My work has always been shaped by the belief that gardens can foster connection, resilience, and personal transformation. Alongside my design practice, I collaborate on community-based projects and occasionally share my experience through teaching, lectures, and writing. These opportunities allow me to explore the social and emotional dimensions of landscape—especially in places where access to nature is limited or unequal.

SELECTED PRESENTATION

Planting Justice: A Garden Designed to Empower Youth in a Juvenile Detention Facility

How does interacting with nature mitigate the harm of incarceration and cultivate hope? How can a garden support agency and self-worth for young people living under extreme constraint? This presentation explored the transformation of a small, fully caged-in outdoor area into a therapeutic garden for incarcerated youth—reclaiming physical space while offering a new experience of autonomy, beauty, and possibility.

Power in Transformation @ By DESIGN & BY DISASTER CONFERENCE, UNIVERSITY OF BOLZANO, ITALY
JULY 2024

Pro Bono Projects

My clients often seek gardens as places of sanctuary—spaces that ease the noise of daily life and offer beauty, solace, and connection. But access to gardens is increasingly a privilege. Much of my community work is driven by a desire to share these benefits more equitably.

Collaborating with schools, youth organizations, and non-profit partners broadens my understanding of how different communities relate to land and plants. These projects challenge me to listen more deeply, adapt creatively, and consider the role gardens can play in healing, belonging, and resilience. Knowing that this work offers something meaningful to people who might not otherwise have access is profoundly important to me.

  • Teen Garden, Tiburon Library, Tiburon, California, 2023

  • Pollinator Garden, Wade Thomas Elementary School, San Anselmo, California, 2022

  • Community Butterfly Garden, Tiburon, California, 2021

  • Play Garden, Ross Preschool, Ross, California, 2020

  • Heritage Edible Garden, China Camp State Park, San Rafael, California, 2019

  • Therapeutic Teaching Garden, Marin Juvenile Hall, San Rafael, California, 2018-2024

  • Sensory Garden & Colonial Garden, Lucas Valley Elementary School, San Rafael, California, 2018

  • Edible Garden planning & education, Edna Maguire Elementary School, Mill Valley, California, 2009-2012