Team

Joy Wood - Restoration Ecologist and Stewardship Specialist

Joy is a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) by the Society of Ecological Restoration (SER) with experience and leadership in ecological restoration with community partners throughout King County, WA.  She has an M.S. in Forest Resources with an emphasis in restoration in ecology from the University of Washington, and also holds Certificates in Wetland Sciences & Management, and Restoration Ecology from UW.  Joy is passionate about environmental stewardship, and statistically quantified the vital role community stewardship delivers in urban forest restoration in Wood et al.:  An analysis of factors driving success in ecological restoration projects by a university - community partnership, in Ecological Restoration, 2017 (doi: 10.3368/er.35.1.60). In addition, Joy has trained and mentored over 100 stewards doing ecological restoration throughout King County through both Washington Native Plant Society and King Conservation District programs.

Joy has traveled the world over and has witnessed what humans can accomplish when we work together to address difficult problems.  She attempts to impart this knowledge to her stewards and family, who also love to explore forests.  When not championing for ecological restoration, Joy volunteers at her daughters' schools, and enjoys hiking, kayaking, and camping with her family and friends.  And snuggling her cat.

Alex Ankuta

Alex has had a lifetime interest in nature, and he followed his passion in college. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies and a Minor in Urban Ecological Design from the University of Washington Seattle, and he is currently a graduate student in the Master of Arts Biology program at Miami University, which is in partnership with the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo. During his undergraduate capstone internship for King County, he collected data on spawning salmon in local streams. His undergraduate independent study was measuring the rate of plant growth in different nitrate concentrations in an aquaponic system. His graduate studies are primarily focused on environmental issues. 

Alex is knowledgeable about environmental issues and restoration, local flora and fauna, sustainability, aquaponics, environmental policy and planning including cultural considerations, interdisciplinary ecological infrastructure, and climate change.  He engineered aquariums, plumbing and plants for his aquaponic 5,000-gallon fish rescue. He enjoys his fish, botany, and looking for interesting reptiles during hiking trips.