Passion for birds turns into service with The Nature Foundation

Ellen Green poses in front of her Wild Birds Unlimited store in Joliet. (Photo by Anthony Schalk)

If you ask Ellen Green why she supports and serves The Nature Foundation of Will County, she’ll tell you it wouldn’t make sense not to.

Ellen, of Bolingbrook, joined the Foundation’s Board as its newest member in 2025, but she was no stranger to our work, having become acquainted with the Foundation through the years in a few ways.

She co-owns the Wild Birds Unlimited shop in Joliet with her mother and has been a vendor at our native plant sales and the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s events. More importantly, though, Ellen and her family are big supporters of the Forest Preserve District.

“My family personally enjoys what the Forest Preserve has to offer, and a lot of what the Forest Preserve has to offer is in direct relation to The Nature Foundation because they help provide that,” she said. “Being a part of that is really cool for me.”

Ellen said she, her husband and their two sons enjoy fishing at Whalon Lake and Hidden Oaks Preserve and hiking and exploring the outdoors in general. As a kid, she was in Girl Scouts, and she values the foundation those experiences provided for developing a lifelong curiosity about nature and love for the outdoors.

“Being around nature has always been a thing for me. It’s always been a part of who I am, what I do,” she said. “I’m a big animal lover, from the littles to the bigs.”

Birds and birding are the focus of her professional life, and they are a personal passion as well. Ellen said her love for birds began as a child, when she helped her grandmother fill their bird feeders. For her, that love never died.  She hopes everyone finds something in nature they look at with the same wide-eyed wonder they had as children.

We support the Forest Preserve District’s programs and initiatives that protect nature, inspire discovery and bring people and nature together – which ties in nicely with her work at Wild Birds Unlimited. She wants what’s best for birds and is committed to supporting organizations that educate people about their importance for healthy habitats and ecosystems. For her efforts to protect bird populations through education and conservation, Ellen was awarded Wild Birds Unlimited’s Save the Song Birds Hero award in her first year of owning the shop.

“For me, it just made sense that I spend more time working with organizations that directly provide habitat and manage habitat and education because that’s huge here at the store too,” she said. “I think one of the most beautiful things about our customers is how much they genuinely care. They genuinely care about the birds, they genuinely care about the squirrels, they genuinely care about the insects that are in their yard.”

Ellen loves that birds are often a gateway for people to grow in their love and appreciation for nature and all it offers.

“You can really awaken a sleeping giant just by taking them on a bird walk,” she said.

As the Foundation’s newest board member, she said she’s just getting her feet wet but is eager to bring her energy and enthusiasm to the organization. She sits on the fundraising committee and is excited to grow in that role because it suits her and her strengths.

“I’m not afraid to reach out to people,” she said. “One door closes, but there’s going to be five more doors I can open. I’m not afraid to do the work.”

Since joining the board, Ellen has learned more about the Foundation’s mission and goals and now that she’s learned the ropes, is ready to roll up her sleeves - she has a lot to give.

“I have tons of ideas and tons of drive to do things,” she said. “I am just an overflowing pot of energy.”

We are so grateful to have Ellen, a natural collaborator and dedicated supporter, on our Board and look forward to putting her positive energy to good use.