Meet The Team
Our Founders

Angelina Wang
(she/her)
Angelina is a senior Willamette University student majoring in Environmental Science with a double minor in Biology and Chinese. Her love of plants comes from spending time at her grandfather's wholesale nursery while growing up. This past summer, she participated in research at the Missouri Botanical Garden, conducting taxonomic examinations of the Casearia genus in order to revise the classification of a few species within the genus. Her interests led her to create this project to promote the importance of conserving this oak species as well as acknowledging the acts of violence against the BIPOC community.

Grace Shiffrin
(she/her)
Grace is a senior at Willamette University, double majoring in Biology and Environmental Science. As a co-project lead, she manages project budgets, supervises other leaders, and organizes larger outreach projects. This past summer, she participated in research at Harvard Forest involving the collection and analysis of data on the effects of spongy moth outbreaks on New England Oaks. With an interest in ecological systems and the interactions between plants and animals, Grace is excited to work with the community to create a new generation of Oregon Oaks.

David Craig
(he/him/his)
Since Fall 2001 David has been privileged to teach at Willamette University. The germination of this project in one of his classes is among the most wonderful intersections of his devotion to combating the oppression of people and the natural world. David is grateful to the grant writers and reviewers who inspired hope in the midst of the 2020-2021 academic year - a year wrought by a global pandemic, national violence against the BIPOC community, and historically devastating local wildfires and ice storms.
Our Partners

Willamette University
Climate Action Alliance
Climate Action Alliance (CAA) is an environmental advocacy organization at Willamette University that focuses on addressing political and sustainability issues through a framework of environmental justice. CAA works closely with Willamette University administrators, local government officials, and the Oregon legislature to craft policies that will address the climate crisis as well as other environmental justice issues.

Willamette University Oak Salvage Project
Willamette University Professors Karen Arabas, Joe Bowersox & David Craig hope to salvage data from some of the hundreds of old Oregon oaks that have been damaged in the February 2021 ice storm. These trees are iconic in the Willamette Valley and contain valuable information in their tree rings about past climate and other environmental conditions.

Willamette University Zena Farm Club
WU Zena Farm Club grows produce for students on campus and allows students access to WU Zena Farm and gardens on campus. Additionally, Farm Club gives students the opportunity to explore beekeeping, sustainable farming practices, house plants, and the importance of native plants.