Wendy Gorski has always advocated for animals and championed the environment. With a background in communications, she was a five-year board member of Sustainable Stillwater MN and creator of the Greater Stillwater Area Green Business Directory. She now ensures Bird City Gardens become a community asset and fulfills the board’s vision of a place to welcome the community and share our love of birds and native plants.

Allison McGinnis is the guiding light of Bird City Gardens, serving as board chair. She is a passionate environmental advocate with a lifelong love of birds. She has served as a biologist for the Trumpeter Swan Reintroduction Program, conducted bald eagle telemetry studies, and led raptor education and training initiatives. She also leads the Bird City Stillwater team for Sustainable Stillwater MN. Allison won the Green Champion of the Year Award from SSMN in 2023. Her encyclopedic bird knowledge is legendary!

Julie Balfanz has the esteemed position of Stillwater Schools’ K-12 Technology and Innovation Coach. She brings to fruition new projects that open the inquiring minds of youth to new ideas and experiences. Many of her projects will involve creating opportunities for kids to get involved with appreciation for and research in nature, staged at Bird City Gardens’ Mulberry Creek Bird Station. And its network of bird-listening devices will serve as the basis for various projects and educational opportunities for her students. Winner of Sustainable Stillwater MN’s 2024 Green Champion of the Year.

John Wheatley is a retired senior scientist at 3M. He has been a lifelong bird lover and generously sponsored the creation of the BirdSongConnect bird-listening stations in Stillwater. One is located at the Mulberry Creek Bird Station that broadcasts bird calls and species appearances 24/7 live online. With the devices, we can determine the kinds and numbers of birds that are flying through Stillwater and compare them year-to-year. He is actively involved in creating research projects for students at Mulberry Creek Bird Station.