Fall 2008 - Ventana Wildlife Society

Ventana Wildlife Society
Board & Staff
Board of Directors
Mark Dedon – Chair
Barbara Baldock – Vice Chair
Janet Shing – Secretary
Marcy Morgan – Treasurer
Jerry Stidham – Board Member
Sanford “Sandy” Decker – Board Member
Brandi Katz – Board Member
Virdette L. Brumm, PhD – Board Member
Heather Doorlag – Board Member
Board of Advisors
Bruce Elliott
William Hearst, III
Lucinda Jackson, PhD
Walt Koenig, PhD
Ada Lucido
Sal Lucido
Tom Mallett, JD
Bette Mayer
Michael Murray, DVM
James Roush, DVM
Robert Stephens
Mark Stromberg, PhD
Elizabeth Van Dyke, PhD
Administrative Staff
Kelly Sorenson – Executive Director
Cathy Keeran – Executive Assistant
Program Staff
Alena Porte – Education Coordinator
Joe Burnett – Senior Wildlife Biologist
Sayre Flannagan – Seasonal Wildlife Biologist
Jessica Koning – Seasonal Wildlife Biologist
Mike Tyner – Wildlife Biologist
Instructors
Alyssa Carlson
David Founds
Molly Hucklebridge
Kathleen Lannon
Interns (Oct. 2007 - Oct. 2008)
Jordan Bell, Henry Bonifas, Jill Gautreaux,
Emily Haber, Wendy Lanier, Kristi Markowitz,
Megan Oldfather, Ryan Pottinger,
Nerissa Rujanavech, Nora Silber,
Brett Stauffer, Sharna Tolfree, Deborah Visco,
Patrick Wingo, Sarah Wulff.
Volunteers (Oct. 2007 - Oct. 2008)
Karen Anderson, Anonymous,
Steven Bailey, Ranger Chuck Bancroft,
Matt Brady, Tony Bushlow, Christi Doyle,
Stan Dryden, Jonathan Gottsche,
Kathryn Hannay, Sue Hubbard,
Olga Lansdorp, Noah Lyon, Jade Matrone,
Cheryl McCormick, Emma Moran,
Doug Morin, Joe Morris, Tama Olver,
Shelley Parker, Karen Shihadeh,
Rami Shihadeh, Richard Ternullo, Ryan Terrill,
Roger Wolfe, Barbara Woyt.
Dear Ventana Wildlife Society...
Each year, through the generous support of the Harden Foundation, the Monterey
Peninsula Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Community
Foundation for Monterey, and our other generous supporters, 100 underserved youth
attend VWS summer programs at no cost.
Below are a few excerpts from letters we received from Community Partnership for Youth
(CPY) campers after they attended a week of camp in summer 2008. CPY is based in
Seaside and helps provide a safe place for children to explore and discover their potential.
CPY and Ventana Wildlife Society have worked together since 2003.
“Thank you for having us at this camp. I enjoyed it very much and hope
to come next year. I really enjoyed looking at the stars at night; it was so
beautiful.” —Kelly Marquez
“Thank you for giving us an opportunity to go on such a wonderful trip. I
learned so much about nature, like what poison oak looks like, and about
screech owls.” —Rodolfo Vasquez
“Thank you for taking us kayaking. We saw a lot of jellyfish. I also want to
thank you for showing a lot of animals to us.” —Edgar Plascencia
“Thank you for making this one of the best weeks in my life. I’ve never gone
kayaking, but with you guys one of my dreams came true.” —Jeffrey Mata
Diaz
“I cannot believe I walked the night walk by myself! I was very scared but I
made it. Thank you for teaching us about all the different kind of minerals.
My favorite thing was going tide pooling with Miss Alena.” —Rosa Zambrano
“Thank you for letting us do something that we have never experienced. You
have made the best summer of my life.” —Peter Huynh
“Thank you for the wonderful experience. The kids and I really enjoyed everything
we did this week. You guys run an amazing program, and I look forward
to coming back each year. I really appreciate all that you have made possible
for the children of CPY.”
—Ben Bruce, CPY mentor
THANK YOU to the following organizations and
businesses that donated goods and services to the
Ventana Wildlife Society’s 2008 summer programs!
• Whole Foods Market of Monterey
• Newman’s Own Organics
• Falcon Trading Company, Inc.
• Fashion Streaks
• Monterey Bay Whale Watch
• Carmel Mission Basilica
• California State Parks
• Monterey County Regional Parks
• Pinnacles National Monument
• Big Sur Land Trust
ON THE WILD SIDE FALL 2008 6