Stories from Pink and Greenspace and Conversacion de Conservación, McHenry County
You won’t want to miss…
our next online Conservation Connector which will be the last for this year. We’ll focus on reaching out to diverse communities and working with them as we share two different stories.
Join Zina Cruse from Alpha Kappa Alpha and Kaina Gonzalez, former Outreach intern with Conversacion de Conservation, as they share two different approaches to connecting with those who care about and are interested in the natural world and conservation. Our goal is to share so that the audience can think about their own communities and creative ways to connect.
Register by clicking the button below; you’ll receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.
REGISTER by clicking the button below. You’ll receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar.
Zina Cruse
Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc.
Zina Cruse is the President of the St. Clair County, IL graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc.®️ (AKA). As the local affiliate of this international organization, the St. Clair County, IL graduate chapter functions as a local nonprofit organization, implementing the motto of “service to all mankind.” Zina is the chapter’s chartering President.
As chapter president, she is responsible for directing the chapter’s implementation of the Int’l program, which is currently “Soaring to Greater Heights of Service and Sisterhood,” under the leadership of International President Danette Anthony Reed. One of the initiatives in the international program is Enhancing Our Environment. The organization has pledged to plant at least 1908 trees during the course of the current administration. The St. Clair County, IL chapter partnered with the St. Clair County Greenspace Foundation and planted 12 trees in a recently cleared plot of land within the Greenspace. This collaboration is affectionately called the Pink and Greenspace, which pays homage to the partnership by acknowledging the greenspace as well as the sorority’s colors: pink and green. Ms. Cruse has been a member of AKA for over 40 years and is excited and committed to nurturing relationships with environmental, conservation and natural resource organizations.
Kaina Gonzalez
Biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Kaina will focus on restoration projects and will work closely with partners to carry out these projects. She recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in May 2022 and returned home to Woodstock, IL, where she worked with multiple environmental organizations. Kaina’s passion for conservation and the community led her to connect with Conversación de Conservación, a local group that uplifts Latinos in the conservation space. This included co-hosting bilingual ecological restoration events and helping to organize a Latino Conservation Week picnic. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family and introducing them to the wonders of the outdoors.
Prairie State Conservation Coalition is an Illinois nonprofit association of conservation land trusts. Our members protect, restore, and steward the diverse landscapes that characterize our state as well as advocating for strong statewide conservation policies. Collectively, land trusts in our state have preserved more than 300,000 acres of land, most of which is open to the public.