Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers (ZOOM)

“Engaging and scrupulously reported”  Constance Casey for The New York Times

Award-winning author Amy Stewart takes readers on an around-the-world, behind-the-scenes look at the flower industry and how it has sought—for better or worse—to achieve perfection.  Stewart traveled the world for a year to research the $40 billion dollar cut-flower industry. She tracks down the hybridizers, geneticists, farmers, and florists working to invent, manufacture, and sell flowers that are bigger, brighter, and sturdier than anything nature can provide.  At every turn she discovers the startling intersection of nature and technology, of sentiment and commerce. The author also raises environmental issues related to the trade, as well as the concerns of florists. 

It's that time again. Get your fall planting list ready to shop virtually!

Members can start shopping online before the public on September 25 and save 10% off their total. Link will be emailed to members. The membership office is happy to help purchase your plants over the phone at 817-463-4103.

Plant Sale will be open to the public September 26 - 29. Order will be ready to pick up at in the Grove of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden from October 2 - October 5. Click here for more details.

Not a member? Click here to become a member today.

All compost is not created equal. So if you've learned the basics of composting, come take a deeper dive into this wonderful world with this two-class, online workshop. You will learn which type of composting is considered the gold standard and how to make aerated compost tea. You will also learn how to determine whether your soil needs fungal or bacterial compost, how to make these two types of compost, and the best way to use both. You will leave knowing how to harness the enriching, healing power of compost in your yard and garden.

Instructors: Kim Martin and Laurie Bostic, owners of Barking Cat Farm, focus on growing high quality crops in an organic and sustainable manner. Brix testing is done regularly to monitor the nutritional quality of the produce and compost and compost teas are applied to the soil to ensure that soil biology is constantly improving. Both Laurie & Kim have their Permaculture Design Certificate from Geoff Lawton’s Permaculture Design Course. Both have studied under Dr. Elaine Ingham and are working towards becoming Certified Soil Life Consultants. They offer permaculture design and soil biology consulting services to other growers and gardeners.

Saturday, October 3 & 10, 2020 (10 am – 12:30 pm)

Registration Deadline: October 1       

$85/$75 member

Location: This is an online class; you will receive an email the day prior to the first class with the Zoom class code and password. 

Meeting the first Saturday of most months, our Mindfulness Meditation classes invite you to slow down, release the stresses of everyday life, and tune in to the serenity of the natural world. Learn mindfulness practices and techniques from meditation instructor Lisa November, M.A. Ed. Lisa leads her students in unique, hour-long mindfulness meditations, always attuned to the surrounding natural world. When onsite, classes often take place outdoors, weather permitting. During times of social distancing classes take place virtually. 

Instructor: Lisa November is a meditation teacher based in Fort Worth. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history and communication from the University of Northern Iowa in 1982 and her Master of Arts in Special Education-Moderate Needs from the University of Northern Colorado in 1992. She is a life-long teacher and learner and has been practicing mindfulness based meditation since 1996. Most recently, she has received the 14 Mindfulness Trainings in the Order of Interbeing, Tiep Hien, Ordained Students of Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh in August of 2019. She is also a student of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a proven heath and wellness program from the Oasis Center at the University of Massachusetts.

Saturday, October 3, 2020 (2 pm – 3 pm)

Registration Deadline: October 1        

$10/$8 member

Location: This class will take place online; you will receive an email the day prior to class with the Zoom class code and password. 

Self-Guided Explorations provide the freedom to explore the Fort Worth Botanic Garden at your own pace. GROW Educators will not be present during this experience. 

Available: Year-Round,  Monday - Friday 9 am - 3 pm 

$6 /participant (students & registered adults)

Minimum of 20 participants to qualify. 

Any unregistered adult joining on the day of a Self-Guided Exploration will pay the regular garden admission of $12.

Self-Guided Exploration pricing is available for schools, homeschool groups, and after-school programs for children Pre-K-12th grade only. If you want to register a college class or an adult group to visit the garden, please contact Stephanie Sellers for group rates: stephanie.sellers@fortworthtexas.gov

Fill out our quick inquiry form to request a date for your exploration!

Please contact Michelle Schmidlkofer at mschmidlkofer@brit.org with any questions or concerns about Self-Guided Explorations. 

