Inspiring Speaker
Opening Keynote
Wednesday, July 9th
Rebecca McMackin, ecological horticulturist and garden designer
Rebecca McMackin is an ecologically obsessed horticulturist and garden designer. She is Arboretum Curator for Woodlawn Cemetery, managing one of the best tree collections in New York. She spent a decade as Director of Horticulture of Brooklyn Bridge Park, where she managed 85 acres of diverse parkland organically. Their research into cultivating urban biodiversity and ethical management strategies has influenced thousands of people and entire urban parks systems to adopt similar approaches. McMackin writes, lectures, and teaches on ecological landscape management and pollination ecology, as well as designs the rare public garden. She has been published by and featured in the New York Times, the Landscape Institute, on NPR and PBS, and somehow gave a TED talk. She holds MScs from Columbia University and University of Victoria in landscape design and biology and recently completed the Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Closing Keynote: Seed Hunting, Ethnobotany, & Ecological Restoration for Children & Youth
Friday, July 11th
Sefra Alexandra, founder, The Seed Huntress
Seed hunting, ethnobotany, and ecological restoration offer children and youth a powerful connection to the natural world. This keynote explores how the ancient practice of seed collection can inspire a sense of wonder, stewardship, and cultural appreciation. By blending hands-on exploration with stories of plants’ roles in human history, participants learn how native seeds and traditional knowledge can restore ecosystems and strengthen communities. Together, we can empower the next generation to become guardians of biodiversity and champions of ecological resilience.
Rebecca McMackin is an ecologically obsessed horticulturist and garden designer. She is Arboretum Curator for Woodlawn Cemetery, managing one of the best tree collections in New York. She spent a decade as Director of Horticulture of Brooklyn Bridge Park, where she managed 85 acres of diverse parkland organically. Their research into cultivating urban biodiversity and ethical management strategies has influenced thousands of people and entire urban parks systems to adopt similar approaches. McMackin writes, lectures, and teaches on ecological landscape management and pollination ecology, as well as designs the rare public garden. She has been published by and featured in the New York Times, the Landscape Institute, on NPR and PBS, and somehow gave a TED talk. She holds MScs from Columbia University and University of Victoria in landscape design and biology and recently completed the Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Sefra Alexandra – the Seed Huntress- is the Ecological Health Network Education Coordinator for the Northeast USA Bioregion. She leads The Ecotype Project, teaching smallholder farmers how to produce autochthonous plant material for ecological restoration. These efforts have led to the formation of the farmer-led Northeast Seed Collective, making ecotypic seed commercially available. In 2020 she began BOATanical.org where she guides ‘backyard’ expeditions to plant native plants by boat along riparian corridors, an experience that contributes to a culture of citizen science and ecological stewardship. Sefra is on the board of the Freed Seed Federation and the steering committee of the Northeast Seed Network. She holds a MAT in agroecological education from Cornell University and is trained in the tradition of seed saving by the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance. She is also a WINGS WorldQuest expedition flag carrier, member of the Explorers Club, former Genebank Impacts Fellow for the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and has helped to fortify community seed banks on island nations with Tactivate– the disaster response company she runs with her twin brother.