Board Member Bios
Sarah Goulet Originally from New Jersey, Sarah has lived in Eau Claire’s Third Ward for over three decades. Her house is located near Putnam Park and over the years snapping turtles, owls and, of course, white tail deer have frequented her yard. The beloved flora and fauna of Putnam Park sparked her love of the park. An accountant, Sarah loves to crunch numbers--she served as our treasurer from the group's beginning in 2019 through summer 2023. She also enjoys baking, organic gardening, and walks with her dog in Eau Claire, and especially through Putnam Park.
Dave Lonzarich Originally from San Mateo, California, David Lonzarich made his way to Eau Claire Wisconsin via Washington, Montana and Arkansas. David has been a faculty member in the UWEC Department of Biology for 30 years, teaching and doing research in areas of fish biology and aquatic ecology. His on-going projects include studies on the evolution and behavior of fishes, and the biology of deep-water mosses in Wisconsin lakes. Through his research and teaching, David has learned a great deal about the animals that live in the park and in Little Niagara Creek.
Jim Hoeppner has had a long relationship with Putnam Park. As a child he played in the woods with friends, enjoying the rope swings and forts. Now, he says "I enjoy the serenity that it brings. The eagles' nest in the tree tops which I can see from my deck, and walks through the park, help brew a better mood in me. My house borders the park and my hope is that others will enjoy the park as much as I do. Putnam Park is one of the reasons that I have returned to beautiful Eau Claire after 30 years away." Jim says that his experiences of the Park now remind him of Wordsworth's "Lines Above Tintern Abbey"
. . . well pleased to recognise
in nature and the language of the sense
the anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,
The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul
Of all my moral being.
Walt Ostrander grew up running, skiing, and biking in the woods of Hayward and Seeley, WI and has lived in Eau Claire for the last six years with his young family. In addition to his regular job in education technology, he coaches nordic skiing for Chippewa Valley Nordic and cross-country running for Memorial High School. An avid trail runner and compulsory phenologist, Walt deeply enjoys regular walks and runs through the Putnam trails near his home, taking time to catalog the subtle changes in ecological diversity with each passing season. "Putnam Park's history as a state natural area is so unique, especially for where it lies within our city. Its topography, hydrology, and the urban development surrounding it also put it in a state of constant change and risk, and it is as worth protecting as it is enjoying daily. I'm always motivated to bring friends with me to experience the beauty of the trails. My favorite thing about Putnam Park is the way it announces Spring before any other part of the city - between the skunk cabbage and the peepers, there's no clearer bellwether for its arrival." The naturalist writer Joseph Wood Krutch said it best in his essay The Day of the Peepers:
" I have often wondered that a world which pretends to mark so many days
to celebrate so many occasions should accept quite so casually the day
when Hyla crucifer announces that winter is over…"