Mary Ann Bonnell, Artist and Lead Naturalist, City of Aurora Parks and Open Space

Among her many accomplishments Mary Bonnell has taught Geology for the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, assisted with the Restoration Report for the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs and wrote the interpretive master plan for the Roxbury State Park. In April she spoke about city coyotes at the 33rd Annual Zoonoses Conference in Aurora. She received the 2002 Enos Mills Award from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education for outstanding, long-term achievement in environmental education.  “Bonnell is a gifted interpreter, skilled trainer, accomplished professional artist, and experienced creative exhibit designer.  She has been a leader and innovator in her ability at turning difficult, abstract scientific concepts and environmental processes into activities, models and demonstrations that are easily understood by audiences of students, volunteer naturalists, and the general public.”

Susan Carter, Carter Designs, Fruita Colorado

Susan Carter has been in the green industry for over 25 years.  She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Ornamental Horticulture and a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture.  Susan has lived in Colorado since 1993 and in the Grand Valley since 2001.  Susan has designed well over 300 landscapes in Western Colorado. She started her own design business over 3 years ago and has been helping homeowners, landscapers and engineers design their landscapes.

Dr. Rex Cole, Professor of Geology, Geology Program Coordinator, Mesa State College, Grand Junction Colorado

Dr. Cole received his Ph.D. from the University of Utah.  He also has a B.S. from Colorado State University and an A.S. from Mesa State Junior College.  His specialties include Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, Paleontology, Petroleum Geology and Mineral Resources. 

Dr. Kristy Duran, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Mesa State College

Dr. Duran received her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Her Research Interests include Parasitic Plants, Plant Population Genetics and Parasite/Host Physiology.  In here current position at Mesa State College Dr. Duran is responsible for teaching General Organismal Biology, Principles of Plant Biology and Plant Physiology.

Bob Hammon, Area Extension Agent for Entomology and Agronomy

Bob has a B.S. in Natural Resources (1975, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) and an M.S. in Entomology (1988, Colorado State University, Fort Collins). As the CSU Tri River Area entomology/agronomy extension agent his program covers insect diagnostics and insect management concerns within the Tri River Area. The program focuses on using research as a basis for solving local insect problems in agriculture. Extension workshops are conducted on important local issues as needed. A significant amount of time is spent responding to calls regarding horticultural and homeowner entomology.

Panayoti Kelaidis, Senior Curator and Director of Denver Botanic Gardens Outreach

Panayoti Kelaidis represents the Gardens in educational, professional and promotional endeavors as an expert in horticulture science and art. He also acts as a liaison to botanical societies, professional horticulture organizations and green industry members as well as serves as a resource to staff, volunteers and members. Panayoti has worked at the Gardens for 27 years in many capacities. Most recently, he was the Curator of Plant Collections where he supervised the curatorial staff directed inventory, maintenance, interpretation and integrity for over 15,000 kinds of living plants. His far-reaching knowledge of horticulture in the mountainous and dry climate of Colorado has aided overseeing Plant Select, a plant introduction program where he has helped discover and name numerous plants, as well as disseminate nearly 10 million plants.

Kathy Kimbrough, Colorado Master Gardener and Lavender Specialist

Growing up in Pittsburgh and living in Houston, Dallas and Denver has exposed Kathy to many garden climates before she and her husband arrived in Grand Junction 10 years ago.  She tried her hand at gardening with spotty results until she found the Master Gardener program 9 years ago.  It was then she was able to unlock the secrets to creating a beautiful garden and growing plants that thrive here.  Since she’s been a master gardener, Kathy started her own garden design company helping residential and commercial customers create beautiful landscapes.  Kathy is currently working on a lavender research project through the Extension and helping area farmers realize lavender can be a lucrative alternative crop.   

Aline LaForge, Archaeologist, Bureau of Land Management, Grand Junction Field Office

Growing up in California and later living in Oregon, Utah, and Arizona has provided Aline with an opportunity to study native plants and their uses in different desert settings. Aline has a BS in Geography (Southern Oregon State College 1984). She has been an archaeologist for the Bureau of Land Management since 1985 starting in Yuma, Arizona and working her way up the Colorado River, arriving in Grand Junction in 2001. At the BLM she is responsible for the management of cultural resources and Native American concerns, but she has recently been working in partnerships emphasizing the opportunities to reconnect the Ute Tribes to their traditional lands in Western Colorado through plant communities on Public Lands and increasing the dialogue within the Ute Tribe so traditional knowledge will be
preserved.

Elizabeth Neubauer, operations Manager, Western Colorado Botanic Gardens

A native of Grand Junction, Elizabeth earned her undergraduate degree at Boston University in Art History. After returning to the Grand Valley Elizabeth took the Master Gardener program and gained experience working for the Mesa County Department of Weed Management and Sunshine Landscaping. She joined the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens as the Operations Manager in July 2007 and has been working on creating public gardens that foster a “sense of place.”

Susan Rose - Horticulture Technician/Master Gardener Coordinator, CSU Extension

Susan educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts (1987, Mesa State College, Grand Junction, Colorado) and training with San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California (1973 – 1975) and California Polytechnic University, Pomona, California (1971 – 1973). She is currently enrolled in the Master of Agriculture program at Colorado State University which she expects to complete by the end of 2009. Susan coordinates the annual Native Plant Master and Master Gardener training programs in the four-county area, organizes additional training throughout the year as needed, coordinates and promotes horticulture events and activities for Master Gardeners and the public and develops articles and presentations as requested.  She is also responsible for the Dial-a-Garden weekly recorded message.

Dr. Curtis Swift – Area Colorado State University Extension Agent for Horticulture

Curtis has a BA in Plant Science (University of New Hampshire), an MA in Psychology, (University of Northern Colorado), and an MS in Horticulture and a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from Colorado State University. He develops and provides training to owners/operators and workers of sod farms, commercial vegetable production operations, commercial tree/shrub nurseries, garden centers, and other 'Green Industry' professionals throughout the four county Tri River Area and Colorado upon request. He also develops programs and provides training for backyard gardeners, Master Gardeners, civic groups and others.

Marcia Tatroe has gardened in this region for 20 years. She is the author of Perennials for Dummies, writes the monthly "Mountain Garden Checklist" for Sunset Magazine, a weekly gardening column in The Denver Post, and is a frequent contributor to other national garden publications. Marcia has taught garden ecology and other classes at Denver Botanic Gardens and lectures on regional perspectives throughout the West focusing on garden design, perennials, xeriscape, and incorporating native plants into gardens and landscapes. In her new book, Cutting Edge Gardening in the Intermountain West, she advocates using drought-tolerant and native plants and indigenous materials to create a gardening aesthetic unique to this region.

Sheryl Williams is the Instructor/Coordinator of Horticulture and Landscape Technologies Delta-Montrose Technical College. 

After a career in computerized accounting consulting, Sheryl moved to the Western Slope and started a new career in Horticulture education.  She became a Colorado Master Gardener in 1998 and continues as an active member of the Delta diagnostic team.  For the last six years she has taught a full time program of 60 college credits in Horticulture at the Delta Montrose Technical College.  Certificates are awarded in Horticulture Fundamentals, Landscape Design, Nursery & Greenhouse Management and Landscape Technician tracks.  Sheryl gives many local presentations, is a teacher in the Native Plant Master program and has spoken for the Tri-River Master Gardener program and Landscapes West.