Welcome, Keith Nevison By: Katherine Sanders, Digital Marketing Coordinator
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his past May, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden proudly welcomed its new director of horticulture and operations, Keith Nevison, to its leadership team. In his role, Keith leads the Garden’s Horticulture Team, including oversight of the Living Collection and Nursery, the Garden grounds and facilities, the retail Garden Shop, and the Garden Nursery where anyone can buy native plants.
Institute for Sustainable Solutions, the Society for Ecological Restoration, and Friends of Trees, where he worked with volunteers to install nearly 40,000 native plants through their Green Space Program. This led him to an opportunity at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania where he completed his master’s fellowship in the prestigious Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware.
Keith joined the Garden from his most recent position at Bundoran Farm in Virginia. While there, he was a steward of 2,300 acres (930 hectares) of land comprised of pastures, forest, and natural areas including 15 miles (24 kilometers) of hiking trails. He was also the cohost of Virginia Public Media’s “Virginia Home Grown,” a program highlighting the work of gardens and environmental organizations and, ultimately, the delights and challenges of gardening in Virginia.
I sat down with Keith to ask him some of our most pressing questions. From his time working with Doug Tallamy to why he decided to make the move to Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, his responses proved we’re lucky to have him join the team.
Born in Vancouver, Canada, but raised in California, Keith brings nearly 20 years of horticulture and public garden experience to the Garden. He currently holds certifications as a master naturalist, FFT2 certified wildland firefighter, and an International Society of Arboriculture arborist. With a passion for native plants and habitats from the start, he worked within the area of Portland, Oregon, with Portland State University’s
A: We are thrilled to integrate into what feels like a
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Ironwood
So, Ironwood readers, meet Keith Nevison.
Q: What are you most looking forward to in making Santa Barbara your home? passionate community and get to know its residents. My family and I love the outdoors so coming from Virginia we’re planning to spend as much time as we can enjoying the year-round natural setting. I can’t wait for frequent trips to the beaches, hikes in the mountains, and raising our son in the Garden.
