Anne Gerhardt spent her youth in rural Michigan where she discovered her love of backyard natural biodiversity. She grew up catching tadpoles, planting fruit trees, and playing with the cattails. 

Since moving to Asheville in 2008, Anne has met many brilliant people who have inspired and taught her to be thoughtful about how humans interact and use the plants around them. In 2020, Anne received her BFA with an emphasis in film photography from Appalachian State University.

She now manages her own three acre property and garden. 

Anne's tips from her own gardening experience are to observe the ecosystem in your area and plant things to attract what you want to see more of. Some examples she has in her garden are milkweed to attract monarch caterpillars, columbine to attract hummingbirds, and fennel to attract swallowtail caterpillars. Anne hopes one day to make a bigger impact by educating people about invasive plants and to help Ireland regain their native oak tree population.