I founded Panther Creek Nature Center (PCNC) in 2025 as a place for people to connect with themselves, one another, and the living world around them. As a mom of two kids, I am passionate about making PCNC accessible to families with young children. When I am not at Panther Creek, I work with an awesome team of environmental advocates and beekeepers at Bee Downtown. Bee Downtown was founded in 2015 by my dear friend Leigh-Kathryn Bonner and I feel fortunate to have watched the company grow ever since! I love getting the opportunity to work alongside pollinators, beekeepers and members of the public. Outside of work, I spend most of my time exploring the Eno River, playing at the Museum of Life & Science and hanging with my family. My family also runs a small farm (founded in 2014) on the same land as the nature center. This farm grows native trees and edible plants. You can learn more on our farm’s website. Some of my favorite experiences in my career have been….

• Urban farming with Sol Food Mobile Farm (watch our embarrassing PBS episode here :)

• Selling local, farm-fresh groceries at LoMo Market

• Building learning gardens with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle

• Leading field trips for K-12th grade students at the Durham Public Schools Hub Farm

• Working with children at the Green River Preserve, backpacking, fly fishing, rock climbing, and making art!

• Growing native plants at Mellow Marsh Farm

• Managing farmers and visitors at the Williamson Preserve through the Triangle Land Conservancy

• Serving as a K-5th Outdoor Learning teacher at Eno Valley Elementary School

• Promoting pollinators and agriculture at Bee Downtown (where I am still a happy worker bee!)

My academic life also led me down this current path of managing starting PCNC. As a young person, I attended Durham School of the Arts (DSA) where I spent 7 years exploring the visual arts- and playing endless hours of soccer. Three cheers for an amazing public school experience in Durham! I went on to earn an undergraduate degree in studio art at the College of Charleston. In the beautiful Lowcountry of South Carolina is where I caught the “farming bug” - but more on that another time… After college, I attended the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) were I was trained in outdoor education and became certified as a Wilderness First Responder. After returning home to North Carolina, I received a master’s degree from NC State in Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and a graduate certificate in Disaster Resilient Policy, Engineering, and Design. NC State allowed me the creative space to study landscape design through the lens of agriculture and climate change. Throughout my academic life, I have had the opportunity to paint, draw, make prints, and study the natural world. I feel so grateful for all of these opportunities to grow, express my creative side, and work in some amazing natural environments! I hope to bring all of these lessons-learned to the Panther Creek Nature Center.