Chenae Bullock, an enrolled Shinnecock Nation citizen and descendant of the Montauk Tribe in Long Island New York. She is also African American. Chenae is an mogul, pioneer, Indigenous perspective historian, cultural practitioner, and Public Speaker. Appearances in Forbes, Rolling Stones, TEDx, SXSW, Tribal Business News, Bloomberg, Conde Nast Traveler Indian Country Today, Yahoo Finance. Following her ancestors footsteps as whalers and business leaders, the foundation of her work has been based on the resurgence of the traditional canoe culture of the northeast coastal Algonquin communities. She has organized historically sacred paddles in the ancient waterways of the northeastern seaboard. Some of her most recent work has led her to assess for signs of submerged cultural history for the Atlantic Shores Cultural Core Analysis. She successfully served as a Tribal Alternate on behalf of the Shinnecock Nation for the Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean, which facilitates coordination and collaboration among governmental entities and stakeholders to enhance the vitality of our region’s ocean ecosystem.

Steve is recently retired from 31 years as the chief botanist for the New York Natural Heritage Program where he explored natural areas throughout New York State inventorying and studying its rare plants. He is currently involved with floristic and invasive species projects in the Adirondacks, Long Island, and the Capital District. He is a board director at the Wild Woods Restoration Project in Orange County and leads plant walks for various organizations around the state. He has a BS from SUNY ESF and a MS from the University of Florida in plant taxonomy.

Jeremy Dennis (b. 1990) is a contemporary fine art photographer, an enrolled Tribal Member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton, NY, and lead artist and founder of the non-profit Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc. on the Shinnecock Reservation. In his work, he explores Indigenous identity, culture, and assimilation.

Daniel Gilrein is Extension Entomologist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and holds a Master’s Degree in Pest Management from Cornell University and BS degree from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He has been with Cornell since 1987, providing entomology education/outreach, diagnostic services, and applied research for our agriculture and professional horticulture industries.

Dr. Evelyn Beaury received her PhD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she studied the spatial ecology and biogeography of plant invasions in the context of climate change. This work included research and outreach on the management and policy of invasive plants in the United States, working with stakeholders to proactively prevent invasive plant introductions. Evelyn is now a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University, where she has broadened her research to think spatially about how we can increase carbon storage via changes in global land use and land management.

Alexis is a graduate of the Environmental Studies Department at Antioch University New England with a concentration in Conservation Biology. Her path with plants includes running a small organic gardening business; working on restoration projects on Cape Cod, and leading field research on the effects and mitigation of chronic atmospheric deposition of N on heathland communities of Cape Cod, MA. Currently, she is the nursery manager at Native Plant Trust's Nasami Farm, where they grow thousands of native plants from wild ecotype seed to ensure genetic diversity and resiliency in our landscapes, and where she teaches classes on propagation and native plant and soil ecology.

Amanda Furcall is the Director of Environmental Sustainability for the Sisters of St. Joseph. Amanda is a Long Island native who earned a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry. She then went on to get a Masters of Public Administration from CUNY Baruch. She has experience working at land trusts to preserve and protect wild places. At the Sisters of St. Joseph her role as Director of Environmental Sustainability includes a variety of initiatives including forest and meadow stewardship, woodland restoration, stormwater management and native garden design. There are sustainable landscapes and open space throughout the campus and Amanda aims to manage this mixed landscape in a holistic way, integrating the human community with the natural community.

Alexa Roldos was born and raised on Long Island and has worked as the Horticulture Technician at Bethpage State Park since 2021. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science and takes a special interest in invasive/native plant species identification and management. Before working at Bethpage, she was collecting native wildflower seeds and growing them for her home garden and to share with family and friends. Her passion for ecological restoration originates from her experience managing invasive plants first at the property surrounding her childhood home, followed by environmental stewardship as a volunteer with New York State Parks, and then as an Environmental Intern at Caumsett State Park.

Carlos received his Bachelor in Biology at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in 2014. Since then he has worked on a range of different research topics including clinical research, behavioral ecology of Apis mellifera and spatial distribution of invasive plant species in Colombia. He is interested in understanding the emergence of patterns in biological systems, especially at the community level. Currently, Carlos is a PhD student in the Theoretical Ecology Lab at the Stony Brook Ecology and Evolution program. He studies the dynamics that create and sustain biodiversity by implementing computational tools such as deep learning algorithms and systems modeling. Since 2023-II, Carlos is the DEC coordinator of the Aquatic Invasive Species program in Long Island.

