Melinda Walker (pronouns: she/her/hers) first started volunteering with the Land Trust in 2012. As a volunteer hike shepherd she helped expert leaders on walks and hikes, learning about the management of Land Trust protected lands, birds, wildflowers, and local history. Today, Melinda is excited to be back as a volunteer leader, sharing the knowledge she has collected over the years, supporting the mission of the organization.

A long-time local hobby naturalist, Melinda enjoys spending time botanizing (a leisurely version we usually just call “wildflowering”), birding (this always includes non-bird wildlife and anything else of interest), hiking, going for leisurely drives, learning about wildlife, local history, geology, reading, baseball, a couple of good shows, baking, and sometimes cooking. Melinda graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Liberal Studies, and is currently working as a Recreation Technician for the U.S. Forest Service. She and her husband garden, have two amazing dogs, and about twenty chickens.