Dan Bondroff has a B.S. in Art/Visual Communication fromTowsonUniversity. Working with pastels, he enjoys capturing those often overlooked and fleeting moments that occur in the natural world. He also looks forward to guiding his students as they make their own discoveries. 

Bob Brennan is a fifty-plus year resident of Coconut Grove, where he and his wife, Eileen, have raised their three children. As a Certified Arborist, Bob is happy to share his forty years of knowledge about proper tree care and is proud to be the Arborist at Fairchild. He continues to give back to the community in many other areas. 

Frances Brown is a professionally trained Pastry Chef and former owner of The Pineapple Blossom Tea Room inMiami’sUpper East Side. She has worked inSouth Florida for 15 years in top restaurants and hotels, both as a Pastry Chef and as a Chef. Strongly committed to eating local and seasonal, she strives to keep her delights fresh, flavorful, fun and balanced. 

Christopher Bulgarin, a graduate of Johnson andWales, is well-versed in the workings of theFlorida cuisine community. Chef and owner of Delicious Catering, he has worked with many local chefs, taught classes and made guest appearances on television.

Helen Burgos studied inEngland and theU.S. She holds an M.F.A. from FIU where she is an adjunct professor and teaches drawing and painting. She has been teaching her popular drawing and oils classes at Fairchild for ten years.

Richard J. Campbell is the Director of Horticulture atFairchildTropicalBotanic Garden. A native ofSouth Florida with deep experience in tropical fruits draws on his years of travel and experience collecting and researching tropical fruit inAsia and theAmericas to provide the latest information, quality trees and tropical fruit tastes to an enthusiastic public. He has authored over a hundred scientific and popular articles on fruit culture in the last decade, as well as, three books about mangos.

Jason Downing received his BS in Biology from the University of Kansas and is currently a PhD student at FIU and Fairchild. His research interests include tropical ecology and specifically the pollination and reproductive biology of tropical plants. Currently he is researching the comparative reproductive biology of two species Cyrtopodium orchids, one which is inFloridaand is endangered and the other an invasive species.

Shirley Drevich, born and raised inMiami, earned her B.F.A. in Ceramics and Photography fromTulaneUniversity. She was a professional jewelry artist for over 20 years until the iPhone reawakened her passion for photography. She is currently devoting her time to learning apps and producing fine art photography all shot and processed with her iPhone. She was recently chosen as “Artist of the Day" on IPhone Art, a premier website for iPhoneography.

Betty Eber has been cultivating and collecting orchids for many years and recently completed a UF Orchidology course. Past president of the Orchid Society of Coral Gables, she loves sharing her knowledge and orchid growing tips with others.

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK RANGERS in addition to working with Fairchild in conjunction with our Lifelong Learning program, Everglades National Park Rangers carry out various tasks associated with forest fire control, gathering and dissemination of natural, historical, or scientific information, the demonstration of folk art and crafts, enforcement of laws and regulations, investigation of violations, search and rescue efforts and the management of historical, cultural, and natural resources. They are also responsible for the operation of campgrounds and providing information to visitors.

Elaine Farquharson, formerly a Horticultural Technician at the Broward County Extension Service, has been growing tomatoes /for over ten years. An experienced teacher who has mastered the technique of growing tomatoes inSouth Florida, she is eager to share the secret of her success with tomatoes and otherFlorida edible foods with others.

Thaddeus Foote’s passion is helping people learn to love the outdoors. He is a program coordinator for the Fairchild Challenge and has taught outdoor education classes for 20 years, including many months-worth of camping trips. He especially loves working with and inspiring children and, not so long ago, used to be one himself.

Dottie Greene is a signature member of both theFlorida and National Watercolor Societies. Her love for the natural world began at an early age and is a central theme in her art. Appreciating her ability to teach and inspire others, Fairchild is proud to have her as an instructor in our Lifelong Learning program.

Maida Yap Jimenez is an experienced flower artist with a B.A. in Advertising and Graphic Design. She brings all the colors and energy of her native country of Panama to her paintings.

Billo Jolly has been teaching Indian cuisine at Fairchild for over five years and has established a strong following of students. She co-owned Taste of India andPunjabPalacerestaurants. In addition to teaching, she frequently participates in cooking demonstrations at Fairchild’s various festivals.

Diane V. Jones, who has been beading for over ten years, has studied with some of the most famous bead artists in theUnited States. A very popular and incredibly patient instructor, she has taught classes at Bead Need inDavie and for the South Florida Jewelry Arts Guild.

Renée Joslyn is a food blogger, recipe-developer and canner of in-season produce. Always up for a good challenge, she recently left her job of more than a dozen years to start her own line of jams, marmalades, and pickles with aSouth Florida twist. The result was Freakin’ Flamingo (http://freakinflamingo.com). Renée is a contributor to a new book about canning in North America, We Sure Can! by Sarah Hood.

