BRDC Welcomes Ali Singleton as Landscaper/Educator

Blue Ridge Discovery Center is growing! On March 1, 2020, Ali Singleton joined the BRDC team as our first Landscaper/Educator. Ali will be working to apply native plant community and region-specific habitat themes across the Center campus for a fully immersive ecological experience. This approach to landscaping will improve native wildlife habitat while creating engagement opportunities for program participants and visitors!

MEET ALI

Ali hails from the mountains, pastures, and valleys of Shenandoah County, Virginia. A lifelong nature enthusiast, she moved to Southwest Virginia to pursue degrees from Emory & Henry College in biology and environmental studies. Through her education, she was able to travel to Panama to conduct research on frugiverous butterflies, learn about the natural communities of the Blue Ridge Mountains, study organic and sustainable food production, and she discovered a true passion for native plants. 

Having previously worked in the organic vegetable production industry, and with Virginia's Department of Conservation and Recreation's Natural Heritage Division, Ali found herself enthralled with the intricacies of the ecological relationship between plants and animals. She hopes to share these wonders with her community as BRDC's Landscaper/Educator. 

Ali's thoroughness, devotion to lifelong learning, and love of people and nature will help her to execute one of the most forward-thinking landscaping endeavors in the country. Implementing a regionally specific, entirely native landscape that is tailored to exploration and discovery will allow visitors to get a snapshot of the Southern Blue Ridge region in one location.

Ali is currently enrolled in both the Virginia Master Naturalist and Master Gardener programs, is a certified wildland firefighter type 2, and holds both CPR and First Aid certifications through the Red Cross. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, foraging, fishing, gardening, and cooking.

Welcome, Ali!