Ariel Schwartzman Miles, Botany Technician

Ariel is a botanist born and raised in New York, whose love of naturalism was sparked by apartment gardening. She received her bachelor's degree in biology at Vassar College in 2025, with a thesis on epiphytic old-growth bryophytes of Nova Scotia. During her undergraduate studies, she also worked on herbarium digitization and assisted in research on pollinator-plant networks, prairie biodiversity, and bryophyte ecology - her favorite field of study. Apart from botanizing, she can be found backpacking, baking bread, and playing old-time music. She is excited to familiarize herself with the diversity of southeastern flora and is grateful to be working in such an organization that prioritizes education and outreach.