Jean Jenkins

Grace and strength. These complementary qualities define Jean Jenkins in a nutshell. Jean has served in so many capacities at Preserve where her grace and strength shine. Growing up on a Wisconsin farm, Jean appreciated being close to the land. She and her husband Scott bought the historic Prause farm in the park’s Port Oneida historic farming district in 2010, and she became a full-time resident in 2019.

Jean soon discovered that her passions aligned with Preserve, and began volunteering in 2011. “With great love for where we live, I wanted to give back in a way that would enhance the area for others,” she says. Jean’s friendly face greets visitors at the Port Oneida Heritage Center, Port Oneida Fair, Maple Sugaring Days, as registrar at the Port Oneida Run, as server at our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, and more.

Her joy is connecting people with history and living on the land. When our horse and wagon tours launched, Jean took the helm as lead narrator. Drawing on her experience as an actress, her storytelling about the people who lived here made the history come alive. “Buildings took on new meaning —they became more than boards and nails. Our guests gained a new appreciation for the value of what we are saving. ” Jean adds.

As a Master Gardener, she and our other gardeners turned our plans to restore the vegetable, perennial, and raspberry gardens, into reality. “Hattie Olsen’s poppies are thriving in our gardens! There are fun surprises along the way too—like finding a large morel mushroom in the flower garden”, she laughs.

One of Jean’s most important contributions to Preserve has been as a member of our Board of Directors since 2016. This spring she will take a hiatus after three, three year terms. What excites her about Preserve’s future? “I am most excited about us expanding our tours and programs, and opening up more buildings for new visitor experiences,” she says. “What I find most rewarding in life is to open up hearts. Those aha moments where someone might look at life a little differently.” Jean exemplifies the hearts of our volunteers that inspire visitors to learn something new—whether on a tour, during a project, or in the garden. We thank her immensely for her gift of 1080 accumulated volunteer hours!

“When a visitor comes up and says ‘do you do the gardens? they are so beautiful and I so appreciate them’. Or when you see someone strolling the gardens in a contemplative way, I feel good about creating an environment that draws people to have an uplifting experience.” – Jean Jenkins