Going back to school looks different this year and so do GROW Field Study Trips!

Registration is currently open for Virtual Field Study Trips for Kindergarten - 5th Grade, with content available September 8th. 

Registration for middle/high school Virtual Field Study Trips will open in September. 

All Virtual Field Trips are priced for a single class with a maximum of 35 students. Payment must be completed before any materials can be shared.

Tree Level - $80 - Includes 1 Self-guided Activity with:

• Teacher's single-page activity sheet

• Pre-activity video

• Post-activity video

Grove Level - $120 - Includes 3 Self-guided Activities with:

• Teacher's single-page activity sheet

• Pre-activity video

• Post-activity video

• Supplemental Documents

• One 30-45 minute live video session with GROW Girl

Forest Level - $140 - Includes 6 Self-guided Activities with:

• Teacher's single-page activity sheet

• Pre-activity video

• Post-activity video

• Supplemental Documents

• Your choice of one or two 30-45 minute live video sessions with GROW Girl!

Click here to download the PDF guide to K-2 Virtual Field Study Trips.
Click here to download the PDF guide to 3-5 Virtual Field Study Trips.

Or click here to submit a request form now!

Early learners will learn to pay attention to nature by examining grasses within our E-STEM program and making science literacy connections. Secondary learners take an adventure outside in our restored prairie and become environmentalists as they tour the herbarium and mount specimens.

Date/Time: October 6th , 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: BRIT

Ages: Pre-K – 10th Grade

Price: $10/student

Registration Deadline: October 1

Register Here

Why Are There So Many Dang Daisies?

A Brown Bag Lecture by Dr. Bort (Robert) Edwards

The Asteraceae (or Compositae) family of plants is incredibly diverse, with members including sunflowers, daisies, thistles, marigolds, lettuce, artichokes, and many many more. So diverse are they that they make up over 10% of the flowering plant species in North America, yet no one is quite sure why they are so numerous and successful. In this talk Dr. Bort (Robert) Edwards will take you on a tour of this fascinating group of plants and explain some of his research into how the extremeness of the North American environment is responsible for their distribution and diversity.

This lecture will take place online. Please check back soon for registration information. 

FREE Virtual Story Time on Zoom!

Tune in each month to Bella's Virtual Book and Nature Club to discuss nature, read a story, sing and move, plus a family nature challenge! GROW member families will receive a follow-up email with additional activities and ideas. 

FREE! – Please register to receive your Zoom link and password. 
Date: Wednesday, October 7th 
Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 6th
Location: Online program through Zoom Meetings. Please register to receive your Zoom link and password.

In October, we are reading Full of Fall by April Pulley Sayre. We can’t wait to see you!

A groovy partnership between the Fort Worth Garden Club, Fort Worth Botanic Garden, and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas provides an opportunity for girls to complete badge work and enjoy nature-based activities together. Join us for some educational fun this year! 

• Time: 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
• Audience: 2nd - 10th grade
• Price per session: $10 /participant per session

Sessions:

• October 10th: Groovy Plants
• December 5th: Zen Power
• January 23rd: Heading to the Beach
• February 27th: Neato, Flower!
• March 27th: Havin' a Blast with Butterflies
• April 10th: Far Out, Wellness

Click here to register! 

Bonsai is a Japanese art form which utilizes cultivation techniques to produce, in containers, small trees that mimic the shape and scale of full size trees. Join the Fort Worth Bonsai Society for an introduction to this beautiful tree cultivation method. You will learn about the history of bonsai, tree species, and a variety of styles.

Stay tuned for Your Bonsai Tree, an an intermediate class held in March in the Japanese Garden. There you will learn about soil, how to pot your tree and secure it with wire, and take home your very own tree. 

Instructor: The Fort Worth Bonsai Society promotes knowledge of and interest in bonsai and serves as a focal point for those interested in bonsai in and around the Fort Worth area. The Society provides a variety of educational and support services to the bonsai community. The Officers and Directors of FWBS are unpaid volunteers who are dedicated to spreading the word about this wonderful, satisfying, and challenging hobby. 

