Victor Hartney’s Journey to Home
High in the treetops, Victor Hartney is at ease. As an arborist and small business owner, they spend much of their time high above the ground, carefully navigating the canopy of Orcas Island. But finding steady ground in their own life has taken years.
Victor’s early years were shaped by transition — between divorced parents, between towns, between ideas of who they might become. They tried many paths: English major, welder, seasonal worker. But nothing really stuck for long. It wasn’t until they spent time tending to the old orchard trees at Camp Four Winds that they got into arboriculture. Something about the wild forms of those trees spoke to them, and the suggestion from a dear friend to consider arborist work lit a spark.
That spark led them to become an ISA-certified arborist and to start Wildwood Alliance, a small tree care and landscaping business rooted in both science and respect for the land. It gave them purpose — but not the stability that they needed. Like many who live and work on Orcas, housing was a constant challenge. They had lived where they worked, in a tent, in borrowed spaces, and often with the fear that a change in job could mean losing their roof, too.
Victor had seen friends purchase housing through OPAL Community Land Trust and decided to apply. Because they had just started a new business, they didn’t meet income requirements for a traditional mortgage loan and the process took longer than expected. So, they paused Wildwood Alliance, picked up part-time jobs, and submitted pay stubs to prove that they were ‘stable’ — even though it meant earning less in the short term.
Then, Victor was matched with a home in Bonnie Brae. While the loan paperwork crept forward, they moved again, and then again — this time into a borrowed summer cabin with their aging father in tow.
In August 2023, it finally happened. The loan closed and the house was theirs.
Victor’s days look different now. They’re back to mostly full-time tree work. They’re building a shed for the tools of the trade, planting a garden, and thinking about turning the laundry room into a bathroom so their father doesn’t have to climb stairs. They even hung up a floating rack for pots and pans — something small, but deeply satisfying. “Every improvement reminds me: this is mine,” they said.
Asked what they’d tell others still waiting for the chance to own an OPAL home, they didn’t hesitate: “Hold on. It’s worth it.”
After moving more than 10 times in the past nine years, Victor has what they have longed for: solid ground beneath their feet and a home of their own. And the Orcas community has gained a permanent resident and resource who cares deeply about the island’s well-being.
Español de México 
English