Qualifications: Mike is a Nurseryman, native plant horticulturist and is the founder and president of the Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano, which became the largest native plant nursery in California. Tree of Life, which will close in 2025, propagates and sells nearly 400 varieties of native plants, holds regular educational workshops and seminars, and sells a broad selection of books on the California outdoors. In addition to operating the nursery for more than 45 years, Mr. Evans is also a widely published writer, public speaker, college instructor, and consultant.
Mr. Evans is a 50-year member and past officer of the International Plant Propagators Society and a member and past president of the California Society of Ecological Restoration. His awards and distinctions include the International Plant Propagators Society International Award of Merit and Horticulturist of the Year (2019) from the Southern California Horticultural Society. He is a member of the board of directors of the San Juan Capistrano Open Space Foundation and the Rancho Mission Viejo Nature Reserve.
Qualifications: Dr. Sukut is a gardener, garden designer, and active local leader and volunteer who advocates for and creates programs that promote and maintain healthy Southern California ecosystems. She is especially interested in expanding public awareness of the role of gardens, gardening and nature in human wellness.
Dr. Sukut, now retired, had a 25-year career as a social worker and psychologist, both at Irvine Medical Center and in private practice, as well as at institutions in Colorado and Georgia. Her roles included program developer, teacher, advocate, researcher, writer and supervisor. She holds a Ph.D in psychology from the California Graduate Institute (Los Angeles, CA) and a Masters in Social Work from Smith College School for Social Work.
She has been an active volunteer with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley; Camino Real Playhouse; the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society; the City of San Juan Capistrano 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee; Mission San Juan Capistrano; the Pacific Wildlife Project (Laguna Niguel, CA); People to People International; Earthwatch Institute; and the Marbella Homeowners Association Landscape Committee.
Dr. Sukut was a member of the board of directors of the Bowers Museum (Santa Ana, CA) and Goin Native (San Juan Capistrano, CA) and was president of the board of the San Juan Capistrano Garden Club. She received the Woman of the Year award in 2016 from the City of San Juan Capistrano. Her garden was featured in North American Butterfly Association Magazine. She is also a writer, publisher, and lecturer.
Qualifications: Dr. Baginski is a board certified OB/GYN and Master Robotic Surgeon who has sat on more than ten hospital boards or committees, given more than 400 lectures in the U.S. and around the world, and published in peer reviewed medical journals. Dr. Baginski is also an accomplished naturalist, an expert horticulturist in native plant gardening, and an authority on creating garden habitats for native pollinators and wildlife. Additionally, he has experience in natural history interpretation and education.
Dr. Baginski is an active member of the Invertebrate Club of Southern California and a member of the board of directors of the Orange Coast Watershed Environmental Center. He is the City of San Clemente’s official representative on the board of the Donna and Richard O’Neill Land Conservancy.
Dr. Baginski has delivered more than 40 lectures on native plants for attracting wildlife, butterfly gardening, landscaping with native plants, the health benefits of the natural environment, and topics related to native butterflies, moths, reptiles and amphibians.
Michelle Matthews is a dynamic nonprofit executive with a career dedicated to connecting communities with natural spaces through innovative environmental programming. As the Executive Director and only full-time staff member of Arlington Garden in Pasadena from 2017-2024, she transformed the organization from a volunteer-led initiative into a thriving, mission-driven nonprofit. Under her leadership, the garden’s budget grew sevenfold, community engagement deepened, and new partnerships flourished. Her strategic initiatives earned the organization the 2019 Nonprofit of the Year Award from California’s 25th Senate District. Under her leadership the organization secured notable grants from the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, Pasadena Community Foundation, Stanley Smith Horticultural Foundation and Harold and Colene Brown Family Foundation.
Ms. Matthews background spans arts, advocacy, and design, with senior leadership roles at the Sundance Institute, the ACLU, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. She combines a keen eye for strategy with operational rigor, delivering measurable impact through cross-sector collaboration, marketing innovation, and strong team leadership. Her educational foundation includes an MFA from the University of Southern California and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, both of which inform her creative and systems-thinking approach to nonprofit management.
Ms. Matthews has been selected for prestigious leadership programs such as Annenberg Alchemy, CORO’s Climate Resilience Network, Justice Outside’s Rising Leaders Fellowship, Executive Service Corps Executive Directors Leadership Institute and Leadership Pasadena. These experiences have sharpened her ability to lead diverse teams, build inclusive programs, and design long-term strategies for organizational growth and community impact.