Saturday, October 10, 2020 (2 – 3 pm)

Registration Deadline: October 8        

$15/$12 member

Location: This class will take place online; you will receive an email the day prior to class with the Zoom class code and password. 

Adding herbs to your favorite holiday dishes enhance their flavor, aroma, and memorability. Learn tips to help you when it comes to including herbs in your own holiday cooking. Get excited about using ginger, sage, rosemary, thyme, and more in this virtual class. 

Instructor: Dr. Dotty Woodson has B. S. and M.S. degrees in Horticulture from Tarleton State University and a doctoral degree from Texas A&M and Texas Tech Universities. Before retirement, Woodson taught landscape water conservation by design, plant selection, and irrigation efficiency for 32 years at Tarrant County College, TCU, UTA, and for Texas A&M Extension as a County Extension Agent in Tarrant County and Water Resource Extension State Specialist. For 21 years, Dotty wrote a weekly horticulture column for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Dotty appeared weekly on NBC News and other television programs for 25 years.

Thursday, October 15 (10 – 11 am)

Registration Deadline: October 13

$15/$12 member 

Location: This is an online class; you will receive an email the day prior to class with the Zoom class code and password. 

Experience a local, sustainable grass-fed cattle ranch on this visit to Burgundy Pasture Beef in Grandview. Learn how rancher and co-owner, Jon Taggart, mimics Mother Nature to raise healthy native grasses and cattle. We will explore topics such as soil and native grasses, with an emphasis on building and maintaining a sustainable eco-system. 

Instructors: Jon Taggart is a cattle rancher and co-owner of Burgundy Pasture Beef. At the basis of Taggart’s system is a straightforward yet overwhelmingly complicated thing: grass.

Saturday, October 17, 2020 (9 – 11 am)

Registration Deadline: October 15   

$30/$25 member

Location: This outdoor class meets at Burgundy Pasture Beef in Grandview, TX. You will receive a detailed email upon registration with directions and other specifics. 

“Chevalier admirably weaves historical figures and actual events into a compelling narrative.”
—San Francisco Chronicle 

Remarkable Creatures is a beautifully written book about two remarkable women, Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. A fictional account based on real-life characters and events, Remarkable Creatures is set in the early 1800's in the coastal town of Lyme Regis, England.  Mary Anning, born in a poor family, was from an early age fascinated by the fossils that could then be picked up on the beaches.  Her discoveries of fossils leads to conflict with the religious authorities in town and friendship with Elizabeth Philpot, a woman of higher social class who is also fascinated by the fossils. Their relationship strikes a delicate balance between fierce loyalty, mutual appreciation, and barely suppressed envy. Ultimately, in the struggle to be recognized in the wider world, Mary and Elizabeth discover that friendship is their greatest ally.

FREE Virtual Story Time on Zoom!

Tune in each month to Little Sprouts Virtual Book & Garden Club to discuss nature, read a story, sing and move, plus a family nature challenge! GROW member families will receive a follow-up email with additional activities and ideas.

FREE! – Please register to receive your Zoom link and password. 
Date: Tuesday, October 20th
Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM 
Registration Deadline: Monday, October 19th 
Location: Online program through Zoom Meetings. Please register to receive your Zoom link and password.

In October, we are reading Tidy by Emily Gravett. We can’t wait to see you!

Join Proper, the multi-awarded craft cocktail habitat in Fort Worth, to discuss how the herbs in your backyard can bring you joy in some "herb-tastic" cocktails. You’ll learn many ways to use herbs and how they are used in making a multitude of spirits - some well-known and some obscure. Sample cocktails will be imbibed, and a take home kit provided. This class takes place outdoors. 

Instructor: Lisa Little-Adams is co-owner of Proper. Her cocktails are classic and made to perfection. 

Wednesday, October 21, 2020 (6 – 7 pm)

Registration Deadline: October 19         

$45/$40 member

Location: BRIT*

*This class will take place outdoors with space for 6' between participants. Class size will be capped at 18. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available; participants are encouraged to wear a mask for the duration of the class, unless sampling cocktails. 

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas is proud to announce the recipients of our 2020 International Award of Excellence in Conservation: Cristina Mittermeier, international photographer, conservationist, and founder of the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers; and Russell Mittermeier, Global Wildlife Conservation’s Chief Conservation Officer and a world leader in the field of biodiversity and tropical forest conservation.

