Founder and Executive Director

Our founder, Jennifer Beaugrand, has worked in community-led horticulture in the Bronx since 2005.

Environmental Program Manager

John has spent his whole career working in parks. Raised in New Jersey, John started working as a Program Manager at New York Cares.

PLACE Program Manager

Henry is a social worker with a background in environmental stewardship. Originally from Montana, he got his start facilitating outdoor leadership programs in remote wilderness areas across the West.

Program Operations Manager

Melissa is on a life long mission to create compliance from chaos and process from pandemonium. As a Bronx native, she has often been referred to as "the container store personified" for her color coding and organizational skills.

Program Development & Outreach Coordinator

Gabby began working at The Bronx is Blooming in the summer of 2019 as the Project Mentor of Rev. Foster Park.

Environmental Program Coordinator

Valeria received a B.A. in Urban Sustainability with a Sociology concentration from Brooklyn College. Starting out as a PLACE Mentor in the Summer of 2023, she continued to cultivate her passion for environmental justice and what it means to have a stake in the green spaces we inhabit.

Tree Care Coordinator

Gaia (she/her) is a Venezuelan-American and recent graduate from NYU, with a degree in Ecology and Environmental Studies, and a passion for urban environmental issues.

Horticulturist

Jess's work in environmental conservation began more than a decade ago as a Seasonal Urban Park Ranger stationed at Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. As the Horticulturist at the Bronx is Blooming, she is responsible for maintaining plants and pollinator habitat in parks and green spaces across the Bronx ranging from small flower beds to large forest restoration sites. Jess also provides environmental education and training to students, staff, and volunteers. In her free time she works with animal shelters and rescue organizations to TNR (Trap, Neuter, & Return or Rescue) stray and abandoned cats. 

Civic Corps Member: Volunteer Outreach & Engagement Coordinator

Ava is a proud AmeriCorps member, serving with The Bronx is Blooming since September 2024. Originally from Minnesota, she moved to New York to study Environment & Sustainability at Barnard College, followed by completing a Master of Public Health at Columbia University. As an environmental health professional, Ava is passionate about promoting the care of our local green spaces to reduce the impacts of extreme heat and improve air quality.

In her free time, you’ll find Ava running, reading, seeing live jazz, petting cute cats, photosynthesizing, etc.