Dr. Katharina Arnhold
Linguist, Librarian and Lawyer
Katharina is the
executive director of Mana Project, Inc., working to save Nancy Forrester's
Secret Garden. Born when the bombs were
falling in Germany, she grew up in
a typical German way -- nude until 6 yrs old, then splashing in any garment through
rivers, lakes and seas. Always a bicycalist, ice skater and tennis player, she
eventually had to go indoors to become a librarian. At the age of 58, she passed the California Bar just so she
could be close to the Marin Headlands and Sonoma Valley and the great Pacific.
It's obvious why she is Key West surrounded by water on all 8 sides.
www.manaproject.org
Dr. Shirley Freeman
Retired School Administrator
Retired Mayor and Commissioner of Monroe County
Activist for the Environment
As mayor of the county, Shirley helped enact some of the most resource protective land use
regulations to safe-guard the sensitive and unique environment of the Florida Keys. She believes in protecting assets and knows that ultimately the environment is the only asset we have.
Rosi Ware
Communications Executive/Passionate Gardener
Rosi,
a farmer's daughter from Shropshire, England, has always had an
affinity
with
nature and the environment. She
loves (nearly) all living things, especially plants, as gardening is
her
passion. Rosi is most
often seen at West Martello, home of the Key West Garden Club, at The
Studios of Key West, or out & about with her ReMARCable MARC clients
in the community.
www.keywestgardenclub.com
Zaira Sepulveda
Fashion Designer/Artist
Prior to her current life in Key West, Zaira was a 7th Ave. fashion designer.
Her couture evening wear line was sold across the U.S. and Europa. Born in
Puerto Rico but living in Woodstock, she once again longed for
" ISLAND LIVING."
Having a gallery on Duval, she sold her original water colors and
sculptures.You may see her walking her two Jack Russells, Spanky and
Pee Wee in the downtown historic area of Key West .
Claude Eriksen
Founder of Mam'co Banana Syrup
Grew
up in the heart of Africa: Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and later Sénégal.
Nature
was therefore the canvas of her life, screams of wild animals and the sounds of
tam-tam, her nightly lulluby. "Nancy
Forrester's Secret Garden is unique, the closest to paradise, the indispensable
lung of Key West! Please, fight to preserve it!"
www.mamcosyrup.com
Amy Culver
Amy spends
her time working on environmental
issues both in Key West and in Africa. Her work includes working
with the Maasai Warriors in East Africa.
Her philosophy to help the world become a greener place is to approach
each culture with a local understanding and teach with compassion.
Charlie Wilson
Owner
of Help Yourself Organic Restaurant, 829 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040
"Food
fuels our body, provides us with nourishment, and heals us from the inside out.
Real food comes from the earth, not a factory or a science lab. The earth has
given us all the food we need. I believe it’s time to reconnect with our food
and the earth, learning again to enjoy natural foods that do wonders for our
bodies."
www.helpyourselffoods.com
Angela Byarlay
Owner of Halcyon Creations: Recycled, Natural and Spiritual Art Inventions
"As
a girl I loved combing the beaches and picking up bottles and plastic containers
to use in my games. Back then they were precious gifts from the universe.
Knowing this, years later I find myself living in Key West for 15 years
together with my husband and 10 year old son and am still recycling and reusing
the gifts for our Art. Let’s shift our perception and turn trash into treasure!"
www.RighteousNiteowl.com
Roberta DePiero
Event Organizer
"Back
in 1970, an impressionable 11 year old
watched an American Indian cry over all the pollution and heard Woodsy
Owl’s “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute” so many times, that I became a strong
believer in the non pollution movement. To this day, on my bedroom door at my
mother’s house there is an ecology flag sticker firmly affixed to it. I have
been recycling, reusing and reducing for as many years as I can remember."
Carolann Sharkey
Preservationist
Carolann was born
in NYC, and frequently vacationed in the tropics. She fell in love with lush
forests and gardens. After moving
permanently to the Keys, The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden
became her passion and was re-born under her leadership. You can find her most
days amongst the fronds working on the next restoration.
www.keywestbotanicalgarden.org
Kate Miano
Proprietor, The Gardens Hotel
Kate escaped
from St. Louis in 1996 to live her dream. She eventually
snagged The Gardens Hotel which prior to becoming the city's finest small
luxury hotel was an early tourist attraction in Key West. The development of this expansive
tropical garden was begun in 1930 by Peggy Mills who became so enamored with
gardening that over the years she bought and demolished 17 surrounding
buildings to create what was to become the largest private garden in Key West. Kate has kept up the tradition of GOING
Green by becoming one of the first Green certified hotels in the Keys.
www.gardenshotel.com
Lucy Carleton
Environmental Activist
Lucy grew up in a small town just outside of
Boston, on what was referred to as
a gentleman gardener's farm. Her father had the washing machine (we used
vegitable soaps) empty into a 55 gallon drum which then pumped the water
to the 1 acre family garden. "Mother Earth provided for us and we did our
best to work with her. No paper
towels, we used cloth. No plastic bags,
we reused those that the bread came in. Water was never left running and lights turned off when you left the room!
We rode our bikes to play and school. When Recycle Key West was born I was right there - Director was
my title. I hosted the local TV show Project Earthbound
for its 6 year run.
Now
I'm a member of GLEE & on the Key West R4 Recycle Team."
http://keywestdance.wordpress.com
www.kwreal.com
Coco Ono
Coco grew up during World War II, and
survived bombings and starvation in the northernmost island of Japan. She has been living in U.S. for a
quarter century, and really enjoys the freedom and opportunities this country
offers. Coco produces no CO2 except
her own breathing, goes everywhere by her own two legs, and wastes no food nor
water by eating everything and licking the plates.
Alicia Metzler
Executive Senior Vice President of Stuff at the Gardens Hotel
Alicia had
many lives before she and her playmate arrived in Key West 25 years ago. She always
knew that she would end up living
on an island. "Since the love of my
life transformed and has become part of the island - romancing the Rock is easy. His spirit is everywhere: in the lushness of the
tropical foliage, in the glittering waves of the ocean, in the sweet scent of
jasmine. The green spaces are dwindling - we need to preserve and renew them
for the next generation of lovers."
Captain Victoria Impallomeni
"My
purpose in life: to be and share JOY. My mission: to Spiritually and Physically
hold the earth in my hands as I share mystical adventures into the tropical
wilderness for folks to learn and play on my boat with the dolphins and other
wildlife."
www.captainvictoria.com