Our Team

After a Pacific Northwest start to life in Sitka, AK, Rebecca moved between Louisiana, Texas, Guatemala, and central California in her younger years. Her education includes a B.S. in Biology from George Fox University and an M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana. Much of her working life has involved a variety of field positions such as bear management, songbird banding, bullfrog hunting, and air quality monitoring at Sequoia & Kings Canyon and Yosemite National Parks. In 2014, she returned to the PNW and, through the native plant and restoration program at North Cascades National Park, fell in love with restoration work. She is inspired and humbled by the commonplace occurrence of plants growing and building habitat for so many other creatures. Her free time can be spent floating the Skagit with her family, working on house projects, or helping plants grow both inside and out.

Bengt began his restoration career right out of college. After an internship performing in-stream monitoring during the summer of 1999, he became the first AmeriCorps/WCC individual placement Skagit Fisheries employed. After his year of service, he moved to Maine to do another AmeriCorps year. Upon returning to the Northwest, he used his AmeriCorps education allowance to attend Bellingham Technical College, where he learned about land surveying, mapping, and GIS. In February of 2009, he began working full-time at Skagit Fisheries as a Watershed Restoration Technician. He loves the outdoor aspect of his job and finds the work fulfilling. Outside of work, he can usually be found wherever there is an Ultimate Frisbee game.

Rose grew up exploring the mountains and rivers surrounding her hometown of Eagle, Colorado. She attended St Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, earning her BA in Environmental Studies and Political Science. After completing her degree, she moved back to Eagle and started her role as Community Engagement Manager for the Eagle River Coalition. This solidified her love and desire to protect rivers and all species that rely on them. She now finds herself living in Bellingham with her partner and black lab, Chloe, exploring the Pacific Northwest. When not working, you can find Rose on her mountain bike or baking. Rose looks forward to working to promote and protect salmon recovery in the Skagit River watershed.

Devon grew up spending most of his time outdoors exploring Washington’s many forests and streams, where he fostered a strong connection to the natural world. His care for the natural world led him to pursue a degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis on freshwater and terrestrial ecology at Western Washington University. After graduation, he gained experience with his time as a Chinook salmon spawner surveyor with WDFW, a WCC restoration crew member at NSEA, and a vegetation monitoring intern here at Skagit Fisheries. Devon currently develops and implements a plethora of different monitoring programs at Skagit Fisheries, including programs such as vegetation monitoring, spawner surveys, and eDNA.

PJ grew up in Western Washington and, despite several attempts to live elsewhere, she just can‘t seem to stay away from the Salish Sea. PJ obtained a BA in English literature with a secondary teaching emphasis and upon graduation immediately decided that she would rather spend her time working outdoors. She spent time working with Oregon State Parks and on the WCC crew at SFEG before going back to school to earn an AAS in Fisheries Science. Now she’s back to continue hunting for knotweed in the Sauk and Upper Skagit, maintaining SFEG restoration sites, and keep finding ways to support salmon in the Skagit. When PJ’s not at work, she can most likely be found knitting, gaming, or reading and almost always with her cat on her lap.

Ben was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. With a love for the outdoors, he moved to Washington state to pursue a degree in Environmental Science at Western Washington University, graduating in 2024. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, sailing, fishing, gardening, making music, and woodworking. Over past summers he has worked a variety of jobs including a forestry crew and eelgrass research crew. At Skagit Fisheries, he enjoys being a part of the riparian restoration crew enhancing riparian habitat in the watershed.

Jayna grew up on San Juan Island and has always loved traipsing through the woods and spending time outside. She has an environmental degree from Pacific Lutheran University. After graduating, she worked a variety of seasonal environmental jobs in Skagit and Whatcom County. Last year, Jayna completed a Certificate in Wetland Science and Management at the University of Washington. She loved learning about the ecosystems in the area in more depth. She is enjoying getting to reorient herself with the Skagit Watershed and work outside this summer. She loves many outdoor activities, but believes a walk in the sunshine cannot be topped. Jayna is also always looking for any excuse to spend hours on a baking or crafting project.

Reese grew up in Bellingham, Washington, and has always had a love for the ocean, rivers, and animals. After high school, she spent two years traveling before pursuing an AAS in Fisheries Science. She is now attending Western Washington University to study Geographic Information Science, where she hopes to combine her interests in mapping, ecology, and aquatic environments. In her free time, she loves doing salmon spawner surveys, hiking, dancing with friends, hosting dinner parties, and seeing live music.