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Patricia Pyle Memorial Fund
Patricia Pyle was a passionate environmental professional and a fierce community advocate for NPSF’s work. Her legacy lives on through the many lives she touched and the on-the-ground projects she envisioned and brought to fruition to make our planet a better place for all!
After her passing, many supporters wished to donate to the Native Plant Salvage Foundation in her memory, so we began the Patricia Pyle Memorial Fund to fundraise specifically to continue her legacy of spreading passion for environmental protection by mentoring a new environmental professional to follow in her footsteps!
This fund exclusively pays for the NPSF AmeriCorps position.
Patricia’s husband, Dennis Connolly and Erica Guttman in honor of Patricia’s 60th birthday.
How much does an AmeriCorps Member cost the Foundation annually?
Through our partnership with the Washington Service Corps, the Foundation contributes $28,000 for 1,700 hours of service! We budget an additional $1,000/year for field gear/supplies, trainings, and professional-development opportunities to further progress the Member’s career.
In honor of Patricia's 60th birthday and her mother Rita's 90th birthday, the family—led by Patricia's sister Cynthia—generously donated and kicked off major fundraising effort to support our AmeriCorps position in 2020. Patricia's family continues to support us each year in our efforts to carry on Patricia's passions and spirit by mentoring a new environmental professional.
Your donations will help us meet the goal of raising $29,000 to support the annual costs of our AmeriCorps Service Member.
If you wish to send a check, please make it out to Native Plant Salvage Salvage and send it to our office: 3054 Carpenter Rd SE, Olympia, WA 98503
“I want to share how much I miss Patricia, both personally and professionally. As you know, she truly was a force of nature and her impact was felt in our region so broadly. I continue to miss her wise counsel.”
—Erica, NPS / WSU Senior Extension Coordinator & Educator, in a letter to the Pyle Family.
We have collected a few messages from past AmeriCorps Members about how they personally grew through their service with NPSF — an opportunity not possible without Patricia’s work and support in her memory.
The first is from Evelyn, who served in 2016 to support the Stormwater Stewards program that Patricia was a strong advocate for. Evelyn is still active with NPSF (even through her travels around the country), volunteering in person when possible, and remotely when not!
“It's not an exaggeration to say that nearly everything I know about native plants, stormwater and ecosystem restoration I learned during my time at Native Plant Salvage. As a servicemember I learned countless lessons about how to coordinate to make decisions, what it takes to accomplish big projects with limited resources, and about the vital importance of outdoor education. It was also a significant time of personal growth, and I was welcomed by the board and volunteers, supported by the core NPSF team, and given many opportunities to develop professionally. I am so grateful for everything NPSF gave me, and for the passion for ecosystem preservation and restoration that they ignited in me.”
Now we hear from Zach, who served after Patricia passed, in 2017. Zach significantly contributed in the promotion of the Patricia Pyle Memorial Fund and other fundraising efforts, particularly at the NPSF Nursery.
“Service was the fulfillment of a longtime dream. I spent my hours among plants, exchanging knowledge, and healing ecosystems. I connected daily with land and community. That time with NPSF better prepared me to consider and improve my impact in a world where we are all connected.”
Our goal is to protect our local waterways and the broader Salish Sea watershed, while enhancing wildlife habitat one landscape at a time. Our Foundation depends entirely on the support of the South Salish community. Our projects are funded by grants and contract partnerships with local businesses, governments and non-profit organizations. We would not be able to continue this work without sponsorship from community members like you. Thank you for your time, wisdom, support, and vigorous passion for our South Salish ecosystems.
Supporting Native Plant Salvage is a gift to the future of our region, our communities, and our shared water resources.
Your donation provides education and volunteer opportunities vital to protecting & conserving water resources & habitat across the South Salish region. See Get Involved, an Overview to see current happenings and opportunities to contribute directly to.