I have been working in the field of therapeutic horticulture since 2018. While deep in grief and mourning the loss of my father after a long illness, I was soothed by the healing power of plants when a dear friend signed us up for a workshop centered around moss. Here I learned that moss appears on the scene where other things have died. It feasts on rocks for centuries, and grows out of the most unsuspecting places on a city sidewalk. Moss…well, she figures out. She is a most resilient plant, and we have much to learn from how she adapts, evolves, and continues to persist. Curious and convinced of their ability to positively transform the mind and body, I began studying the use of plants as a healing medium at the New York Botanical Garden, where I earned a certificate in Horticultural Therapy. After working with the GreenHouse Program at Rikers Island Correctional Facility, I then went on to work with Sprout by Design, a team of educators sharing horticulture and culinary skills with students in youth detention centers around New York City. Working with plants in carceral spaces is where I discovered a real passion. Here was a magical tool and offering- the ability to grow life that needed to be nurtured and handled with gentleness in an environment largely designed to keep those very things outside of its walls.Through my work with Sprout I also facilitated workshops in supportive housing facilities and public schools, leading classes in the areas of hydroponics, worms/bugs/composting, and soil gardening.  After a move to Santa Fe, New Mexico I joined the Conservation in Prisons Project, managed by the Institute for Applied Ecology. Here I led classes at the Penitentiary of New Mexico with a focus on native plant species, and now continue to offer activities rooted in therapeutic horticulture and culinary skills.  With Seed & Bloom I hope to share the harmony of the garden and the kitchen with students of all backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, and interests. I believe that in order to steward our environment, we must acknowledge that everyone has a different relationship to land and the very way that we put our hands in soil. Though growth looks different for each individual, nature is here to be an ally to us all.  In creating safe spaces for learning, I strive to make sure that everyone in the room is held in mind, and that they feel included and engaged. My skills have been shaped by my previous work as a nurse, working with vulnerable populations in a limited resource environment, and from earlier moments in childhood, learning to grow vegetables in my parents’ garden. When I’m not in the classroom or the greenhouse I can most often be found at the movies, on the tennis court, or cooking in my kitchen.