March is Women’s History Month. As women continue to make remarkable impacts around the world, we spoke to some of the remarkable women right here in the Garden’s horticulture division about their careers, ambitions, and advice.
Get to know the women of them by reading on!
MOBOT’s Horticulture Division
The Missouri Botanical Garden was created by Henry Shaw, a prominent St. Louis businessman who opened his garden to the public in 1859. Mr. Shaw intended his garden to be a center for education, scientific research, and horticultural display.
Today the Missouri Botanical Garden is a National Historic Landmark with the mission “to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life.”
The Horticulture Division supports this mission through:
- Curating, managing and developing the living plant collections
- Propagation and production of plants for the living collections and displays
- Managing data and databases associated to the living collections
- Conducting conservation horticulture
- Conducting horticulture research, including trials and testing for propagation and cultivation protocol development
- Designing and maintaining the Gardens landscape and displays
- Providing horticulture information and outreach including demonstration gardens
- Ensure excellence in horticultural principles and practices
Meet the women in Horticulture
Kayla Flamm, GIS Specialist
Photos courtesy of Kayla Flamm
What’s your role at the Garden?
I help the Garden leverage geospatial technologies such as GIS (Geographic Information Systems), GPS, and drones in support of its mission, with a focus on day-to-day operations and conservation horticulture field work. I also manage our ArcGIS Enterprise system, ArcGIS Online Organization, and provide training and mapping support for staff throughout the Garden.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
One of my favorite parts of my job is flying the drone to support the Garden’s work, so naturally one of my highlights was flying a drone in Mauritius to capture images of a rare plant, Nesocodon mauritianus, that is only known to exist in the wild on a few difficult to access sheer cliff faces on the island. Using a drone is really the only viable and safe option for seeing the full extent of plants living on a sheer, wet cliff side with a 500-foot drop!
Who’s your favorite female inspiration and why?
There are way too many to pick just one. Really, any woman who has broken the mold and persevered despite extreme opposition: Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Nichelle Nichols, Jane Goodall, and Malala Yousafzai all immediately come to mind!
Any parting message to girls and women out there?
Be bold, support each other, and keep persevering!
Danielle Ellsworth, Horticulturist II
Photos courtesy of Nathan Kwarta, Danielle Ellsworth
What’s your role at the Garden?
I maintain and curate the Stumpery and Boxwood Garden which combines the physical labor of pruning, planting, mulching, etc. with researching plants of interest or conservation concern and creating plans to improve my gardens. Additionally, I am a member of the Garden’s tree crew which means I climb and prune trees whether it be tropical trees inside the Climatron or trees throughout garden grounds.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Earning my Certified Arborist certification from the International Society of Arboriculture was a big milestone in my career. In tandem with this, learning how to climb trees and being able to go 90+ feet up in the air was a huge accomplishment as well.
Who’s your favorite female inspiration and why?
Call it cheesy, but my mom is my inspiration. I love spending time with her because she isn’t afraid to be herself, and I have so much respect for her for always doing her best for her family.
Any parting message to girls and women out there?
Be whoever you want to be, and don’t let anyone stop you. Live up to your reputation of being crazy.
Dana Kelly, Kemper Landscapes and Plant Collections Manager
Photo courtesy of Dana Kelly
What’s your role at the Garden?
I manage the [William T.] Kemper Center Outdoor Landscapes for Home Gardening. My role is to support staff and the garden’s mission and creating beautiful displays. The Kemper displays show case a diverse collection of perennials, trees, and shrubs.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Highlight of my career is managing a very talented staff and traveling abroad to visit other botanical gardens. Last but not least, finding friendship in my volunteers.
Who’s your favorite female inspiration and why?
Right now it is my daughter. She struggled with reading and math as a young child, graduated with honors and now manages multi-million dollar contracts. Strong, confident and independent.
Any parting message to girls and women out there?
Be the care taker of your life. Understand the difference between a job and a career. Most importantly, set rules for yourself and learn to self-reflect!
Brittany Shultz, Living Collections Data Specialist
Photos courtesy of Nathan Kwarta, Brittany Shultz
What’s your role at the Garden?
I help to process data associated with the Garden’s living collections in our Living Collections Management System (the Garden’s database). I also assist with printing plant accession tags, curating labels, and processing field collected material.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
One highlight has been collaborating with colleagues to design and implement a Weed Risk Assessment for the Garden’s internal use. The assessment evaluates plant material for weedy behavior to reduce the risk of introducing potentially invasive plants into the Garden’s living collection.
Who’s your favorite female inspiration and why?
I’ve had several men and women inspire me over the years. One women who has had a profound impact on me is Dr. Barbara Anderson; she encouraged me to pursue biology and we share an interest in prairie restoration and teaching.
Any parting message to girls and women out there?
It is important to know what your worldview is. Be willing to ask hard questions, and seek the truth.
Katherine Fife, Horticulturist
Photos courtesy of Nathan Kwarta, Katherine Fife
What’s your role at the Garden?
I design and maintain the Vegetable Garden, Garden-For-All, and Climate and Trial gardens. I do all kinds of tasks in the Garden from installing stepping stone paths, training tomatoes, pruning fruit trees, and using plant catalogs to design perennial and annual displays for homeowners.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
The highlight of my career was being able to climb the pines in the Japanese Garden and prune them back after a long period of neglect. Some of the pines on the islands hadn’t been pruned for 7-8 years, so being able to prune them back so they were closer to their intended size for the garden was extremely rewarding.
Who’s your favorite female inspiration and why?
Someone who is inspiring to me is Aubrey Plaza because of her witty but earnest perspective on life and all the inspiring things she shares. She doesn’t put on airs, has a straightforward personality, and goes after the things she wants and I love that about her.
Any parting message to girls and women out there?
“If you feel like a weirdo, it’s okay because weirdos rule the world.”
Thank so much for sharing your journeys and the inspiring words, ladies! We are honored to have such an incredible team of women in horticulture who enriches the Garden’s beauty and sciences.
Thank you for learning with us this Women’s History Month and we look forward to sharing more with you soon!
Cover photo courtesy of Claire Cohen
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