Volunteer Spotlight - Lisa Meek

I have been a volunteer with HIP since its inception in 2019 and primarily work with the education committee giving presentations about native and invasive plants to educate the public. My colleague in all things native and invasive, Laura McCloughan, and I started the Weed Wrangle program at Dillon Park which is entering year #5! I have always been a “plant person”; growing up with parents who owned a flower shop and greenhouses and had a huge garden. I wanted to be a forest ranger but was discouraged from that career path (no jobs at that time!) so I turned to my other love, animals, and became a veterinary ophthalmologist and ended up practicing in Stuart, FL where I met my husband. We moved back to Indiana and eventually bought a farm/airport with way too much turfgrass.
 
Working with Hamilton County Soil and Water, we converted a lot of that land to native prairies and tree plantings, and I have been hooked ever since. I started learning and doing invasive plant removal work a few years later. Volunteering with HIP is definitely the most fun and rewarding thing I have done. I love working in nature and talking plants with people. It is my passion! I encourage anyone who likes to hear birds sing, watch butterflies dance, help Mother Nature and be able to see the fruits of your labor to give HIP a try. You don’t need any training or tools, just a willing spirit. Now I am headed to my favorite place in Hamilton County, the woods across the road from my farm. It is restorative, peaceful, calming and I love seeing all the changes since I started removing the invasive plants. ​