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Meet The Team

Our Founders

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Angelina Wang
(she/her)

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Angelina is a recent Environmental Science graduate of Willamette University. In the summer of 2022, 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. Angelina is currently working at The Morton Arboretum as a Research Aide. Her project is about quantifying relict populations of a threatened oak species using UAS imagery.

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Grace Shiffrin
(she/her)

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Grace is a recent Biology and Environmental Science graduate of Willamette University. During her time as co-project lead, she managed project budgets, supervised other leaders, and organized larger outreach projects. During the summer of 2022, 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. Grace is now attending University of Massachusetts at Amherst to obtain a masters degree in Environmental Conservation.

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David Craig
(he/him/his)

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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. 

Meet the Team

Current 2026 Growing Oaks Execs

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President 

Rose Grimson

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Vice President 

Vesper Obroadovich

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Continuing President 2027+

Leah Tomlinson

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Past Members

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Plant Cultivation (2023-2025)

Harlow Van der Laan (they/them)

Harlow is a senior at Willamette University. They are pursuing a double major in Biology and Environmental Science. Some of their interests include botany and traditional ecological knowledge. They are super excited to co-lead growing and planting efforts and get involved with many different projects in the Salem area and the Willamette Valley 

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Project Lead (2023-2025)

Adelaide Kemp (She/Her)

Adelaide is a senior at Willamette University. She is majoring in Environmental Science. Some of her interests include sustainable resource management and environmental justice. She’s from Wisconsin and is super excited to be getting involved with communities in Salem and the Willamette Valley through Growing Oaks.

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Plant Cultivation (2022-2025)

Riley Forth (She/Her)

Riley Forth is a senior at Willamette University. She is currently a Dempsey Scholar and is double majoring in Environmental Science and Archeology. Since she grew up on the tropical island of Barbados, she is excited to join the Growing Oaks project to be better connected to the ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest.

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Plant Cultivation (2022-2025)

Rachel Levine (She/Her)

Rachel is a senior at Willamette University. Currently, she is pursuing a double major in Environmental Science and Public Health. Also, she is double minoring in Biology and Sustainability. She is interested in areas of focus including renewable energy, environmental health, and ecology.

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Plant Cultivation (2022-2025)

Ella Ashford (She/Her)

Ella is a senior Environmental Science student at Willamette University. She grew up on a sailboat in Hawai'i and now calls Port Townsend, Washington home. Ella contributes to the Willamette community through her roles as a Dempsey Scholar and the Vice President of the Chess Club. This past semester Ella attended the 2021 Global Oceans Conference where she presented her research regarding using citizen science methods and an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to recover ecosystem-damaging derelict crab pots in the Salish Sea. This research has shaped Ella's interest in pursuing a career in ocean sciences. Ella is excited to be a part of student-driven conservation efforts such as the Growing Oaks project.

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Project Stakeholder (2022-2025)

Tim Vendlinski (He/Him)

Tim has been protecting and restoring urban creeks since 1980. In his youth, he spearheaded a drive to conserve 100 acres of oak woodlands and grasslands along Sacramento's Arcade Creek. After earning a B.S. degree in Environmental Policy and Planning from U.C., Davis, Tim served 27 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where he supervised the Wetlands Regulatory Program and the Bay-Delta Program. There he helped renowned scientists formulate the "X2" salinity standards that underpinned the Bay-Delta Accord of 1994, and he led the Interagency Vernal Pools Stewardship Initiative that conserved approximately 40,000 acres of rangelands across the Central Valley. Beginning in 2007, Tim spent four years at the nonprofit Sustainable Conservation as director of their Restoration on Private Lands Program. Tim enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and friends, and celebrating diverse activities and interests including backpacking, baseball, concerts, cooking, cycling, gardening, photography, traveling, and everything vintage.

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Political Actions (2022-2025)

Ava Digre (She/Her)

Ava is a third-year at Willamette University, and she plans to major in Politics, Policy, Law, and Ethics. Ava is from Littleton, Colorado, where there aren't many trees (or oaks) to speak of. She fell in love with the lush plant life in Oregon and wants to help protect this crucial species through political outreach and activism, especially pertaining to indigenous land and culture. Ava would like to pursue a career in the political or nonprofit sectors, hopefully relating to human rights, social justice, and sustainability.

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Project lead (2022-2024)

Isabella Stone (She/Her)

Isabella is a recent Environmental Science graduate from Willamette University. She is interested in a career in conservation and forest management. As the project lead, she spearheaded the collaboration and partnership with the NGO, LIVE. Additionally, she worked to strengthen the project's relationships and collaborations with the Indigenous tribes, Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians. During the summer of 2023, she completed a REU at the Harvard Forest, studying tree seedling regeneration in different canopy gap conditions. Now, she is pursing a master's degree in Forestry. 

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STudent Consultant (2021-2022)

East Steelman (they/them)

East is an Environmental Science graduate from Willamette University. During their time on the team, they helped with various tasks, from working on collaborations with Indigenous tribes and external partners to creating procedures and guidelines for our team. 

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Political actions (2021-2022)

Matt Permut (he/him)

Matt is an Environmental Science graduate of Willamette University, with a minor in sustainability. During his time on the team, he worked on public comments that were submitted to the City of Salem about the ongoing residential and commercial development in the community that was harming the Oregon oak ecosystems. Currently, Matt is working as a Science Consulting Associate at ERM. 

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social Media Content (2021-2022)

Blake Carlile (he/him)

Blake is an Environmental Science graduate of Willamette University. During his time on the team, he worked on creating our social media posts, took photos at our events, and created visuals for our social media. Currently, Blake is working as a City Forester Administrative Aide for the City of Portland. 

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Our Partners

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Willamette University
Climate Action Alliance

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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.

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Willamette University Oak Salvage Project 

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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.

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Willamette University Zena Farm Club

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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.

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LIVE

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LIVE supports environmentally and socially responsible winegrowing through third-party certification and education. Their roots are in the Pacific Northwest and our standard is internationally accredited.

CONTACT US

Get in touch with the growing oaks team!

Please fill out the areas below to let us know about any Oregon Oak related! Or if you just want to get in touch with the team with questions/concerns/comments, fill out the form below! 

Thanks for submitting!

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Willamette University

ATTN: Biology Department, David Craig

900 State Street 

Salem, OR 97301

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© 2021 by Growing Oaks and the Willamette University CAFES committee. Proudly created with Wix.com

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