Board Member since 2022
Job Title and Company Director of Ecology for Rigidized Metals Corporation
Location Silo City
Hometown West Seneca, NY
What is the significance of the location where you chose to meet?
“This is where I work. It’s my obsession. We do a lot of ecological work so it seemed fitting to meet with the land trust here.”
What is a favorite memory you have while on the BNRLT board?
“There was a planting that I helped set up at Houghton Park in the Conservation Area. I believe it was last Spring, we supplied the plants and the fencing for it. I sort of helped design it with Joy…Silo City is on the Buffalo River and I really like working with other nearby folks like Tifft and Houghton Park, it just feels right.”
What is your favorite outdoor activity?
“Plants. Planting plants is definitely my favorite thing to do.”
What brings you joy?
“Plants. Period.”
What is your favorite season?
“Usually Fall. I love when it cools down, but it is sad when the plants are starting to senesce. I guess plant-wise Spring is obviously the most exciting, just full of potential and you can’t imagine what’s going to happen…I guess there’s a lot of anxiety in the Spring though. Fall is like okay we did it you know, the things that worked worked. Spring is exciting but it’s like oh god how are we going to do all this??”
If you could have any superpower what would it be?
“I feel like I already have superpowers, I’m just aware of my strengths.”
What experience led you to where you are today?
“My experience in horticulture and ecology sort of started out with a background in organic farming and then when I landed back in Buffalo I worked for PUSH buffalo for 8 years doing green infrastructure work on vacant lots mostly on the west side but also on the east side and I was sort of quixotic…Working with the most damaged places possible and creating whatever sort of healing or ecological succession that you can. Starting from that place was really interesting to me. Urban vacant lots and residential neighborhoods were very interesting, so when I discovered Silo City, it was like the mothership. Being part of imagining what this place is and what it could be, ecologically and otherwise, has been, and probably always will be super interesting…I’ve been doing stuff down here for 12 years, and I’ve been employed by Rigidized Metal since 2018.”
Future projects or anything you’re working on that you want to promote?
“We’re always fine tuning our native plant nursery here. We’re interested in partnering with other groups of like mind and supplying plants for cool projects.”
