Experience

Brandywine Conservancy

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Horticultural Coordinator

  • Jul 1990 - Present

  Direct all aspects of the native plant horticulture program displayed in the gardens surrounding the BC’s Brandywine River Museum, Environmental Management Center, 3 additional buildings and 25 acres of meadows. • Recruit/train/supervise/work with 40 garden volunteers of varying backgrounds, education levels, ages and abilities; organize educational trips for volunteers; plan and supervise the work of a staff gardener. • Designed, planned and coordinated the conversion of over 6,000 sq feet of campus lawn into water saving, carbon foot reducing, storm water managing, ecologically productive native plant communities. Completed in 2013, this year long project utilized over 5,000 plants of more than 50 native species planted by as many as 40 individuals working simultaneously: garden volunteers and BC staff members from nearly all levels of the organization, a first for the Brandywine Conservancy. • Developed and manage all phases of a unique native plant seed program (collection, drying, cleaning, storing, packaging, testing, selling) – peak year sales have totaled $12,000.00, without advertising. • Prepare and publish, yearly, a 9-page seed catalogue – newly included germination codes are the culmination of 22 years of sustained research effort. • Operate a plant nursery primarily reliant on seed propagation to produce plants for the Chadds Ford campus gardens and an annual fund-raising native plant sale. Nursery handles approximately 12,000 plants/year. • Plan/organize/direct all aspects of the annual fund-raising plant sale: procure all materials, write educational and promotional copy, prepare sales signs, set retail prices, design sales area layout, organize volunteer participation, coordinate the sale and interact with customers. Since DOH gross sales for this 2.5 day event total over $700,000. • Provide consultation on native plant meadow design/installation/maintenance for projects of the BC, homeowners, landscape contractors and public organizations.



Longwood Gardens

• United States
• Zoos and Botanical Gardens
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Continuing Education Instructor

  • Oct 2009 - Present

  In 2009 and 2011, Jessie Benjamin and I co-taught "Healthy Habitat Designs", one of the electives in the Certificate of Merit in Landscape Design series. Beginning in 2009 and repeated yearly into 2017, Tom Brightman and I have co-taught "Native Meadows from the Ground Up", offered in the Short Courses, Workshops and Tours series. In 2014, Tom and I also co-taught "Successful and Ethical Seed Collection". In 2009 and 2011, Jessie Benjamin and I co-taught "Healthy Habitat Designs", one of the electives in the Certificate of Merit in Landscape Design series. Beginning in 2009 and repeated yearly into 2017, Tom Brightman and I have co-taught "Native Meadows from the Ground Up", offered in the Short Courses, Workshops and Tours series. In 2014, Tom and I also co-taught "Successful and Ethical Seed Collection".



Andrew C. Durham & Associates, Landscape Architects and Jay Norman Cooperson, Architect and Planner

• Designer/Draftsman/Foreman

  • Apr 1989 - Jul 1990

  Jack-of-all-trades within this partnership between a Landscape Architect and Architect. • Conducted site surveys for base map preparation. • Assisted in design development and plant selection. • Drafted base maps, construction details and presentation drawings. • Performed cost estimates and related work. • Acted as foreman during landscape installations. • Researched zoning specifications, performed architectural photography for business proposals, constructed scale architectural models.