Laura Schwanof is GEI's Ecological Practice Leader for the Northeast. She conducts and trains GEI staff in ecological inventory, threatened and endangered species survey, wetland delineation, habitat assessment and restoration, and environmental permitting and conservation planning. She has 44 years of related work experience and is licensed as a landscape architect in New York and Delaware. Ms Schwanof is intricately familiar with the tri-state coastlines and estuaries, as well as the erosion, water quality, and flooding problems facing coastal communities in the dynamic marine environment. Her design skills have been acutely focused on wetland restoration, living shorelines, and coastal stabilization projects that protect rare species, and incorporate indigenous plants and Innovative bioengineering techniques wherever practical and feasible.

Luke Gervase has been a Project Ecologist with GEI Consultants Huntington Station office since August 2019. He is a graduate of SUNY E.S.F. (B.S. in aquatics and fisheries science with a minor in marine ecology) and SUNY Oneonta (M.S. in lake management). His master’s thesis and research were focused on writing a comprehensive lake management plan for the Millsite Lake Property Owners Association in Redwood, NY. Luke is a licensed aquatic pesticide applicator in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. A jack of all trades but an expert of none, Luke has experience working on lakes and ponds throughout the northeast, surveying for invasive species in the aquatic and terrestrial world, lecturing to a variety of groups, and has a particular passion and interest in aquatic vegetation and fisheries management. When not in the field Luke enjoys cooking, hiking, fishing, and rooting for New York sports teams.

Shelby is a horticulturist specializing in ecological horticulture and native perennial gardens. She is a graduate of the CUNY + NYBG Ornamental Horticulture program, where she specialized in native plants and ecological restoration. She was the 2022 Horticulture Fellow on Governors Island, where she focused on the design and implementation of an urban forest renovation project in Hammock Grove. Shelby is currently a horticulturist at the High Line, where she manages the Hudson River Overlook and Sundeck at 14th Street

Diana O'Neill has been a leader in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years helping expand the reach and impact of volunteer engagement to build community. She has mobilized countless volunteers to cleanup beaches/parks/waterways, to care for animals, to create vegetable gardens at senior centers and veterans shelters, to refurbish trails, and to respond to the devastation caused by SuperStorm Sandy and other extreme weather events. She is committed to protecting Long Island's natural resources and outdoor spaces.

Victor Azzaretto has 15 years of experience as the Horticulturist at Bethpage State Park, where he has established an expansive nursery operation mainly growing native wildflowers and grasses from seed. After graduating SUNY Farmingdale with a degree in Horticulture, he worked at the production greenhouse at Planting Fields Arboretum. He later moved to Bethpage State Park where he started growing native plants that not only beautified the park’s garden beds, but also attracted a plethora of wildlife.

Erik Sechler has worked as Ecological Programs Coordinator for Native Plant Trust for six years. Prior to being at Native Plant Trust, Erik has worked for the Trustees and NY and PA Natural Heritage Programs as a staff ecologist/ecological information specialist and has a MS in Conservation Biology from Antioch NE University.

Rob Cole is a Forester and Certified Arborist with NYSDEC Forest Health. He began his career with DEC in 2006 after earning an Associate’s and Bachelor’s in Forestry from SUNY-ESF. Rob has led a variety of forest pest management projects across the state, with his current focus being on the long-term silvicultural practices that will improve forest resiliency to pest/disease outbreaks. Rob's work on Long Island includes leading DEC's southern pine beetle response 2015-2018, partnering with the Pine Barrens Commission to build a prescribed fire management program for the pine barrens, and now leading pine barrens restoration projects on DEC lands on LI.

Rusty Schmidt is a landscape ecologist employed by Nelson Pope and Voorhis in Melville, NY, and is an Adjunct Professor with the Horticulture Department at Farmingdale State College. Mr. Schmidt designs and constructs alternative methods for managing stormwater runoff and has created hundreds of designs for habitat restorations, raingardens, and sustainable landscaping ranging in size from small backyards to large multi-acre sized campuses and parks throughout the nation. He has also written a number of Invasive Species Management Plans, conducted invasive research, and invasive management. Mr. Schmidt is a co-author for three books, two on plant selections for stormwater management and a homeowner guide to raingardens.