WPC Staff
Andy Zadnik
Senior Director of Land Stewardship
There’s a lot to enjoy about spending a portion of one’s work hours out in nature, says Andy Zadnik, WPC’s senior director of land stewardship. However, he points out with a laugh, “I don’t just frolic in the woods all day. If only!” He leads a group of land stewards, along with several dedicated volunteers, who monitor and manage WPC’s preserves and conservation easements.
Beautiful vistas, the smell of autumn leaves and cute critter encounters aside, the permanency of the work is its greatest reward. “Knowing that something I had a part in – like planting trees, removing old structures or building a hiking trail – will benefit the natural environment and people who care about that for many, many years” provides his greatest workplace satisfaction, says Andy, who has worked for WPC since 2007.
“When I plant a tree, it might still be around for hundreds of years! That blows my mind.”
Andy tries to ensure that every land stewardship project helps meet WPC’s core mission of protecting important places for future generations. For inspiration, he looks no further than his office walls, decorated with pictures of his kids and artwork from their grade school days.
“It reminds me why I do what I do,” he says. “I hope that someday they’ll visit the areas where I worked, and maybe bring their kids along. It’ll be nice if I’m still around, too.”
The following lists some of the ways you can volunteer at the Conservancy. We welcome volunteers to help in our community flower gardens, plant trees or maintain our preserves and trails, among other tasks. View a list of our current or upcoming volunteer opportunities and register for one today.