You can often find Linda enjoying the outdoors.
Living on the west side of Green Bay, Linda grew up around water. “It’s just a fundamental part of who I am,” she explained. But the water of her youth had such poor quality, she couldn’t wait to leave.
She recalls waterskiing on the Fox River in the 1970s. “It was green. Once it was entirely covered in slime. I don’t know what exactly that was, but we never did that again,” Linda said. “And you weren’t allowed to fish either. You couldn’t eat them.”
Family trips took her to Potawotomi, Sturgeon Bay, and the Wolf River, and she saw what clean water could look like. As an adult, she got her wish and moved away. She lived in Los Angeles, but made sure she was near the water. Eventually she made her way back to Green Bay, because this is where her family is.
Linda and her husband Alex settled down, building a business and having kids. “The longer we stayed,” she explained, “the more we cared about making sure we gave back to our state.” Linda didn’t want to leave anymore; she wanted to change it for the better.
“It started with Kavarna,” she said, talking about the restaurant she and Alex established. “The most sustainable thing you can do is to use what already exists.” And if you look around, you’ll notice that the decorative cubbies are a repurposed chicken coop. She and Alex also implemented composting with local farmers and insisted on using renewable energy – even when it cost a little more.
These days, sustainability looks like a mission to make the world’s first carbon-emissions-free hummus with their new business, uBu Foods. It was a no-brainer for Linda to register the business with 1% For the Planet.
As part of that registration, they had to select an environmental non-profit to partner with. “We wanted someone from Wisconsin,” said Linda. She found Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and “we immediately got involved. I love these people! It’s been really fun.”
Of course, it can also be a lot of work to put in the time and money to make sustainable choices. Why make that a priority? “Look at Wisconsin on a map,” Linda said. “It’s just blue. There’s so much water here. We care about where we live and the future of the next generation. Why wouldn’t you make it a priority!”
Linda’s kids are old enough to be thinking about their hopes for adulthood. And they’re not planning to leave the state. “It’s easy to live here. It’s affordable to live here,” she explained. “When I was a kid, I wanted to leave. Now I’m here and I’m invested.”
And if you ask her, she’ll tell you to get involved with Fox-Wolf for yourself. “Membership is affordable, and you can volunteer too,” she said. “It feels like a community of people who care about the state of Wisconsin and the environment. Do it, because it’s so easy!”
Watershed Moments is a publication of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, sharing the stories of how your donations have impacted lives in our community. Read our latest project updates, make a secure online donation, or become a member at www.fwwa.org