Both Mittermeiers have devoted their lives to protecting Earth’s natural habitat and informing and influencing people as to the delicate balance between nature and traditional cultures and both have made significant impacts on preserving the variety of plant and animal life on Earth and protecting its ecosystems.

Join us at our annual gala on October 22, 2020 at the Palmwood Event & Conference, Frost Tower Fort Worth for an inspiring evening of conversation with two of the world's greatest conservation adventurers as we recognize their impactful achievements.

Banner photo by Cristina Mittermeier.

The term bokeh comes from the Japanese and refers to the aesthetic quality of the blur created in out-of-focus parts of photograph. Join professional photographer and educator, Edgar Miller of Edgar Miller Images, as you learn to include this technique into your photographic repertoire, all amidst the carefully composed beauty of the Japanese Garden. Emphasis will be placed on recognizing the elements that make a strong photograph, such as selective framing, focus, and exposure. You will take away connections with fellow-photographers and your own “zen of bokeh” to be used in all your images. Bring your cameras, lenses, and tripods to create lasting memories. This workshop is outdoors; comfortable clothes are recommended.

Instructor: Edgar Miller is a commercial and fine art photographer and educator, having earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He has taught photography and art for the last 20 years and is always looking for new ways to help his clients learn. His work has been shown and awarded in several Texas and national exhibitions, and he is a member of the Texas Photographic Society and the Texas Artists Coalition. Influenced by his late father and his college photography professor, Edgar continues to find interesting light on interesting subjects.  

Saturday, October 31, 2020 (10 am – 12 pm)

Registration Deadline: October 29    

$35/$30 member

Location: FWBG, Japanese Garden*

*This class will take place outdoors with space for 6' between participants. Class size will be capped at 15. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available if desired. 

Supplies: Bring your cameras, lenses, and tripods. 

Elementary students will experience the season and learn about Autumn’s unique characteristics by planting, harvesting, and exploring in the Backyard Veggie Garden. Students in grades 6-10 will be fascinated by exploration stations in the Japanese Garden.  The hands-on experience fosters individual learning for older students exploring Asian culture.

Date/Time: November 3, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: FWBG - Backyard Veggie Garden, Japanese Garden

Ages: Pre-K – 10th Grade

Price: $10/student

Registration Deadline: October 29

Register Here

The commonness of rarity —evolution and endemism in South American clubmosses

A Brown Bag Lecture by Dr. Weston Testo

A conspicuous feature of Earth’s biological diversity is that some species are widespread and common, whereas others are extremely rare and narrowly distributed. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain this pattern, but data are sparse and taxonomically biased. In this talk, Dr. Testo will explore the commonness of rarity in clubmosses (Lycopodiaceae), focusing on the group’s successful diversification in the mountains of South America and corresponding patterns of endemism in these habitats. 

Twitter: @westo_fernnerd

Website: www.westontesto.com

This lecture will take place online. Register in advance for this meeting:
[link forthcoming]

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

FREE Virtual Story Time on Zoom!

Tune in each month to Bella's Virtual Book and Nature Club to discuss nature, read a story, sing and move, plus a family nature challenge! GROW member families will receive a follow-up email with additional activities and ideas. 

FREE! – Please register to receive your Zoom link and password. 
Date: Wednesday, November 4th
Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, November 3rd
Location: Online program through Zoom Meetings. Please register to receive your Zoom link and password.

This virtual and interactive class focuses on warming fall beverages using spices and herbs that boost everyday wellness. You will learn how to incorporate autumnal flavors into two different warming drinks. Culinary Dietitian Dixya Bhattarai will share how to choose spices and herbs for the cooler season, how to store them properly, and how to pair these special warming beverages with food. 

Instructor: Dixya Bhattarai, MS, RD, LD, is a Fort Worth-based Registered Dietitian & Food and Nutrition Expert. She graduated with a major in dietetics and a minor in Biology from Idaho State University in 2010 before she received a Master of Science in Nutrition in 2016 from Texas Woman’s University. Dixya didn't grow up cooking, but being far from home she craved Nepalese dumplings and her mom's cauliflower curry, which forced her to learn and recreate them in her American kitchen. When she's not working at the hospital, she's probably at a dumpling pop-up, teaching cooking classes, or developing recipes for her website Food, Pleasure, and Health. 

Saturday, November 7 (10 – 11:30 am)

Registration Deadline: November 5

$30/$25 member 

Location: This is an online class; you will receive an email the day prior to class with the Zoom class code and password. 

Materials: Participants will receive a workshop packet, including recipes and a grocery shopping list for the class, upon registration. Groceries will average $8 - $10 and many ingredients will last for multiple batches. 

Meeting the first Saturday of most months, our Mindfulness Meditation classes invite you to slow down, release the stresses of everyday life, and tune in to the serenity of the natural world. Learn mindfulness practices and techniques from meditation instructor Lisa November, M.A. Ed. Lisa leads her students in unique, hour-long mindfulness meditations, always attuned to the surrounding natural world. When onsite, classes often take place outdoors, weather permitting. During times of social distancing classes take place virtually. 

Instructor: Lisa November is a meditation teacher based in Fort Worth. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history and communication from the University of Northern Iowa in 1982 and her Master of Arts in Special Education-Moderate Needs from the University of Northern Colorado in 1992. She is a life-long teacher and learner and has been practicing mindfulness based meditation since 1996. Most recently, she has received the 14 Mindfulness Trainings in the Order of Interbeing, Tiep Hien, Ordained Students of Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh in August of 2019. She is also a student of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a proven heath and wellness program from the Oasis Center at the University of Massachusetts.

Saturday, November 7, 2020 (2 pm – 3 pm)

Registration Deadline: November 5        

$10/$8 member

Location: This class will take place online; you will receive an email the day prior to class with the Zoom class code and password. 

The Loom Botanical is a special showing of new handwoven pieces by members of the Fort Worth Weavers Guild. Guild members' handwoven pieces that are not only inspired by nature, but also include many botanic elements incorporated directly into the woven textiles. The works included in the exhibition utilize plant weaving materials and the use of plant-derived dyes.

The Fort Worth Weavers Guild was organized in 1955 and promotes the interest of weaving and encourages the highest standards of craftsmanship. All facets of weaving are explored, including different weave structures on the loom, dye processes, using varied equipment, and studying contemporary and historic weavers. Woven pieces created by members are widely varied and express many functions – from practical textiles to wall art.

A Best in Show award and two additional awards will be announced upon the opening of the exhibition. Given the realities of the pandemic, it is undetermined if an opening reception will be held.

Join artist Tuba Öztekin Köymen for an morning, outdoor photography workshop during the peak of fall color. Learn the best camera settings and dozens of tips for taking great outdoor photos with your smartphone amidst the colorful beauty of the Fuller Garden. After class visit more of the Botanic Garden's hot spots for great fall color, including the Japanese Garden. 

Instructor: Tuba Öztekin Köymen is an artist, educator, and designer who lives and works in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. She was born in Turkey and graduated in 1995 from the Department of Graphic Design at Bilkent University. In 1999, she was awarded an MFA in Photography and Digital imaging by the Maryland Institute College of Art. Köymen’s art calls attention to human nature by offering candid scenes of everyday life through the media of photography, mixed media, and photo based installations. Working across the gamut of photographic processes — from alternative to digital — Köymen centers on issues arising from place, culture, and social interaction. 

Saturday, November 14, 2020 (10 am – 12 pm)

Registration Deadline: November 12  

$35/$30 member

Location: FWBG Fuller Garden*

*This class will take place outdoors with space for 6' between participants. Class size will be capped at 15. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available if desired. 

Materials: smartphone (iPhone or Android)

In this class you will learn different techniques for drawing foliage, texture, and value, all while sketching the splendor of the Japanese Garden. Artist Erika Duque Scully will demonstrate how to achieve these techniques and will share examples of other artists’ works for further inspiration. You will be encouraged to draw loosely, sketching balanced and interesting compositions of trees and other plants with confidence. Supplies are not provided (see below for a supply list).

