Karen joined ANPP back in 2018 just after the greenhouse was moved to Arnaudville. She retired from teaching at Acadiana High School after almost 30 years in the Special Education department teaching English to "country kids, mostly boys, who did not want to be stuck inside a classroom reading novels." She said they were lucky to have a nature trail on the school grounds and when possible, spent part of the class period outdoors reading and exploring the trails.
Karen was always a gardener but had not learned about the importance of native plants until her daughter Kimberly Hamm became a master naturalist and converted her and sister Katherine! Dona Weifenbach ran into Karen at a party of a mutual friend and encouraged her to consider joining ANPP. Since then, she has immersed herself in multiple aspects of propagation at the greenhouse, and maintenance of the demonstration garden. She manages the Frozard garden where plants are grown in the field and used for seed collection, propagation by divisions, and tree production. As we expand at Frozard and on the greenhouse grounds, she is always a solid presence, teaching new volunteers, offering help where it is needed, always willing and eager to expand her knowledge of native plants. In her own words "I consider the volunteers at ANPP to be some of my dearest friends and love spending time with them at the greenhouse on work days. I encourage everyone to get involved with their local native plant society and plant as many natives as possible and then just maybe, a few more."
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