Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter
Since our Chapter’s beginning in 1994, Wild Ones Fox Valley Area (WOFVA) continues to celebrate and promote the use of native plants in home and civic landscaping. We lead the natural landscaping movement in exploring, teaching, and changing the practice of gardening to include the use of native plants. Join us in helping to restore our natural world. WOFVA serves Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Outagamie, Waushara, Waupaca and Winnebago countries.
PO Box 385, Appleton, WI 54912 / [email protected]
We are always planning next events and education class schedule. Have an idea? We would love to hear from you!
Email: [email protected].
Why become a member? Not only are you supporting an important grassroots movement, your household enjoys discounts on all of our paid programming! All you have to do is use our Magic Join Link. Oh, and also tell your friends, family, neighbor, neighbor’s friend, hairdresser, grocery store clerk, random person on the sidewalk……spread the word.
Thank you to everyone who participted in the plant sale!
The WILD Center Property Sale Information
Hello members! Some may know, and some may not, that the National Headquarters is housed right here in the Fox Valley. The building is named The WILD Center and is located in Neenah, WI. There have been discussions and plans from the National office to sell the building and surrounding property. This has concerned a group of local Fox Valley Area members since its inception, which our very own Donna VanBueken initiated around 2007. Without getting into the nitty gritty on the history and the whole story, CLICK HERE for the letter of proposal sent to the National Board for you to read.
Here are a few of MANY photos taken over the years at this beautiful property:
Native Plant Classes
Are you interested in learning more about native plants?
We have hired a great team of professionals to teach native ecology classes on everything from botany to landscaping to insects and uses of native plants! Find out more here! New classes are added on an ongoing basis. Download the current flyer here!
What We Do
Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to increase biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities. Wild Ones is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization.
Archived newsletters can be viewed here.
Please join the mapping project by answering the questions about your property. Photos would be great, but are not necessary. Specific species information is optional.
We also sponsor an education grant program, Natural Landscapes for Tomorrow.
Looking for help? Check out our videos
Our Partners
- Winnebago Audubon Society
- Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum
- Master Gardeners
- Urban Ecology Oshkosh
- Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance
Many more!
About Us
Meet the Board
Shannon-Davis Foust – President & Education Chair
Shannon has her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from UW-Milwaukee and has widespread interests in native and invasive species, habitat restoration, and reconnecting people with nature. She presently teaches courses at UW Oshkosh in Biology and Environmental Studies, is an Affiliate of the Sustainability Institute of Regional Transformations organizing outreach events on environmental topics, and advises the Student Environmental Action Coalition and Sustainable Beekeeping Club. Shannon has been serving on the Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Board since 2010.
Stephanie Losse – Vice President
Stephanie has been active in organic farming and horticulture for over ten years. She works in urban forestry and landscaping, and is a longtime advocate for wildlife conservation in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region. She has an AAS in Sustainable Horticulture and is currently working toward a degree in Biology with emphasis in Ecology and Environmental Education. Her goal is to educate others on the importance of ecologically-sustainable and native-friendly practices.
Ron Jones – Treasurer & Grants Chair
I’ve worked as a forester for the past 46 years, 34 years with the Wis DNR and the past 12 years as a parttime consulting forester. As a forester, I have observed the vital role of native plants in the forest ecosystem, and it has been alarming to witness invasive plants slowly invading the local natural landscape over the past 20 years. I’m glad to be helping the Chapter with Wild One’s mission of educating and spreading the word about the vital importance of native plants in providing ecosystem services both in our rural and urban landscape.
Deb Benada – Secretary
My husband, Robert, and I have been learning about native plants for the last 20 years and have installed native landscaping around our homes in California and Wisconsin – Waupaca and Neenah. I really enjoy the camaraderie, education and inspiration of Wild Ones.
Dawn and Dan Barker – Membership Co-chairs
Dawn and Dan Barker joined Wild Ones in 2022. Both have spent the majority of their years in the Fox Cities and have resided in the Town of Neenah for the past 33 years. They have four wonderful children and seven delightful grandchildren.
Both of are graduates of UW Oshkosh. Dawn’s career was an RN for Theda Clark and later at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Dan spent forty nine years in Manufacturing working at both Pierce Manufacturing and then the Ariens Company. Dawn retired in 2020 and Dan in 2022.
In retirement, Dan gardens extensively, and is working to restore native habitat on their property. Dawn is busy canning and freezing what the garden produces and also helps with the habitat restoration. They both like to hike, travel, especially to see their children, and are busy readers.
Robert Benada – Newsletter Editor
My wife, Deb, and I fell in love with landscaping with natives in California in 1983 and have enjoyed that journey with each place we’ve moved. It is a joy to see how they thrive in the right conditions and how they attract birds and pollinators. We’ve really learned much more since joining the Board and editing our chapter’s newsletter and EBlast. through working with fellow members.
