Welcome to Melissa! FNCF Volunteer & Stewardship Coordinator

Welcome Melissa Gugala!!
In July, our wonderful part-time Volunteer & Stewardship Coordinator, Ashley Shattuck accepted a full-time position with the King County Noxious Weeds Board, and we had to say good-bye. We're very grateful for Ashley's leadership and contribution to many successful work parties and her continuing commitment as a forest volunteer. 

Thankfully, we have an equally wonderful forest enthusiast who stepped into Ashley's boots (so to speak) near August's end. Melissa Gugala began volunteering with FNCF education and stewardship teams in early 2018, and we are delighted to have her join our staff as the new Volunteer & Stewardship Coordinator.  Melissa will be leading our work parties and coordinating FNCF's partnership with UW Bothell's CBLR (Community Based Learning and Research) and Restoration Ecology Network (UW REN) teams. 

Melissa brings experience working with Washington Trails Association to maintain and restore hiking trails in the Cascades, with a focus on making them accessible to all. While attending Cascadia College, Melissa worked on water quality projects for the UW Bothell Campus Wetlands, where she monitored water quality, maintained a database of findings, and prepared reports on the data collected. She graduated from Cascadia College in June 2018 with a Bachelors in Applied Sciences in Sustainable Practices. Prior to joining FNCF's staff, Melissa volunteered for FNCF's education program, teaching grade school students about the forest and explaining why protecting, restoring and maintaining its health is important for all.

Melissa believes that the best way to protect forests starts with community engagement and education. Getting people engaged in the forest and understanding why we need these natural spaces is the best way to ensure these places thrive for generations to come.   

​Interested in bringing a group to volunteer at the North Creek Forest? Please email Melissa: melissag@friendsnorthcreekforest.org

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