Detailed Class Schedule

Toby Davidson, horticulture supervisor for the Display Gardens, earned his associate’s degree in forestry from Hocking College. He spent the first eight of his 12 years at Holden caring for the trees in the outer collections. Davidson enjoys pruning trees and designing garden spaces.

Julie Daugherty, Education Intern

Daugherty is a Certified Interpretive Guide from the National Association for Interpreters. She earned her B.A. from Cleveland State University, her Masters in Sports Psychology from West Virginia University and her Masters in Education Administration from Ursuline College. She taught Outdoor Education at Hiram House Camp for 10 years, Physical Education at St. Vitus for 12 years and served as Principal at St. Louis Elementary for 7 years.

Jennifer Hillmer, Land Steward

Jennifer has been with Holden’s Conservation Department since 2003. As Land Steward, she oversees the ecological management of Holden’s 3000 acres of natural areas where her primary focus is invasive plants including removal, management planning and mapping. Having earned her degree from The College of Wooster, Jennifer has worked throughout Ohio with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Natural Areas and Preserves as well as The Nature Conservancy. She is active in leadership of the Ohio Invasive Plants Council and The Midwest Invasive Plant Network.

Roger Gettig: As the Land Conservation Manager for The Holden Arboretum, Roger helps conserve Holden’s 3500 acres in Lake and Geauga Counties in addition to approximately 1400 acres in conservation easements. He is responsible habitat restoration projects at Holden as well as Holden’s conservation easements program. He has worked at Holden for over 16 years and has a B.S. in horticulture from The Ohio State University and an M.S.L.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Sharon Graper, Manager of Formal Education

Graper’s relationship with Holden began in 1981 when as a student at Hawken High School she did her senior project in the Wildflower Garden. She came back as an intern in 1984 and as a summer employee teaching children’s classes in 1991. Since 1994, she has managed school and youth programming at Holden. She earned her undergraduate degree in environmental science from the University of Virginia and her master’s degree in science education from the University of Delaware.

Stanley Johnston, Ph.D, is Holden’s Rare Book Curator. He earned his AB in English at Columbia College, Columbia University, MA at the University of Western Ontario, PhD in English and Literature at the University of Western Ontario, and his MS in Library Science at Case Western Reserve University, specializing in Academic Libraries and Archives.

Meg Kempton came to Holden from Grimes Seed and Lake Farmpark in 2003. Here she spends most of her time exercising her horticulture expertise in Holden’s beautiful Main Display Garden.

Karen L. Kennedy, HTR Horticultural Therapist

Kennedy has been employed with Holden since 1986 and is responsible for the development and coordination of the horticultural therapy outreach services. She is a graduate of Kansas State University and had worked previously as the assistant horticulturist and horticultural information coordinator at the Garden Center of Greater Cleveland.

Rebecca Thompson, Growing Students and Science Program Coordinator

Thompson has been with the Education Department at Holden since 1999 and has worked in environmental education for many years. She coordinates the Growing Students and Science Program, a community partnership to build interest and ability in the sciences in public school systems, and leads Holden’s Jr. Birders Club for children and teaches a number of children’s classes. She received her B.S. in Biology at Kent State University.

Charles Tubesing, Chief Horticulturist

A graduate of Purdue University, Tubesing has been with Holden since 1986. He is responsible for the development of Holden’s plant collection, having extensive experience and interest in the selection of appropriate woody plants to fit specific landscape criteria and in plant propagation with a special interest in magnolias.

Jennifer Watson is Holden’s Butterfly Garden Horticulturist. She earned her B.S. at The Ohio State University then spent time as an Intern at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square PA. Jennifer spent 12 years as Collections Manager at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens before coming to Holden in 2006.

Michael Watson, Conservation Biologist, started at Holden as a Conservation Seasonal 3 years ago. He earned his BA in Biology from The College of Wooster and his MS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Michigan. Michael spends most of his time on the deer browse project, a large-scale, long-term study attempting to measure the impact of deer on Holden's forests. He is also the coordinator for Holden's Bluebird Project, which relies on 50 volunteers to monitor and band bluebirds, tree swallows and other secondary cavity nesting birds that use more than 200 nest boxes on the Holden properties.

Marian Williams, Manager of Public Programs

Williams, who has been with Holden since 1987, is responsible for Holden’s public programs and interpretation of the gardens and natural areas as well as a variety of other special projects. She received her undergraduate degree from Earlham College and her master’s degree from Purdue University.

Greg Wright, Nursery Supervisor is in charge of plant propagation at Holden. He earned his bachelors degree in Horticulture at Brigham Young University and his Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture at Utah State University. Greg has been with Holden for eight years and teaches a variety of classes on horticulture and landscape architecture.

Tom Yates, Lantern Court Supervisor

Yates is responsible for the beautiful gardens of Lantern Court, a classic country estate at Holden. An avid naturalist, Tom leads hikes through Holden’s natural areas sharing his vast knowledge of the flora and fauna of Northeastern Ohio.

Non-Staff Instructors:

Ian Adams is an environmental photographer specializing in natural, rural, historical and garden photography. Since 1985, more than 4,500 of his color photographs have been published in books, posters, calendars, magazines and other publications. Ian recently completed The Art And Craft Of Garden Photography, for Timber Press, Our Ohio, for Voyageur Press, A Paradise In The City: Cleveland Botanical Garden for Orange Frazer Press), Cuyahoga Valley National Park for Twin Lights Publishers, and The Floridas for Browntrout and Backroads Of Ohio published by MBI/Voyageur Press in 2006.


Advanced registration is required for all hikes and classes. For more information call the Education Department at (440) 946-4400