Noel Ocen, President
“After retirement in 2009, I enrolled in the Master Gardener Program to begin an education that has continued to this day. The major turning point in this education was a truly life-altering lecture Steve Keto gave on native plants to the Master Gardener Association in early 2010. As he has done with so many others, Steve made me a believer. After that lecture, not just my gardening, but much of my life, gained a totally new focus. So after multiple yard design revisions, nectar & host plants added, bird feeders built, and butterflies counted, that brings me to today–thankful for what I’ve learned and fully aware that I have barely scratched the surface. It has been, and will continue to be, an exciting journey.”
Quyen Edwards, Vice President
Quyen works at the Portage District Library which is where she first became interested in native plants when she attended a presentation by Ilse Gebhard about Monarchs and Monarch Waystations. Quyen manages the Monarch Waystation and native plantings on the library’s property as well as the PDL Seed Library. She is especially interested in moths, butterflies, caterpillars, and their host plants.
Ellie Shenker, Treasurer
Ellie’s lived in the multiple states across the Pacific Northwest, New England, mid-Atlantic, and Texas, but is excited that her family has decided to stay put for the long haul in Kalamazoo, where she can start gardening for the first time in her life. Outside of native plants, she loves reading, struggling with ceramics, and hanging out with her partner and kid. She works in governmental and nonprofit grants compliance and accounting and is always happy to figure out how to use her talent for boring, detail-oriented tasks to do good.
Mel Luna, Chair of Programs
“I’ve had a love of the plant world since I was a teenager, introduced to it through the ‘primitive skills’ community which is directly influenced by Native American wisdom and traditions. I’ve continued to expand and deepen my connection with the natural world via plants all my life, everywhere I’ve lived and travelled. This includes being a longtime vegan, foraging edibles and medicinals, and working on small farms. Traveling widely, my path has taken me into diverse ecosystems – from the Sonoran desert of AZ to the lush temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, from the coast of the Pacific ocean and back to the coast of the Great Lakes.
It is through my lifelong practice of bonding with each new environment and immersing myself in its unique magic that I sought out ‘my people’ (other plant enthusiasts) here in SW Michigan when I returned to my hometown in 2020. I’m very happy and excited to be a part of this special community through the education and outreach work of KAWO.”
Beth Bradburn, Website and Seedlings Editor
“General reading about climate change and the global environmental crisis got me interested in growing native plants in my suburban yard. After retiring from teaching college literature a few years ago I started volunteering with various conservation organizations, including KAWO.”
Jessica Hagen, Chair of Outreach and Education, Executive Committee Member-at-large
Jessica is a local outdoor educator who enjoys chatting about all aspects of the natural world. She’s especially interested in connecting people to nature through adventurous experiences. Jessica first fell in love with native plants in their natural habitats but has since integrated them into her gardens, community gardens, and restoration sites.
Mike Weis, Executive Committee Member-at-large
Mike is the owner of the Kalamazoo-based landscape company, Dropseed! Native Gardens and Ecological Restoration. He has been gardening with native plants since 2005. He also works seasonally for Hidden Savanna Native Plant Nursery and volunteers as an ecological steward for Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy and Stewards of Kleinstuck, where he serves as a board member. Mike is also an accomplished percussionist, composer and conceptual photographer.
“I learned about native plant gardening in 2004 after being dragged by my wife to a presentation at the Chicago chapter of Wild Ones.”
Cameron Lockwood, Executive Committee Member-at-large
“I lived briefly in Michigan as a teenager, and moved back a few years ago, at a time when I was developing a much deeper appreciation for the natural world. It was after we removed a patch of lawn at home and replaced it with tallgrass prairie that I got truly hooked on native plants. All it took was seeing the explosion of Rudbeckia hirta in the second year! I was lucky to then meet some very welcoming folks affiliated with KAWO during my frequenting of local plant sales. I feel fortunate to live in a community with so many smart, passionate people dedicated to preserving our ecosystems and biodiversity, and am excited to be a part of this group!”
Paul Laferriere, Chair of Community Projects
“My first deeply-felt connection to the natural world was through birding. Now I appreciate and love learning about native plants, and find great satisfaction in exploring natural areas, and volunteering with conservation, restoration, and native gardening activities around Kalamazoo. I’ve been a member of KAWO Community Projects since 2020, and recently completed the MSUE Conservation Stewardship Program.”