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Associate Director of Horticulture

Naples Botanical Garden

Drawn by its biodiversity, Elizabeth Beans moved to Southwest Florida seven years ago after studying botany and environmental science at Miami University in Ohio. Now serving as the associate director of horticulture at Naples Botanical Garden, she can truly say that her job is focused on growth.

“This job allows me to express my love of nature and to fulfill my creative instincts by designing landscapes or helping others fulfill their visions. Gardening is a fantastic form of therapy, and I feel like we are in a new age of gardening,” she says. “For many people, the Garden serves as an introduction to the natural world. My hope is that a visit to the Garden helps visitors realize the importance of its preservation, motivates them to make more sustainable decisions at home and prompts them to consider the environment when casting ballots at the polls.”

In addition to her work at the Garden, Beans has helped with beach dune restoration on Sanibel Island, coordinated Collier Community Foundation plantings from the beaches to local parks and medians and participated in oyster reef restoration near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee.