Non-profit SEEDS provides green job experience for Michigan’s future workforce

Michigan’s workforce is strong.

In 2023, total employment and workforce levels reached a 15-year high.

And one particular shift in the workforce is an increase in green jobs. And that means there is going to be a need for people who understand so-called green skills now and in the future.

SEEDS, an environmental non-profit based in Traverse City, is influencing the future workforce through its EcoCorps program. 

Courtesy of SEEDSCrew overlooking lake on North Country Trail in the U.P.Jennifer Flynn, SEEDS EcoCorps program director, says the program is a career exploration opportunity for people 16 and older who can earn money while learning about green-collar jobs. Through this program, folks can work alongside National Forest Service staff, community agencies, and volunteer groups to implement solutions and improve their communities

Flynn says this program is economic development at the local and rural levels -- helping people earn dollars where they live. It’s also preparing the future workforce for a solar and electrified workspace. 

“SEEDS as an organization is very systems-minded,” Flynn says. “There is going to be a need for more solutions-oriented workforce members that understand green infrastructure. That understand climate-responsive solutions. There’s longevity and a need for the skill sets that we’re training people in.” 

How the program works

Although based in Traverse City, the organization has projects all around the state, from Marquette to Saginaw. The organization becomes involved in these projects through collaborative grant-making or being hired by public or private land agencies to implement green infrastructure, restore ecosystems, and maintain trails. 

“The amount of training people are exposed to varies from year to year because it’s very project dependent,” Flynn says. “It’s also contingent on what funding sources are available.” 

Courtesy of SEEDSA 2022 EcoCorps participant helps remove baby's breath at Elberta Beach.EcoCorps teaches people general career skills such as teamwork and customer service. They also learn about food systems, regenerative agriculture, wilderness first aid, and other outdoor-related skills. 

“We also have everyone participate in a chainsaw safety training even if they’re 16 and 17 and are legally not able to operate the saws,” Flynn says. 

SEEDS believes it’s important for people to understand how to be safe and adaptable when situations arrive, as that’s part of any workspace. 

Marlo Wilcox was involved in the program during her undergraduate years at Rice University. She worked on projects at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Huron-Manistee National Forests. 

“I’ve always enjoyed working outside and conservation work so it called to me,” Wilcox says. 

Most of her duties were related to trail maintenance, which Wilcox recalls as her favorite. But she also gained valuable skills, most notably in leadership. In 2021, she was hired by SEEDS as an assistant crew leader. 

“This was my first major leadership position,” Wilcox says. “I had done some stuff in high school like helping plan prom but it doesn’t have the same weight as actually leading a crew of people who are looking to you for instruction. I really got to learn my own leadership style.”

SEEDS, she says, served as a bridge to her career. When she entered college, she wanted to study planetary science. After her time in the EcoCorps program, she became interested in terrestrial ecology or the study of land-based ecosystems. She is now on her way to graduate school to work on projects that use remote sensing like drones and satellites to track and quantify landscape changes in ecosystems sensitive to climate change.

“My way to Earth was through Mars,” she says.

Wilcox has seen an increase in the green job force. She believes SEEDS is helping make it more possible for people to learn about green careers. 

Future of EcoCorps 

“We’re happy to provide an opportunity for people to have the experience and also decide if it’s right for them,” Flynn says. “This is very physical work so it gives people an understanding of what they might be able to do as an individual and gaining confidence in their skill sets.” 

Courtesy of SEEDSPrepping invasive Black Locust for solar powered boat decking.Flynn adds that some folks who have gone through this program go out and start their own enterprises using the skills they’ve learned at SEEDS. 

“It’s exciting to see our efforts rippling out into the world,” Flynn adds. 

For 2025, Flynn hopes to add more fire-responsive strategies and water quality restoration training as the previous presidential election may affect the type of work they can achieve and the funding they receive. 

Genevieve Fox is an award-winning journalist from Detroit. She recently graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s in journalism with a concentration on environment, science and health policy. Previously, she was a reporter with Great Lakes Echo and WKAR radio. She loves spending time outdoors and reading a good book.