Class Year: 1996
Current Address
1514 Brittney Cove Dr
Cottleville Missouri 63304
Email: finkmaryann@gmail.com
Phone(s):
Home: 6367342196
Mobile:
Work:
Groups or Additional Roles: Missouri Green advisor
About Mary Ann Fink
As a life long “green” environmental horticultural consultant, former National Wildlife Federation Ambassador and water/land conservationist, I still enjoy sharing my “passion for pollinators” to promote native wildlife friendly landscapes. Although I have been involved in my professional career with large scale residential, commercial, municipal and public green spaces, I sincerely believe no space is too small to be home for our tiny neighbors, whether a bug or a butterfly.
I have seen many multifunctional spaces over the years while verifying and certifying commercial and residential properties for various eco-recognitions such as National Wildlife Federation, Community and Backyard Habitats, Conservation @ Home, Audubon Society and Plants of Merit recognitions so I am confident landscaping must have a purpose to have a future.
The rate of advancement in the green-sustainable building trend toward eco-sustainability, low impact development and the need to identify, evaluate and assess a project’s environmental / horticulture support potential has been a favorite focus of mine as a team project facilitator.
As the founding ambassador/ coordinator for Missouri Botanical Garden’s Plants of Merit program, certified arborist, and horticulture educator, in my retirement, I still enjoy eco-matchmaking and people. Formerly an advisor for St. Louis County Park’s Project Pollinator, and “butterfly ambassador” for the Children’s Club their Pollinator Pantry program allowed me to continue expanding my knowledge and have fun sharing opportunities.
Now that I have a vested interest in the future as a “Nana”, I have continued to seek projects that are in need of an ever expanding vision of sustainability. I like to try to find ways to stretch our thinking despite our often limited referral framework.
Having assisted with many projects that required the evaluation of a project’s recommendations, and then coordinating, implementing and adapting the recommendations to meet a projects needs, I worked best and enjoyed most the team members who shared my desire to institute best management practices for minimal negative environmental impact.
I always want to be an example and a promoter of an environment that facilitates healthy living. My vision is fot long term sustainability. I have committed to be an educator in my every day life with a stewardship focus. My specific contribution currently is to the Sustainable Backyard Network’s Seedbox program, helping my community to “bee” better and helping support The Native Explorer education program.
I enjoy living,learning and all things Missouri. I especially like cataloging, working on living inventory management, and developing plant care systems that help make a pretty landscape functionally maintainable. Sometimes I wish I was more of a science specialist but I’ve accepted I will always be a “Pollinista” and a practitioner!
Deliverables:
Strategic Planning Assistance
Site & Project Assessment and Analysis
Alliance Optimization
Advisement Facilitator
Former Professional Affiliations include:
Grow Native Member
International Society of Arborculture
North American Butterfly Association Member
National Wildlife Federation
The USGBC-St. Louis Regional Chapter
Garden Writers of America
Professional Landscape Design Association
Rain Garden Certified
‘Green’, also known as sustainability, allows a product, process, or event to meet currents needs while minimizing the negative impact on the environment!
