SHELLY ZACKS - CO-FOUNDER & BOARD CHAIR

After reading “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv, Shelly Zacks was inspired to create a children’s garden to foster nature play and environmental stewardship in our community. She has over 40 years of experience as an Early Childhood Educator and has a BS in Elementary Education and a MS in Early Childhood Education. She is also a Palm Beach county certified Master Gardener and a long time member of National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She was an Educator at Sunflower Creative Arts in its early years and has a long-lasting passion for empowering children to lead their own play. Shelly tends our red wiggler worm farm and educates our visitors about cultivating compost. In 2022, she was invited to be a speaker at the World Forum Foundation.

JEANNIE FERNSWORTH - CO-Founder & Botanist

Jeannie is a graduate of the New York Botanical Garden School of Horticulture and a member of the Rare Fruits Council. She is passionate about plants, the environment and community. Jeannie has an extensive background as a Botanist and Horticulturist and helped to curate the diverse plants growing at the garden including over 50 fruit trees, medicinal herbs and native flowering plants. Her vision for the garden helped to transform it into the eco-wonderland that it is today. She helped to build the soil with nutrients and tirelessly tend to the land. She has worked for The New York Botanical Garden and The Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Christina Nicodemou - Executive Director

Christina is a dedicated leader with a BA in Business Administration and over 25 years of consulting and development experience. She is an accomplished grant writer and fundraiser, having raised over $2 million for nonprofits serving youth. As a certified Nature-Based Educator (ERAFANS) and the founder of the Nature Education Cooperative, Christina is passionate about sharing hands-on nature and science studies with children. She has developed a robust online curriculum for homeschoolers based on her successful nature school program.

As the Executive Director of Delray Beach Children's Garden, she leads strategic development, including fundraising, grant writing, program creation, outreach, and curriculum. Starting as a volunteer, Christina played a key role in securing the Impact 100 grant in 2018. With a background in landscape design, she previously specialized in pollinator gardens and educational school gardens in NY. Christina is passionate about empowering youth and inspiring children of all ages to explore nature and science.

Veronica Green - Program Manager

Veronica is our garden's Program Manager and the lead facilitator of Mother Nature & Me, our cherished and longest running early-childhood program. She is also the leads our newly established Garden Adventures program, sharing nature and gardening lessons with children of all ages. Veronica often curates specialized field trips for our collaborations with Title 1 schools, public libraries, girl scout troops and homeschool groups. In addition to this, she leads a delicious cooking workshop, which helps children connect to nature through plant-based foods. She has received her Forks Over Knives Plant Based Certification through Rouxby Culinary School and continues to hone her skills as she creates tasty new recipes for our young chefs in the garden. Veronica Green is a children's book author, best known for her popular series titled The Adventures of Veggie Vero, which teaches children about eco-consciousness and compassion towards animals. She has a BA in Public Communications and Sociology from Florida Atlantic University. Veronica, with her efficient organizational skills and cheerful disposition, is talented at keeping our bustling children’s programs running smoothly.

Cayla Coco - Party Host & GARDEN leader

Cayla is an arts educator with 15 years of experience teaching art to all ages. Cayla specializes in fostering creativity. She has worked with teachers and underserved youth to spread the power of creativity in her communities through workshops, collaborative murals/installations, and student art shows. She loves supporting children’s artistic explorations and working with the natural materials at the garden. Cayla is a seasoned host of our amazing children’s birthday parties here at DBCG, bringing her infectious smile and sunny attitude to our community.

MARISSA JAYE - GARDEN LEADER & EDUCATOR

Marissa has spent the past 25 years caring for children and she is passionate about supporting their natural curiosity. Marissa holds a MS in Early Childhood Education and a Social & Emotional Intelligence Coaching certificate. She is the founder and lead teacher of Sunflowers Education Services which offers Grown up & Me playgroups for children ranging from 4 months to 2 years. Her playgroups incorporate reading, music and sensory exploration through child led play. In addition Sunflowers Ed offers private or group tutoring for elementary age students in English Language Arts and Mathematics. She is excited to support our parties and programs.

Micah Robbins - Board Member

Micah is a well respected community leader in the field of prevention and coalition building and has loved this work for over 25 years. He is a sought after group facilitator, public speaker, moderator, and serves as the Director of Special Projects for the Palm Beach County Behavioral Health Coalition. As a talented grant writer, Micah is excited to support the garden with funding goals this year. He feels that supporting the Delray Beach Children’s Garden is a natural fit as connection to nature is a cornerstone for healthy communities.  The impact it has had on his wife Nicole and son River are an immeasurable gift of nature, growth, play and enchantment.

BRIDGET LANGFORD - Board Member

As a founding contributor of the garden, Bridget has devoted much of her time over the years tending to our garden, working with members and managing volunteers. Bridget has a M.Ed and is an elementary science teacher at Gulf Stream School. Bridget is an active member of Boca Junior League and a Committee Member of Boca Junior League Gardening Club. Bridget served as a founding board member for Delray Beach Children’s Garden through 2021. She spent the last year traveling the Unites States with her two boys with a mission to visit as many national parks as they could. Bridget is a devoted activist of the Earth and a long-standing member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.