Instructor: Erika Duque Scully is a landscape and nature-based painter who lives and works in Fort Worth, TX. Scully received her BFA at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her MFA in painting at Texas Christian University. She has been featured in over thirty solo and group shows throughout the Metroplex. In 2017, Scully was nominated by Ro2 Gallery for Rising Star Fundraiser at the Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts. She is currently represented by Fort Works Art Gallery in Fort Worth.

Saturday, November 14, 2020 (11 am – 1 pm)

Registration Deadline: November 12        

$35/$30 member

Location: FWBG, Japanese Garden*

*This class will take place outdoors with space for 6' between participants. Class size will be capped at 18. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available if desired. 

Supplies: Click here for the supply list. 

Forcing bulbs indoors is easy to do and yields a beautiful product to brighten your holidays. Join the Tarrant County Master Gardeners for this virtual class and learn how growing bulbs indoors lets you enjoy the colors and fragrance of spring when it is still months away!

Instructor: Tarrant County Master Gardeners are an integral part of BRIT / FWBG educational classes for adults. Their generous sharing of their gardening and horticultural expertise enriches the lives of class participants.  

Saturday, November 14, 2020 (1 – 2:30 pm)

Registration Deadline: November 12        

$15/$12 member

Location: This is an online class; you will receive an email the day prior to class with the Zoom class code and password.

"Bud Moore's The Lochsa Story is epic. It's an autobiography, a history, and a manifesto; a massive work of nonfiction incorporating folklore and ecology." --Zach Dundas, Missoula Independent

This story chronicles the history of the Bitterroot Mountains, the preservation of forest landscapes, early Native Americans, the Lewis and Clark Trail, and Bud Moore's life as the last of the mountain men to live there and join the U.S. Forest Service. He became Head Ranger of Powell Ranger District, Chief of the Forest Service Region in Missoula, Montana, the leading authority on fire management and smoke-jumpers of the northwestern forests and the system of fire lookouts and fire suppression.   Moore is profoundly dedicated to the forest and all of the natural elements, including people, that make it whole. He believes anyone who works with the land must have a feel for it. "When in doubt, go slow," he advises. "Be humble. Learn from your mistakes."

FREE Virtual Story Time on Zoom!

Tune in each month to Little Sprouts Virtual Book & Garden Club to discuss nature, read a story, sing and move, plus a family nature challenge! GROW member families will receive a follow-up email with additional activities and ideas.

FREE! – Please register to receive your Zoom link and password. 
Date: Tuesday, November 17th
Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM 
Registration Deadline: Monday, November 16th
Location: Online program through Zoom Meetings. Please register to receive your Zoom link and password.

In November, we are reading Winter Lullaby by Barbara Seuling. We can’t wait to see you!

Textiles from Trees: Ugandan Bark Cloth

A Brown Bag Lecture by Lesli Robertson

For centuries and into today, bark from a specific tree is stripped, beaten, and used by the people of Uganda. The tree, with its bark removed, does not die, but grows its outer covering back to be used again and again, year after year.

Lubugo, or Ugandan barkcloth, has a diverse history from clothing kings to finding its way onto fashion runways in Europe. Lesli Robertson has been traveling to Uganda since 2005, where she first saw this rust colored cloth folded up in a roadside stall. Since, she has worked with artists, researchers, and community leaders in Uganda to assist in promoting and preserving this cloth.

In this lecture, Lesli will give a behind the scenes glimpse into her work and what she has learned from array of stakeholders who love this material, from fashion designers to 9th generation bark cloth makers. Look for her upcoming Maker to Maker: Ugandan Barkcloth hands-on virtual workshop at BRIT in January. Also, visit her studio, www.mekekadesigns.com, to learn more about her current work.

BIO:

Lesli Robertson is an interdisciplinary textile consultant and project developer who partners with local and international organizations to develop impactful engagement through interactive programs. She has recently worked on projects supported by USAID, the Smithsonian Institution, and Fulbright Specialist program, taking her to countries as diverse as Kuwait, Armenia, Uganda, and Ghana. She launched Mekeka Designs in 2018, creating bespoke textile collections with artisans in Uganda. As a former faculty at the University of North Texas, she spent more than a decade teaching textile and visual arts approaches while developing national and international community programs and opportunities.