After a very well-executed and highly engaged voting process, the Wild Ones Western New York Chapter members have spoken. This year, the current Board voted to expand the number of seats from 9 to 11, allowing us to welcome even more voices, talent, and expertise into our leadership.
We’re grateful to everyone who put their hat in the ring. The ballot included a wonderful array of perspectives, experiences, and passions for ecological restoration in Western New York. Thank you for your willingness to serve and strengthen our chapter.
Without further ado, we are thrilled to introduce your newly elected 2026 Wild Ones WNY Board of Directors:
- Gwen Alegre
- Aimee Arceo
- Terry Belke
- Kathy Contrino
- Joseph Han
- Nathan Huff
- Bryan Jackson
- Ken Parker
- Devon Southall
- Jessica Townsend
- Pam Turner
Below, we invite you to learn a bit more about each of our newly elected leaders. We’ll be sharing deeper Q&As with our directors throughout the year to highlight their work, passions, and perspectives across the native plant movement.
Gwen Alegre
A lifelong nature-geek with a deep commitment to protecting and restoring native habitats, Gwen blends ecological passion with leadership, strategy, and governance. She currently leads volunteers and neighborhood stewards implementing a five-year environmental plan for a 160-acre wooded community, building strong partnerships with WNY PRISM, Erie County Soil & Water Conservation District, Royal Fern Nursery, Ecos Cooperative, and Master Gardener experts. A New York State Master Naturalist, Gwen also holds certifications in woodland and watershed stewardship and invasive species management. As a 2024 Board Director, she helped develop our three-year strategic plan and strengthen operations. A Wild Ones member since 2022, she is committed to nurturing and protecting local ecosystems.
Aimee Arceo
Aimee is a landscape architect who fell in love with the transformative power of plants while greening urban spaces in Philadelphia—where planting 20 trees in a concrete schoolyard instantly brought birdsong back to the space. She served on the Board of the Buffalo Niagara River Land Trust and is passionate about advancing conservation through native plants. Aimee has a strong interest in helping develop a Native Seed Hub for WNY and is prepared to fulfill the essential officer role of Secretary for the chapter.
Terry Belke
With more than 25 years in the environmental community, Terry is known for creating the education series Empire Outdoors and 2 The Outdoors, amplifying environmental issues locally and globally. He has partnered closely with the Seneca Nation, led public environmental forums with UB and Tifft Nature Preserve, and volunteers with numerous conservation organizations. He brings extensive experience in communications, storytelling, and advocacy, and is honored to contribute to Wild Ones.
Kathy Contrino
Kathy is a retired professor and attorney, longtime native gardener, Master Gardener, and NYS Master Naturalist trainee. She has grown and designed native gardens since 1997 and is recreating a Great Lakes ecosystem on her 10-acre Akron property. Through CW Native Plant Farm and CW Native Botanika, she provides organically grown native plants and herbs while collaborating with trusted organic growers. Her work emphasizes personalized guidance that meets each gardener’s needs.
Joseph Han
Founder and president of Wild Ones WNY, Joseph is energized by promoting the “green gospel” of native plants. His goal: help Wild Ones members collectively grow or plant one million native plants in 10 years—an ambitious but achievable milestone. Through his company, The English Gardner, he has already grown or planted over 10,000 native plants in 2025 alone. Joseph also serves on the boards of Imagine Community Gardens and Ecos Cooperative and holds degrees from Earlham College and the University at Buffalo.
Nathan Huff
Nathan is a nature lover and environmental systems enthusiast with a background spanning ecology, agriculture, and infrastructure. As former co-owner of Teach ‘em to Fish Landscaping in Chicagoland, he led environmentally sound, economically smart land management work while supporting community programs. Now Director of Horticulture & Grounds at the Buffalo Zoo, he uses his experience to advance ecology and public education across WNY.
Bryan Jackson
A Niagara Falls resident and nursery manager at Masterson’s Garden Center, Bryan is a New York Master Naturalist trainee and native plant specialist with a passion for sharing WNY’s indigenous trees and shrubs. His experience spans horticulture, ecological education, botany, and journalism. His volunteer work includes documenting deer browse impacts through a Cornell University app, and he previously served as a docent at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens.
Ken Parker
An Indigenous horticulturist and Seneca Nation of Indians member, Ken has over 30 years of experience as a grower, nurseryman, consultant, and public speaker. A lifetime CNLP and former National Green Infrastructure Program trainer, he has worked on conservation and restoration projects across the U.S. and Canada. Ken serves as the Native Plant Specialist at Masterson’s Garden Center and as Membership Chair for Wild Ones WNY—continuing his lifelong advocacy for native flora.
Devon Southall
Devon joined the board in December 2024 as Director and Treasurer, bringing 30 years of accounting experience to guide chapter finances. A dedicated hobbyist native gardener, she moderated the Wild Ones WNY: A Native Plants Community Facebook group, co-developed the chapter’s native plant nursery guide, helped launch Member-to-Member yard tours, and coordinated several 2025 programs. She looks forward to supporting programming and additional initiatives in 2026.
Jessica Townsend
Owner and operator of Royal Fern Nursery in Fredonia, Jessica grows Northeast/WNY native plants with a focus on local provenance. What began as a backyard project six years ago has expanded into a 40-acre nursery and retail space in a renovated horse barn. A lifelong nature enthusiast, Jessica also serves on the boards of Greystone Nature Preserve and TSE Wildlife Center. She is committed to growing the native plant movement and shifting the balance away from invasive species in Western New York.
Pam Turner
Pam is a longtime hobby gardener whose entry into native plants began through a school garden program. She is passionate about pollinators—especially monarch butterflies—and loves sharing plants and knowledge with the community. A founding member of Wild Ones WNY, Pam has contributed across many areas, from the Native Plant Collaborative to ongoing chapter operations. She remains a valued, steady presence on the Board.