The mission of School Garden Network is to grow healthy students, families, schools, and communities ​through garden-based education. As the Schoolyard Habitat Program Manager I support teachers and schools to envision, design, implement, and enliven school-based learning ecosystems.www.schoolgardens.org

Transforming education through the development and integration of holistic food growing and craft programming in schools, universities, farms, and land-based educational centres.www.foodwayseducation.org

As the Garden and Education Manager for the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, I managed all aspects of annual and perennial food production and garden education in a highly diverse 3-acre farm and orchard, led weekly community garden stewardship days, hosted public garden tours and seed swap events, taught theoretical and hands-on lessons in ecological food growing, soil health, seed saving, and composting, and managed and mentored a small team of year-long garden apprentices.

ThoughtBox's mission is to help young people understand the world around them and find their place within it. Using a whole-child approach to learning, they support young people in developing a deeper sense of connection to self, society and the natural world, helping to nurture healthy relationships for people and planet.www.thoughtboxeducation.com

Rewilding Education supports a network of international educators who are working together to develop a new vision for education.Find out more: www.rewildingeducation.org

Master of Gastronomy: Creativity, Ecology & Education'Slow Food' UniversityThis programme explored how our engagement with food not only reflects, but also shapes and influences our relationships with each other and our natural environment—being a direct source, and also solution, for repair.

Red Dog Farm is a 23-acre certified organic farm settled in the fertile Center Valley of Chimacum, Washington. As a farmer I assisted in the cultivation of 150+ varieties of vegetables, berries, cut flowers, and plant starts; independently led weekly community farm volunteer programs; harvested, washed, weighed, and packed produce and flowers for our weekly 100-person CSA scheme, farm stand, farmers market, restaurants, grocery stores, and other local retailers; assisted with produce and flower deliveries and distribution; and co-led the Saturday farmers market booth. I also continuously engaged with and encouraged community members to support local, sustainably-grown food.

Schumacher College is an international learning centre in England that teaches practical skills and strategic thinking to address ecological, economic, and social challenges. As a residential grower I studied and learned hands-on skills in ecological growing, and lived in community with other students, short course participants, staff, and guests.

Friends of Sausal Creek is a community-based grassroots organisation working to improve the Sausal Creek Watershed in Oakland, California. As the Land Stewardship and Education Manager I wrote ecological restoration plans, coordinated and led community stewardship projects, managed and maintained a native plant nursery, led environmental education field trips and naturalist hikes, developed curriculum and trained docents, led ecological monitoring efforts (bird, bat, BMI, fish, water quality), and assisted with grant writing. I also mentored and taught two part-time apprentices and 10 high school interns annually to support all restoration, education, and community programmes.

Save The Bay is the largest regional organisation working to protect, restore, and celebrate the San Francisco Bay by advocating for strong policies that protect the Bay from pollution and inappropriate shoreline development; restoring habitat to re-establish 100,000 acres of wetlands; and engaging and inspiring more than 40,000 supporters and thousands of students annually.As the Restoration and Education Specialist I led environmental field trips and community-based restoration programmes, assisted with the operation and maintenance of two native plant nurseries, assisted other field staff with project planning and implementation, coordinated monitoring efforts of restoration activities, and organised regional trainings for bay-wide practitioners.

The Parks Conservancy is a community-supported nonprofit organisation dedicated to preserving and protecting the Golden Gate Nationals Parks, and instilling a sense of stewardship in this and future generations.As a Native Plant Nursery Assistant I assisted with the collection, processing, and storage of seed and plant material for propagation – following strict ecological standards - to ensure the production of over 160,000 native plants to be used in regional habitat restoration projects.

Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to the protection of nature through land preservation and restoration, nature-based education, and conservation science. ACR manages over 5,000 acres of land in Marin and Sonoma Counties, including Martin Griffin Preserve near Stinson Beach - home to one of the San Francisco Bay Area's most significant and most studied Great Egret and Great Blue Heron nesting sites. As the Restoration Ecologist I propagated and installed native plants in restoration sites, independently led weekly volunteer programmes, served as a year-long mentor for a group of 15 high school students participating in the SLEWS (Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship) program, developed educational materials for students and volunteers, and supervised, trained, and mentored a college intern.I also monitored egret colonies and assisted with the coordination of the Heron and Egret Project, coordinated and participated in a breeding-bird assessment for the Modini Ingalls Ecological Preserve, coordinated shorebird surveys in Tomales Bay, and entered and analysed bird monitoring data.

As an intern for the Presidio Native Plant Nursery, I helped manage all aspects of seed collection, plant propagation and care, and nursery facilities maintenance, including supervising and teaching students and volunteers during semiweekly educational and stewardship programmes.

Environmental Concern Inc. is a nonprofit that promotes public understanding and stewardship of wetlands with the goal of improving water quality and enhancing native habitat in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.As an Ecological Restoration Intern I scouted for plants and collected seeds via canoe, processed seeds, and propagated native wetland and riparian plant species for regional restoration projects.

As the Propagule Collection Specialist for both the Redwood Creek and Marin Headlands Native Plant Nurseries, I propagated and salvaged native wetland, riparian, and coastal scrub plant species for the Muir Beach, Redwood Creek, and Conzelman Road Restoration Projects.These positions involved independently scouting plants for seed collection, collecting and processing seeds, propagating native plants, and installing plants in restoration sties. I also supervised and trained volunteers during a weekly drop-in volunteer program, independently developed educational materials for volunteers, and independently coordinated and supervised corporate group weekend volunteer programmes.

As an independent contractor for the National Park Service I independently prioritised, planned, and implemented invasive plant eradication projects for Delairea odorata, Vinca major, and Carpobrotus edulis at eight project subsites (riparian, bluff, and dune habitats). I also trained, led, and supervised field crews, interns, and volunteers in invasive plant removal techniques.

As the Restoration Programmes Coordinator with Point Reyes National Seashore, I recruited, coordinated, trained, and supervised all students, restoration crews, spring break groups, and community volunteers in coastal wetland, dune, bluff, and riparian habitat restoration projects. This position also involved independently mapping and monitoring invasive and rare plant populations, translating GPS and other monitoring data into interactive maps using GIS Pathfinder Office and ArcGIS, and independently removing invasive, non-native species from designated sites throughout the park.

As a Habitat Restoration Seasonal I restored grassland, coastal scrub, chaparral, vernal pool, riparian, pond, and freshwater marsh habitats via non-native, invasive species removal (manual, herbicide spraying, flaming) and native re-vegetation. I also supported the nursery manager with native plant collection, processing, and propagation, as well as independently established a "Weed Watchers" volunteer programme and trained volunteers.

As a fellow for the NASA Space Grant Research Program I was able to broaden my skills and experience, as well as explore and define my scientific interests. For three consecutive years I was granted funding to explore a variety of research topics. Links to publications and abstracts from some of this research can be found below.