The Evolution of Vegetables: Science of Plants, Gardens, and the Environment

Biology was my favorite subject in high school, but the textbook curriculum left me with many unanswered questions about the natural world. My specialty is teaching advanced natural sciences using metaphor and an interactive teaching style that captures the attention of young people. I am continuously amazed to see 7 to 15 year olds mesmerized by natural science that I didn't encounter until college. I study scientific literature from peer reviewed sources and convert it into a fun and engaging format. In my Garden Biology class I seek to fill the gaps left by mainstream biology curriculum and build upon it to create a mind-blowing adventure for your learner. 

𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
I studied agriculture and ecology in my self-designed major at Hampshire College. Hampshire College specializes in a learner lead and experiential pedagogy which aligns with Outschool's values. I studied how humans interact with nature and the environment and took courses ranging from soil science to entomology. I am a self-described ecology nerd and take pride in knowing the local plants and animals of my region. I have taken many plant walks with professional herbalists and I am familiar with the wild edible and medicinal plants of New England. 

𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞:
As a teacher I love to entertain my students. I love to play games and show real-life examples in class. I like to interact with my students and to pull them in using questions in a Socratic teaching style. I encourage classroom participation and engagement but I'm also accommodating to students who aren't comfortable speaking in front of the class or who have different learning needs. I celebrate neurodiveristy. Please contact me directly about your learner's needs. 

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:
        I manage the vegetable garden at Wildheart Center  in NY. 
        I managed the gardens and volunteers at the Art Monastery Project to grow local organic food using ecologically informed techniques.
        I received my Outdoor Leadership Certificate from Hanfl Center for Outdoor Education and Environmental Studies in 2019 along with an Advanced Wilderness First Aid Certificate. 
        I taught English abroad for three years. 
        I was a member of Help Yourself Northampton. We planted Public Access Food Forests in public spaces around the city. I had the privilege of working alongside youth volunteers, talking with them about ecology and gardening as we planted an edible garden next to a bike path in the center of town.
        I was a member of Fresh New London; their mission is empowering youth, connecting community and growing food to dismantle systemic oppression and build food sovereignty. I worked alongside high school students in the area and talked about gardening and the environment.
        I was a member of Nuestras Raices, a grassroots urban agriculture organization based in Holyoke, MA. We worked together with the understanding that cultivating youth leadership can powerfully influence policy and systems change.
         I have assisted with a nature based after school program at Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School which used nature games and nature based arts and crafts to teach K-4th grade students about ecological principles and outdoors skills. 
        During my six month apprenticeship at Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center in San Francisco, CA I had the opportunity to meet with local high school students to talk with them about mindfulness, meditation, and organic farming during community outreach programs at the farm. 
        During my time at Hampshire College I worked with the organization Real Food Challenge which is dedicated to mobilizing young people to redefine real food and build a food system that benefits everyone. I worked with youth leaders from around the country to advocate for more ethically and sustainably sourced foods to be served in the dining halls of schools around the country. 
        I was one of the original members of the Pioneer Valley Workers Center Farmworker Organizing Committee. My role included organizing childcare for the farmworker meetings so that the parents could meet and discuss strategies to improve working conditions at local farms. 
        I presented at the 2017 Northeast Organic Farmers Association about soil grown sprouts and the environmental benefits of growing fresh greens at home rather than buying them from farms across the country. 
       I have taken a permaculture design course focused on growing self-sustaining perennial crops with the famous Eric Toensmeier, the award-winning author of Edible Forest Gardens and Carbon Farming, and appointed lecturer at Yale University.