By Aidan Vann
Volunteer Engagement Ambassador
Joey Algiers graduated from CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) in 2011 with a degree in Biology with an emphasis in Ecology, Evolution, & Organismal Biology. Joey’s path to becoming a Plant Ecologist and Vegetation Branch Chief with the National Park Service is anything but straightforward. As a student at CSUCI, he initially pursued music, driven by dreams of becoming a professional rock musician. Music shaped much of his early adulthood—playing in bands, recording, and performing live, yet even then, Joey carried a quiet curiosity about science and the natural world.
The turning point came through volunteer work with the National Park Service on a research project focused on Pentachaeta lyonii (Lyon’s pentachaeta), a federally endangered plant endemic to the Santa Monica Mountains. The experience placed him outdoors, contributing to meaningful scientific research, and revealed a world he had not previously imagined as a career option. Shortly afterward, in the aftermath of the 2005 Topanga Fire, Joey applied for a temporary position as a Biological Technician. He was hired quickly to support post-fire invasive species management, where he found himself hiking off-trail, learning plant communities firsthand, and engaging deeply with ecological restoration. Within his first week, he knew he had found his calling.
Joey switched his major to Biology and continued to work for the National Park Service. Mentored by experienced botanists, he learned to see landscapes not as expanses of “green,” but as interconnected systems shaped by species relationships, disturbance, and time. He later earned a Master’s degree in Biology from California State University, Northridge, with research funded by the National Park Service—an opportunity that allowed him to advance academically while remaining rooted in applied conservation work.
Over the past two decades, Joey has grown alongside the National Park Service. After serving as a Nursery Manager, he became a Restoration Ecologist in 2017 and now serves as Plant Ecologist and Vegetation Branch Chief. While his role has gradually shifted from full days in the field to overseeing programs, writing grants, and managing teams, his commitment to the land has never wavered. Today, he supports crews who carry out the hands-on work he once did himself, ensuring they have the resources, funding, and guidance necessary to succeed.
Joey’s passion for ecology is deeply tied to his upbringing. Camping trips with his family and a lifelong urge to explore beyond marked trails fostered an early love of the outdoors. In his twenties, frequent hikes—often in National Park Service lands he did not yet realize were federally protected—deepened by that connection. Looking back, he reflects on the irony and fulfillment of now managing the same landscapes he once explored simply for joy.
One of the most transformative chapters of his career followed the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which burned nearly 90 percent of National Park Service land in the Santa Monica Mountains. In response, Joey helped scale restoration efforts dramatically, mobilizing thousands of volunteers each year and planting more than 50,000 native plants annually. These efforts were not only ecological but communal. In the wake of devastation, people sought ways to help heal the land—and in doing so, found healing themselves.
A particularly meaningful aspect of Joey’s service has been his work with youth and underserved communities. As a supervisor for the SAMO Youth Program, he mentored high school and college students from urban and low-income areas, many of whom were experiencing natural landscapes for the first time. Whether camping under dark skies or restoring habitat, these experiences offered young people both practical skills and a sense of belonging in spaces historically less accessible to them. Joey sees youth as future leaders and believes that exposure, access, and hands-on involvement are powerful tools for empowerment.
Equity and inclusion are central to his vision of public service. Joey emphasizes outreach that goes beyond traditional park audiences, ensuring that volunteer opportunities, jobs, and educational programs reach communities who may not know a national park exists in their own backyard. Initiatives such as native plant and milkweed donation programs bring ecological benefits directly into urban neighborhoods, supporting species like monarch butterflies while greening hardscaped environments.
Collaboration underpins nearly every success of the restoration program. Through partnerships with nonprofits, schools, and community organizations, Joey has built a large, flexible workforce capable of addressing restoration at a landscape scale. These relationships provide funding, labor, and shared purpose, demonstrating that conservation is most effective when it is collective.
Looking ahead, Joey remains hopeful. While challenges such as climate change, wildfire, and funding persist, he is encouraged by the growing public interest in conservation and stewardship. For him, the work is more than a career—it is a lifelong pursuit of passion, service, and connection. Much like music once did, ecology offers creativity, meaning, and joy. And in restoring landscapes and inspiring people, Joey Algiers continues to find harmony between the natural world and the communities it sustains.