Josiah Downey chosen to lead Washington Conservation Corps

We are excited to share that Josiah Downey has been tapped to serve as the new director of our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) program.

Downey joined Ecology in 2021 as a regional coordinator for WCC crews in Snohomish and north King counties. Most recently, he served as the program's field operations manager, supporting partnership development and agreements for WCC's network of more than 100 state, local, Tribal, federal and nonprofit partners.

Josiah holds a master's degree in environmental science with a focus on environmental education from Antioch University New England. He also brings more than a decade of experience working with young adults and AmeriCorps members as the former education director for the Student Conservation Association (SCA).

The SCA, a nonprofit organization, enlists youth and young adults to help protect and restore national parks, marine sanctuaries, cultural landmarks and community green spaces across the country. In his role, Josiah developed training tools and risk management resources, supported strategic planning, and developed experiential educational programs tailored to fit the needs of individual communities.

Before joining Ecology four years ago, Josiah also managed youth and adult engagement programs at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, where he oversaw youth-led community engagement projects and community science initiatives and helped expand the zoo's community partnerships.

"I know the positive impacts that outdoor experiences and teamwork can have on young adults. I am proud to be selected to lead Washington Conservation Corps where we come together to create positive, long-lasting impacts for our communities and our environment," Josiah said. "I look forward to seeing all we can accomplish together."

A new year kicks off for WCC

Housed within Ecology, Washington Conservation Corps is a career training program providing hands-on skill building opportunities for young adults (ages 18-25) and military veterans. Our members serve outdoors on environmental projects across the state, including invasive species removal, native plant installation, salmon habitat restoration, wildland fire mitigation, trail and campground maintenance, and disaster response.

On Oct. 1, WCC launched our 2025-26 service year, welcoming more than 250 members to the program. During the next 11 months, our WCC members will gain experience in a wide range of career-transferable skills, grow their professional networks, and contribute thousands of hours of service toward improving and restoring Washington's natural environment.

WCC and AmeriCorps

In August, WCC received a one-year AmeriCorps grant from Serve Washington. This grant supports program operations for our current service year that started on Oct. 1 and concludes Sept. 30, 2026. The funding gives us the ability to offer AmeriCorps benefits to our members including the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, student loan forbearance, and childcare assistance.