Debby Purser is a Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal member. She began volunteering at Heronswood in 2016, soon progressing to a permanent role as gardener and volunteer coordinator. In 2022, she originated the S’Klallam Connections Garden, designing and planting together with Heronswood’s other tribal staff, and now manages that garden. Her primary interest is in connecting tribal members with the garden, so we can promote and expand tribal knowledge of plants and how to use them sustainably throughout her community.

Caron Golden is a San Diego-based freelance writer. A regular contributor to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section, her reporting includes landscaping and gardening, including annual coverage of winning gardens of the WaterSmart Landscape Contests held by each local county water authority. Her work has earned her numerous writing awards from the San Diego Press Club.

Caron, a home gardener who raises giant swallowtail butterflies, is former president of the San Diego Press Club. She was the first instructor at Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center, teaching cooking and nutrition to local low-income children to complement organic gardening experiences.

Gail Langellotto is a Professor of Horticulture at Oregon State University, where she also leads the Garden Ecology Lab. She has a B.S. In Biology and M.S. And Ph.D. In Entomology, all from the University of Maryland

Jeff Ard, BLA, has been working full-time in the Pacific Northwest since 1988 as a landscape designer, landscape contractor, IPM consultant, and master pruner since earning his Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Oregon. He has been an associate of Owen Dell and Associates, LLC, Landscape Architecture since 2012. Jeff contributed valuable insights for Owen Dell’s 2025 Deer Friendly Gardens article.

Owen Dell, RLA, ASLA, is a grizzled veteran of the sustainable landscape era. Since 1971, he has designed and built countless landscapes on all scales for residential, commercial, and public clients both in California and in Oregon, where he has resided since 2012. He is the principal at Owen Dell and Associates, LLC in Corvallis, Oregon. Owen is the author of two popular books: Sustainable Landscaping for Dummies and How to Start a Home-Based Landscaping Business. He has also written for Pacific Horticulture, Sunset Magazine, Southern California Gardening and numerous other publications. Owen has taught homeowners and landscaping professionals at conferences throughout North America. He was also the co-creator and on-camera personality for the television series “Garden Wise Guys,” produced in Santa Barbara for five years.

Will Lerner is the Communications Manager at the Portland Japanese Garden & Japan Institute

Stephen Reid is a passionate Horticulturalist, Landscape Designer, and Educator dedicated to community service and environmental stewardship. As a member of the Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee for Neighborhood Housing Services LA and the Board of Directors for the inaugural UCANR Non-profit Foundation, Stephen advocates for sustainable, culturally relevant gardening practices that empower underserved communities.

Through educational workshops, mentorship, and writing, he shares his expertise in gardening and herbalism, inspiring youth and system-impacted young men to embrace the healing power of green spaces and the transformative act of growing their own food. In his role as Head Gardener of the Rose Garden at The Huntington Library and Botanic Gardens, Stephen oversees the care and cultivation of the roses, applying his expertise to maintain one of the most prestigious rose collections in the country.

Outside of his gardening work, he enjoys pursuing his creative passions, including DJing and exploring technology. When he’s not cultivating landscapes or fostering growth in others, he enjoys spending time with his daughter, Phoenix.

Doug Kent is an author, activist, and educator in ecological land management. He has been exploring the dynamics and ecology of human sustainability since 1988. Doug is the author of eight environmental land management books and many gardening articles. He has two master’s degrees. And along with managing a small business, he teaches at the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA Extension, and USC’s School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture + Urbanism.