Speaker Bios

In Order of Appearance

Laura Vogel, Adult Education Programs Manager at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Laura has a B.S. in Public Horticulture from Purdue University and an M.S. in Public Horticulture Management from the University of Delaware and Longwood Gardens. She has worked in the field of horticulture across seven states, from retail garden centers and plant growth research to non-profit management and education.

Julie Weisenhorn, University of Minnesota Extension Horticulture Educator- Yard and Garden

Julie holds communications and horticulture degrees from the University of Minnesota where she taught landscape design and later served as Extension Master Gardener state director. In her current role as an Extension horticulture educator, Julie has statewide responsibility for horticulture education with special focus on plant selection and sustainable landscape design. She writes for the Extension Yard & Garden website and Yard & Garden News and regularly appears on the popular WCCO Smart Gardens radio show. In her own words, “This is the best job I’ve ever had.”

Mary Schier, Editor of The Northern Gardener

Mary Lahr Schier is a Minnesota gardener, writer and editor and author of The Northern Gardener, From Apples to Zinnias, 150 Years of Garden Wisdom (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2017), winner of a Silver Award of Merit from GWA: The Association of Garden Communicators. She is also editor of Northern Gardener magazine, the publication of the Minnesota State Horticulture Society and Minnesota's only homegrown garden magazine. Mary gardens in St. Paul, where she is trying to cram as many plants as possible into an urban lot.

Courtney Tchida, Community Outreach Manager, Minnesota State Horticultural Society

Courtney has over 20 years of experience working in horticulture and food-systems education. Courtney spent 16 years as Student Program Coordinator for the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Manager for Cornercopia Student Organic Farm at the University of Minnesota. She has experience growing a wide variety of edible crops, planning, and implementing gardens for schools, farms and food shelf gardens.

David Remucal, Curator of Endangered Plants at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

David's research interests include rare plant and native orchid propagation, seed storage, and restoration / translocation. An ecologist/evolutionary biologist by training, having done graduate work at the University of Colorado, David has become consumed by the interesting biology of orchids with the young Native Orchid Conservation Program. He once had lots of outside interests but with two young children, now he's just trying to keep up. You can find out more about the rare plant and orchid work at ArbConservation.cfans.umn.edu

Andrew Gawboy, Curator of the Lyndale Park Rose Garden

Andrew earned his Degree in Environmental Design through the University of Minnesota and went on to work for several landscape installation companies. By 2010, Andrew established his own gardening business working with home owners designing and maintaining their gardens. In 2015, Andrew was hired onto the Minneapolis Park Board to work as a Professional Gardener at Lyndale Park. He holds memberships with the Twin Cities Rose Club, Minnesota Rose Society, and the American Rose Society where he has met many rose growers who were happy to share their rose growing knowledge and insights.

Jason Husveth, Principal Ecologist, Critical Connections Ecological Services, Inc.

Jason incorporated CCES in 1999 determined to set higher standards for environmental consulting in the upper Midwest. Jason is the company’s founding principal and lead field ecologist with more than 18 years of experience. Jason has intentionally maintained the size of his company since its inception as he is highly committed to his continued involvement with each and every project coming through the company’s doors. Read more at https://www.ccesinc.com/about/

Alex Eilts, Ecologist/Filmmaker/Science Communicator

Dr. Alex Eilts has studied invasive species from the deserts of the American Southwest to the fields and forests of the Midwest. In addition to being an ecologist he is also an avid gardener, inside and out. Alex has helped develop the botanical collection for the University of Minnesota, taking it from a small collection mainly focused on a few courses, to the most diverse botanical collection in the Upper Midwest in a few short years. Alex truly loves plants, and has an appreciation for all sorts of gardens.

Mary Meyer, Extension Horticulturalist and Professor, University of Minnesota

Dr. Mary Hockenberry Meyer is a professor and extension horticulturist at the University of Minnesota. She manages the Grass Collection at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and also teaches the Arboretum student intern class in the summer. Mary loves studying grasses, especially native grasses, playing golf, and traveling to see gardens throughout the world. She is the author of Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates and co-author of the 10 Plants That Changed Minnesota and the free ebook, Gardening with Native Grasses in Cold Climates.

Pete Moe, Director of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Peter Moe is Director of the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Peter has been directly involved in the world class, fruit and landscape plant breeding programs at the Arboretum as well as the planning, fund raising, construction and operation of new gardens, ecological restorations, model landscapes, buildings and facilities at the Arboretum since 1973. Peter has been Landscape Maintenance Supervisor and Director of Operations and Research prior to becoming the Director. Peter started a formal program in Plant Conservation in 2013. Peter has a B.S. in Horticulture and a Masters of Agriculture from the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences. Peter and his wife, Susan, live in Chanhassen, MN and have 3 grown children . Peter and Susan enjoy growing vegetables, fruits, azaleas and diverse trees.

Elaine Evans, University of Minnesota Extension Educator and Bee Researcher

Elaine works on pollinator conservation through research, education, outreach, and community science. She completed her M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of Minnesota. She has authored several books: “Befriending Bumble Bees: A Guide to Raising Local Bumble Bees” and “Managing Alternative Pollinators”.

Erin Buchholz, Integrated Pest Management Specialist, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

After earning her degree in horticulture from the University of Minnesota, Erin began her career at the Horticultural Research Center in 2000, working with trees and shrubs. Spending the next 15 years designing and maintaining gardens and natural areas at St. Catherine University and in Minneapolis Parks, she took a 5-year break to earn her Master’s in education and become an elementary school teacher. Always wanting to return to public gardens, Erin was thrilled to return to the Arboretum in 2018 where she has combined her degrees and loves of horticulture and education.

Alan Branhagen, Director of Operations, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Alan Branhagen is Director of Operations at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and previously held the position of Director of Horticulture at Powell Gardens, Kansas City's botanical garden. He is the author of The Gardener's Butterfly Book and has written articles for publications including Fine Gardening, Missouri Gardener, Missouri Prairie Journal, Landscape Maintenance, and Restoration and Management Notes. Alan is a naturalist and plantsman specializing in botany, butterflies, and birds, utilizing his background in garden design and management. He is currently creating and restoring a three-acre prairie and woodland garden around his home.