West Cook Wild Ones is a member-driven organization. We ask all members to save the date for our January membership party. We will celebrate the accomplishments of 2019 and plan for 2020, including electing our board. We will also have winter sowing supplies and native seeds available for planting.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Location to be announced
West Cook Wild Ones depend on volunteers make possible monthly meetings, plant sales, conference, and community outreach. We welcome newcomers to step into leadership and planning roles with our board.
If you see skills and talent in a fellow member that can help West Cook Wild Ones, please recruit and nominate them. Or you may self-nominate. The board meets monthly. Board members participate in a committee, assisting our outreach and major events (e.g. plant sales, conferences), and email communications.
Nominations for the West Cook Wild Ones Board (Google Form)
Meet the current board members
Pam Todd, President and Founding Member
Pam has been with WCWO since its founding in 2013. She has steadily led us on our path of growth, taking on bold challenges in ways that have defined what it means to be a chapter of a national organization. She always brings her unflagging cheery optimism to all that we take on as an organization.
Stephanie Walquist, Vice-president and Founding Member
Stephanie has also been with WCWO since 2013. Her passion has been in developing Programs, Communications, and Community Outreach. She brings a sense of urgency about planting natives and what she terms eco-sensitive maintenance.
Sharon Storbeck, Treasurer
Sharon has also been with WCWO shortly after its founding. She is also on the Plant Sale Committee. She has given us steady guidance about our finances and plant sales strategies over the years.
Carolyn Cullen, Plant Sale Committee Chairperson
Carolyn has been with WCWO since 2014 and a Wild Ones member since 2000. A long time native plant advocate and restoration volunteer, Carolyn joined to help bring native plants to home gardens. She is the woman behind our Shopify site, a model for so many other non-profits and WO chapters.
Candace Blank, Membership Chair
A long time member whom we finally convinced to join the board, Candace is an instrumental part of Wild Ones and has developed systems of welcoming and retaining members of our organization. She is passionate about our mission and about members. With whatever we do, she reminds us about where our focus should be: on members.
Mary Peranteau, Board Member
Mary has been with our board since 2016. Another long time plant advocate and restoration volunteer at two FPCC sites. Mary is a passionate advocate for native plants and is a backbone of our organization through her consistent volunteering and supervision of our many tabling and public garden activities.
Erik Malone, Board Member
A fan of all things green, Erik joined WCWO in 2015 and has offered steady support to our mission and volunteering for different events over the years.
Laura Hartwell-Berlin, Program Chair and Board Member
Laura has been a longtime advocate, supporter, and volunteer with WCWO. She joined the board this past year and has helped make it stronger than ever with her organizational skills, tenacity, and willingness to adjust and adapt. She has helped to lighten our loads quite a bit!
Byron Lanning, Board Member
Planting natives for many years, Byron brings a practical eye to our activities, questioning us to ensure we have clarification on our goals and strategies. He is the person who made our dream come true of our yard sign. When we are helping maintain gardens or install new ones, Byron has any (literal) tool for the situation.
Barbara Rose, newest Board Member
Barbara has loved natives since childhood treks in woods, and after volunteering in small roles and launching the OAKtober Forum, she has decided to take her engagement with us to a new level. She will be leading our new Grants program!