Mary Keppler, the Elementary Programs Coordinator at Fairchild, is involved with the supervision and implementation of programs for students in grades Pre-K to 5. She loves sharing the wonder of nature with children and is an avid gardener.

Pedro Lastra realized his passion for photography in high school and later served asBrownUniversity’s yearbook photo editor. After leaving a successful 12-year international corporate career, he is currently pursuing his deferred vocation as a photographer, digital photo printer and digital darkroom expert. A world traveler, his award-winning photographs have appeared on numerous magazine covers.

Noris Ledesma is the Curator of Tropical Fruit and Outreach Specialist for the Tropical Fruit Program at Fairchild. A native ofColombia, she brings a tropical fruit passion and flare to her programs and publications, and enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience. She is a plant collector and co-author of three books and numerous scientific publications and popular articles.

David Maddern, a musician and visual artist who transfers the elements of music to his paintings, has work in many collections here and abroad. For more than ten years he has gently guided students in the study of watercolor techniques.

Marsha Montaque has been crocheting since she was a young child. Within the last three years she has expanded her knowledge of crocheting techniques to include crochet beaded bracelets. Marsha is a formerDadeCounty substitute teacher and holds a bachelors degree in architectural studies from Florida International University.

Shelly Mascaro, an avid craftsperson specializing in woodworking, has also been using string to crochet and knit fine garments and other items for over 40 years. She is also an accomplished archer and coach, and has won various local and state tournaments. In her leisure time, she can be found in her kitchen cooking gourmet specialties.

Linda Richman is a multitalented artist living inSouth Florida. She enjoys many forms of handwork from painting and doll making to Kumihimo, bead weaving and metalsmithing. She is President of the South Florida Jewelry Arts Guild and has been teaching art, in many different forms, to children and adults for 25 years.

Deedee Skigen is a college professor by day and consummate crafter by night. She enjoys teaching and is happy to share her crafting secrets with her students. She works in fiber and metal. Examples of her work can be seen at the Florida Craftsmen Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Lanette Sobel is the co-founder of the Fertile Earth Foundation; a non-profit dedicated to environmental awareness and environmentally focused research. Her dream is to bring commercial composting to Miami-Dade.

Johnson Teh, executive chef of Lan Pan-Asian Café and Yuga Restaurant, is among the top East Asian cuisine chefs inMiami. He has over 20 years of culinary experience and participates actively not only at Fairchild events but also in our community.

Laura Tellez is passionate about education and the outdoors. She has used her travels around the world to learn about nature and to teach environmental education workshops. She has a holistic and experiential approach to education. She works at Fairchild in the Education Department and has an M.S. in Ecological Leadership and Education from the Audubon Expedition Institute at Lesley University.

Donna Torres has an M.F.A. from FIU and is an accomplished painter and botanical illustrator. She draws on her extensive travels for inspiration. Mrs. Torres has been teaching botanical illustration courses at Fairchild for ten years.

Alison Walker, Fairchild Youth Education Manager, has a B.S. in Plant Sciences and an M.S. in Entomology. While studying at theUniversityofFloridaand while working at the US Department of Agriculture, she conducted extensive research on the biological control of exotic and invasive pests inFlorida. Alison, an avid gardener, teaches workshops for local school and community garden groups.

Jeff Wasielewski has taught horticulture classes for over 15 years at Fairchild and Miami-DadeCollege. He is also a Certified Arborist with a master's degree in education. Jeff has held positions at Fairchild as a Horticulturist and as the Assistant Curator of Tropical Fruit. He currently works in the Marketing Department as an editor, writer and videographer.  

Lynda Wellens graduated from theUniversity ofMiami with a bachelor’s degree in art and a master’s degree in education. She is a member of the Florida Watercolor Society and Grove House Gallery. Lynda is also a signature member of the Miami Watercolor Society and has won several awards in the society's shows, including first place in the recent Spring Show and many other awards. Lynda loves to teach and enjoys assisting students as they prepare for their exciting journey into various forms of watercolor painting.

Lynn Yuhr was raised in Coconut Grove (living on a boat for 13 years). Now a retired geologist, she is embracing art jewelry and exploring the wide variety of mediums that can be used. She began experimenting with polymer clay several years ago and loves to incorporate it with more traditional mediums such as bead weaving, wire work and metals.

Marcelle Zanetti has a B.S. in Painting and Art Education from Southern Connecticut State University and also attended the University of Massachusetts. Represented by galleries nationwide during the past 25 years, her paintings are in permanent museum, corporate, and private collections. See www.marcellezanetti.com for more information.