maden
I’ve lived my whole life by the Salish Sea and I have grown to love it. I have done two summer camps with the Salish Sea School and loved learning about the different ecosystems. I would love to learn more about how to prevent plastic pollution in the ocean so that our Orcas and other whales can recover and maintain healthy populations.
“When one of us tugs at a single thing in nature, they find it attached to the rest of the world.”- John Muir
Evan Dix
I would like to help people learn about how important the Salish Sea is. I want us to be able to live in harmony with nature, because right now we are in a toxic relationship with it. I hope we can right our wrongs and reverse what we’ve done soon.
“In every walk with Nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” - John Muir
Ellie Bishop
Growing up, I've lived across the United States and in different parts of the world. Experiencing such a wide range of ecosystems has shaped my desire to advocate for the natural world. Through my actions, I hope to inspire others to listen more deeply: to themselves, to one another, and to nature.
"Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they can do if they stick together." - Vesta M. Kelly
Team Leader, Jared Posey
Nature, to put it in terms of preserves, is my jam. And helping young people is like daily cheesecake. The future is up for grabs, and it's worth fighting for. So, we're not just telling youth that our fate is up to them. We're training these students to be the leaders of tomorrow. We're equipping them with skills, resources, and connections. Not just because we believe in them (though we do incredibly!). But because we believe in a world where all creatures can thrive. And we're fighting to make it real.
Team Leader,
Kaia Olson
I’m a student at Western Washington University and co-leader of the SLT. I’m passionate about educating communities and empowering youth leaders to make change. When not studying, you can find me hiking, cooking, and editing for WWU’s environmental magazine.
The Salish Sea School Student Leadership Team Alumni!
Kaia Olson, Washington
Leah Froemming, California
Rachel Hankey, Washington
Taylor Redmond, Oregon
Paul
Katie Abercrombie: "I want to see the planet as healed as it can be. I want to see people living as part of the natural world and be in balance with nature. I’d like to work in conservation or rehabilitation as a biologist or environmental scientist. I want to make a difference." Inspired by: By the deep sea and music in its roar, I love not man the less but nature more. - Lord Byron
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