Richard Hayden is the senior director of horticulture at the High Line, a historic, elevated rail line on the west side of Manhattan, that was turned into a spectacular public park with plantings designed by Piet Oudolf. Richard previously served as the Assistant Deputy Director at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County where he was the primary project manager for the reimagining of the La Brea Tar Pits Museum. He also oversaw the the Nature Gardens, a wildlife habitat garden. From 2020-2022 he served as the board chair of the Pacific Horticulture Society, a 50-year-old non-profit horticulture educational institution dedicated to promoting resilient, climate appropriate gardening. He now serves on the board of the Metro Hort Group, a tri-state New York City based horticultural non-profit. Previously he served a two year term as president of the Los Angeles District of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. Prior to joining the NHM, Richard served as the Garden Director for the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden from November 2017 to January of 2020, where he designed several garden spaces focused on sustainability and wildlife habitat and facilitated educational programs, volunteer services, and a wide variety of public garden management tasks. Richard started his career in public horticulture as the Head Gardener for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County from 2012-2017 where he managed the Nature Gardens, a 3.5 acre wildlife habitat garden that serves as a living laboratory for the study and educational promotion of biodiversity in urban Los Angeles. He also oversaw the planting and maintenance of the gardens at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. In his role at the museum, he collaborated with scientists, educators and fundraisers to promote the Nature Gardens as a leading site for the study of urban nature. He taught classes, lead tours and gave talks related to habitat gardening, planting with natives and best horticultural management practices including soil health, composting, and organic pest management. Prior to working at the Natural History Museum, he was the Principal Landscape Designer at Hayden Landscape Design helping to create exceptional garden environments since 1992. He began his working career in New York City in the commercial film business working as production manager for Arc Films, Inc.