Program Chair
vacant
Sue Pichotta-Berard – Conference Chair
My love and appreciation of nature started with my grandparents. My grandparents owned a tree farm consisting of 160 acres of red pine, three ponds with a stream running through it, and a shelter for a fire. I was very fortunate to learn how to catch frogs, catch and clean trout, clean wood duck nests, and spread clover seed at “Peaceful Valley”. My grandfather attempted to cure my fear of snakes by having me hold snakes, encouraging me to watch a large pine snake crawl through the wood pile, and talk to his pet snake who hung out on top of the wood pile sunning himself-inside the cabin. He was very consistent in his attempts to deter my fear of snakes but…the fear is alive and strong.
After retiring from nursing two years ago and finishing up parenting, I contemplated what and where I would like to spend my free time and the answer was to embrace nature by learning more about native plants. We have three acres, and I tore up part of our lawn to plant a prairie. I’m in the learning stages and am still trying to eradicate weeds. LOL I’m serving on the education and conference committees. I love to teach and am hoping to return the favor my grandparents gave me and teach other children about nature.
Janet Carlson – Publicity Chair
I first got inspired to convert my garden to native plants after attending my first conference several years ago. My small yard is now surrounded by native gardens and has attracted multiple birds for our enjoyment. I also joined the Master Gardener program in order to expand my knowledge on other aspects of gardening.
Grace Elonen – Plant Sale Chair
I’m honored to become part of the Wild Ones family. My husband, dog, and I moved to 10 acres in the Oshkosh area about three years ago. The best part about living there is natural beauty which grants the ability for me to create a garden, which is what lead me to join this group.
This coming year my husband and I plan to expand the veggie garden and will be adding more flowers, of course including natives around the ponds!
I love to knit and have a dedicated space for cozy nights in. I also love to workout in the evenings and recently completed a half marathon.
Look forward to seeing you at the Plant Sale and getting to know you!
David Langer – Plant Rescue Chair
My name is David Langner and I have been extremely interested in plants and nature since I was young. I have my associates degree as a Natural Resource Technician. I was an assistant naturalist intern at 1000 Islands Environmental Center in 2015 and in 2017 I was the LTE assistant naturalist at Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit. I have and currently volunteer at multiple nature centers in the Fox Valley doing environmental education, invasive plant removal, and giving edible plant programs. The winter of 2021 I wrote and had printed a short native and invasive edible plant cookbook which I used as a fundraiser for area nature centers. This year I taught an elective class on native and invasive edible plants for the Wisconsin Native plant certification through Wild Ones of the Fox Valley.
Mel Mohr – Web Chair
Mel currently works in Fisheries Management for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. She has a passion for the ecology of our world and finding solutions for a proper synergistic relationship with our human-centric living. She does have many passions. She is an orca lover, a bird-nerd, an urban farmer, and now diving into the plant identification world. She has a Bachelor’s in Biology and Environmental Studies from UW Oshkosh.
Theresa Granados – Social Media Chair
I live in Menasha, I work at Goodwill Ecommerce and have extensive professional administrative experience. In 2016 I started “In The Roots”, after completing basics in horticulture with Master Gardeners in Outagamie County. I enjoy Community Gardening projects like Doty Island Commercial Street Flower Planters, Parks Department & Farmers Market participant as well as others. I have learned that each year new projects form in our communities with new opportunities for native plants.
In my spare time I take lots of photos of plants & bugs. I also take videos of projects I work on and post them on YouTube. From those, I create gardening related power point presentations about planting and harvesting of seeds, for example. I am currently A Native Plant Certification Student.
Social media will be a fun project for me. My goal is to keep gardeners in our area well informed on Wild Ones Impact in the community, as well as it’s educational opportunities.
Dana Hartel – Display Chair
My husband and I live in a rural “neighborhood” between a lake and a marsh. When we moved here, I wanted to enjoy the nature around us and didn’t want all the lawn on our one-acre property so started adding native plant areas or allowing natives to grow. A few years ago, I started removing a wet section that was dominated by reed canary grass. It was exciting when small native sedges started revealing themselves and showing their purpose as a miniscule sedge meadow.
I am working toward an Associates Degree as a Natural Resources Technician. My goal upon graduating this fall is to work somewhere that allows me to help people understand the importance of our natural resources and be good stewards of these gifts. My time is also spent in doing volunteer work for several organizations, and I have a special affinity for birds of prey.
Everett Grosskopf – Mentoring Chair
Everett is an Environmental Scientist at an environmental consulting firm. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Reclamation from UW-Platteville. He enjoys teaching others about nature, wetlands, plant identification, and wildlife. He is a firm believer that every beneficial impact we can make, no matter how small of a change can positively impact wildlife and our environment. In his free time, he spends time with his dogs, kayaking, ice fishing, farming and trips with his wife.
PHOTO COMING SOON
Speaker’s Bureau Chair – Vacant
Board meetings are held (virtually) the first Monday of every month at 7 PM. Please email [email protected] for the link if you are interested in attending.