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Jamie Boyer is an educator and botanist at The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx). He began his science training at John Carroll University (Cleveland, OH) working on fossilized diatom cysts under Jeff Johansen, Ph.D. Later, Jamie accepted an internship at the Cleveland Natural History Museum, working on fossilized clubmosses under Shya Chitaley, Ph.D. He then pursued graduate school at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, where he studied plant science and paleobotany examining the Earth's earliest known trees, Eospermatopteris, and receiving a Masters in Science under Larry Matten, Ph.D. Years later, Jamie studied and completed a Doctorate in Biology at S.U.N.Y. - Binghamton, where he studied the evolution and development of early land plants using morphometrics and modeling approaches under Bill Stein, Ph.D.
With a passion for science education, he joined the Garden in 2001 with the desire to impact science literacy in the Bronx through the teaching of science through experiential learning. He was hired as the Teacher Enhancement Specialist and taught teachers about the fascinating world of plants, nature, and science. More importantly, this position helped teachers learn how to incorporate plant-based science activities both inside and outside their classrooms. Jamie was promoted to Manager of Professional Development for Teachers in 2002, and then in 2006 to Associate Director of Teacher Profesional Development overseeing all aspects of the Garden's Teacher Education Program; the largest garden-based teacher education program in the world. In 2009, Jamie was promoted to Director of Children's Education overseeing all aspects of the Garden's Children's Education Department, including programs for students, kids, families, teens, and teachers.
In 2013, he was promoted to the position of Stavros Niarchos Foundation Vice President of Children's Education, which oversees all student, teen, teacher, family, service-learning, and veteran programs at the Garden, including NYBG's children's facilities: the Everett Children's Adventure Garden, the Edible Academy, and the GreenSchool. These programs educate over 300,000 people annually and represent the largest botanical education programs anywhere in the world. In addition, he has written and received numerous grants on science and garden-based education and implemented various partnerships with school- and community-based organizations, investigating the impact of informal, outdoor education on students, teachers, teens, as well as veterans and kids, teens & young adults with special needs.
In 2023, Jamie was promoted to Stavros Niarchos Foundation Vice President of Children's Education and Senior Director of Education. He was also given responsibility for oversight of the Garden's School of Professional Horticulture. This accredited program has over 90 years of experience training the next generation of horticulture experts and can boast a 100% job placement rate for 14 years straight.
In 2024, Jamie was made Vice President for Education at the New York Botanical Garden, overseeing all aspects of education, including Continuing Education, Shared Services, Digital Learning, and, of course, Children's Education and the School of Professional Horticulture. The New York Botanical Garden has the largest plant-based Children's and Continuing Education Programs in the world.
Lastly, Jamie has appeared on the WNYC's Please Explain segment, as well as Morning Shows on TV explaining the fascinating world of plants. He is particularly proud of the keynote addresses that he has given to educators, as well as presentations at science and education conferences across the nation, strongly advocating for authentic science education at all levels of education.
In addition to these responsibilities, Jamie is the Botany Program Coordinator for the Garden's Adult Education program, and the Co-director of the Forest Phenology Citizen Science Program along the Bronx River and in the 50-acre Native Forest, studying the participation of volunteers and school groups in collecting data on the seasonal changes in plants, as well as the water quality of the Bronx River and streams on the Garden grounds.
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