Phoebe joined the GBC in 2022. She is a 17-year Greenwich resident with a professional background in natural resources, agriculture and conservation and has been a member and chair of local non-profit volunteer boards. She has a B.S. from Colorado State University and an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Pennsylvania State University where her research focused on farm labor economics. In addition to plants, Phoebe enjoys life with her husband, Stewart, and three children and spends her free time riding horses, playing squash and walking in the woods with her dogs.
Tiana Santasiere is an experienced horticulturist with a passion for developing the plant and people connection. As a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in environmental horticulture, she has spent her career working in different parts of the green industry, including retail management, purchasing, and as a landscape gardener and horticulture educator. The former youth camp gardening instructor enjoys sharing her passion and knowledge of gardening with people of all ages as much as learning about new plants and advances in horticulture science. Tiana lives in Rockland County, New York, with her husband and son, and she enjoys attending sporting events with her family, fishing, and, of course, gardening.
Angie believes that if we want children to grow up to be stewards of our earth, they need to have positive experiences with nature as children. She graduated from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a BS in Environmental Studies and a concentration in biology. Angie has worked for the DEC in NYC developing environmental education programs for inner city children. She has taught many after-school classes at ISD, as well as volunteering at the Greenwich Audubon as a TN. Angie became an ADK 46er when she was 16 years old and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail after graduating college. She lives in Greenwich with her husband and three sons.
Alana Kontos is a lifelong Greenwich resident and grew up exploring the vast natural landscape that the town has to offer. From local parks and trails to the beach at Tod’s Point, Alana enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two young children. Alana has a BA in International Studies from Trinity College and has spent her career working as a marketing and special events professional with clients in the non-profit, lifestyle, and tech sectors. She is thrilled to join the team at GBC which has been a long-time favorite destination for her family.
Carrie's fondest memories are playing in the mountains after school and on weekends as a child. She grew up in the Hollywood Hills of California exploring the outdoors every chance she had. Her interest in learning led to years of substitute teaching grades Pre K-12 while raising her two sons. She has a BS in Fine Art from the University of California at Berkeley, and a second BA in Advertising from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. In her free time, she enjoys her first grandchild.
Jackie is a local artist and designer with over twenty years of professional artistic experience. She is also an outdoor enthusiast and finds both creative and personal inspiration in Nature. Jackie is an avid and passionate believer that creative play is essential to fostering growth and fulfillment, both within artistic endeavors and beyond. She is a mother of two very active preschool-aged children. Jackie looks forward to bringing her enthusiasm for creativity and nature to the children in this program.
Jessica is a third generation Greenwich resident who has loved the beautiful Montgomery Pinetum since childhood. Growing up at her parents' nursery school in Riverside, she has a lifetime of experience in preschool education. She is a University of Rhode Island graduate and holds a degree in Psychology. An artist, yogi, and avid gardener, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids at the beach, in the woods, and growing and harvesting vegetables on their property.
This is my second year with GBC. I was born and raised in Greenwich and currently live in Cos Cob with my husband, five children, and two dogs. Throughout my teaching journey I have worked with Pre-K through elementary grade children. I am looking forward to getting to know your child and explore the outdoor space with them. In my free time, I enjoy reading, going to the beach, skiing, paddle boarding, and walking our dogs.
Marcia is an educator, environmentalist, and documentary filmmaker who grew up playing in the woods and at sea. She has a BA from Bates College in English with a minor in Education and a concentration in Developmental Psychology. She initially became involved with Forest Days as a participant with her child in an Explorers class and was inspired to teach future GBC classes. Marcia enjoys spending time outdoors with her family: hiking, sailing, swimming, skiing, sledding, and puddle jumping.
Kate is a physical therapist, an educator, and a mom of four who feels strongly about teaching children to be curious, kind, stewards of the natural world. She has a Bachelors of Journalism/Advertising with minors in biology, fine art, and English. She went on to earn a Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2005. Kate has lived in Greenwich for the last seven years after moving to the east coast from Nebraska. She was inspired to teach at the GBC after a field trip with one of her children. Kate prefers to spend every moment outdoors doing things like trail running, camping, hiking, climbing, gardening, cycling, picnicking, reading and drawing.