About Us

The Walama Restoration Project (WRP) is a community organized non-profit, founded in 2001, and dedicated to the enhancement, rehabilitation, and restoration of the waterways, forest, and grassland ecosystems within and adjacent to the Willamette Valley. In addition to ecosystem restoration, WRP facilitates environmental education and the fostering of connections between people and the bioregion in which they live.

WRP’s functions are two-fold: 1) To promote the conservation and protection of our natural resources and biological diversity by maintaining and restoring threatened ecosystems in critical watersheds. 2) To implement experiential programs that address local ecosystem awareness and habitat rehabilitation for local youth and community members.

We have cleared over 30 acres of English Ivy and Armenian blackberry throughout city parks and have facilitated oak savanna restoration with the Nature Conservancy in the foothills of the Western Cascades. In addition to our work as restoration contractors, WRP has collaborated with the City of Eugene, the City of Eugene Stream Team Program, and two school districts on habitat-specific school projects including riparian restoration along the Willamette River, seed collection projects in upland and wetland habitats, and Oregon oak education in Lane County. We also collaborate with other non-profits and local watershed groups such as Friends of Hendricks Park and the McKenzie Watershed Council to facilitate programs ranging from seed collection and propagation workshops; to riparian enhancement along salmon-spawning creeks; to established in-the-field educational curriculums for two school districts.

WRP Staff

Yotokko Kilpatrick – Founder and Operational Director

Yotokko Kilpatrick is the Operations Director and founder of WRP. He has designed, implemented and coordinated crews for numerous stewardship projects in the Willamette Valley and in the Central Cascades since 2001. He was the site planner for riparian projects including three Lost Creek re-vegetation projects in Dexter, Oregon, designed protocols for work on over 60 acres in sensitive areas, and has trained over forty employees to identify key native and invasive plant species in our area. Prior to founding WRP, he was a technician and fundraiser from 1998 to 2001 for Lomakatsi Restoration, a non-profit organization based in Ashland, Oregon. There, he performed invasive removal, fuels reduction, tree thinning, and planting services on over 400 acres of private land in over five watersheds throughout the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion.

Nicole Smedegaard- Education Coordinator

Nicole started as WRP’s Education Coordinator in Fall 2010. A native to Oregon, Nicole grew up in Rogue River, and graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelors degree in English and Art. She also works as a recreational instructor for the City of Eugene and volunteers at the Jordan Schnitzer Muesem of Art. Nicole works closely with seven local schools facilitating WRP’s From-Seed-to-Habitat-Program.

Alison Rajek – Office Manager

Alison has been working for WRP since July 2005 and focuses on general bookkeeping, organizing WRP membership base, and aiding in the development of WRP programs. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon. Alison and her partner Stephen also own a successful beeswax candle business, Casper Candle Company.

Doug Black – Outreach Canvasser

Doug has been grassroots organizing since the ’80s and brings great dedication to WRP, where he first started in 2002. He’s seen great satisfaction with community concern translated into growing WRP support as years go by. Dougalso serves on Eugene’s Neighborhood Leaders Council Committee on Sustainability, having organized or coordinated more than a dozen neighborhood’s ‘green homes bike tours’, planned regional and local community-reliance events; and has a background in safe energy/pro-energy efficiency canvass directing (New England Clamshell Alliance, 1989-1992), and multiple other campaigns. He’s a graduate of Boston’s Tufts University and The Museum School and has been redacting his film archives into digital format from work in fine art photography.

The WRP Field Crew

Well, these folks are the true backbone of our organization (although their backs may not always feel that great after work).

Walama Crew from left to right, Kris Ellsbree, Jeremy Cole, Mike Clark, Vincent Sansone, and Taylor Zeigler Winter 2011

WRP Board of Directors

Rachel Foster, Board President
BS in Zoology
Gardening Consultant, Published Author, and weekly news columnist for Eugene Weekly

Malia Schultheis, Board Treasurer
Art and Accounting Major, University of Oregon
Interests in community service, yoga, spiritual psychology and whole foods.

Michael Robert, Board Secretary
Retired Head Gardener/ Forest Management Plan Coordinator of Hendricks Park, City of Eugene

Evelyn Hess
MLA in Horticulture
Owner of Lorane Hills Farm and Nursery

Howard Bonnett
University of Oregon Emeritus
Interests in Botany

Stuart Perlmeter
Springfield School District WELL Project Coordinator

Emma Froh

Graduate Student Landscape Architecture, University of Oregon

Walama Supporters and Partners

Walama is very grateful to the foundations that provide funding to support our work. Their gracious support keeps restoration and education programs running.

WPR Funders

Natonal Forest Foundation