Our Board Chair is Loyan Beausoleil, BFA, MEd, MSc.

Our Board Secretary is Akilah Lewis. Akilah (she/her) is a Queens native and young professional in the environmental education field. She has served as the secretary of the Feminist Bird Club, co-organizer for Black Birders Week, and the NYC Bird Alliance’s Young Conservationists’ Council. Akilah has worked as an educator for various organizations including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Eastern Queens Alliance, and Queens Zoo. Currently she works as an environmental educator at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Akilah received a degree in Coastal Environmental Studies from Stony Brook University. In her free time, Akilah enjoys visiting green spaces, volunteering, and making charcuterie boards.

Our Board Member-At-Large is Liz Paredes (they/she). Liz is a land steward and community educator dedicated to reconnecting with the land and promoting food sovereignty. After 15 years in hospitality, a transformative moment inspired them to align their life with sustainable practices. Their passion for the edible & medicinal landscape growing all around us catalyzed their mission to live and share a life of reciprocity with the land and community.

Our Board Treasurer is Rob Seamans.

Our Founder and Director is Georgia Silvera Seamans. Georgia (she/her) holds a PhD from University of California Berkeley and is an adjunct professor of environmental studies. She has published peer-reviewed articles in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening and Arboriculture & Urban Forestry. She also has bylines at Audubon.com, PopSci.com, BBG.org, and in Birding and City Trees. Georgia is a member of BIPOC Hort and serves on the board of the New York City Bird Alliance.

Get in touch with us about our initiatives or about collaborating on a new project. 

To get in touch, send us an email or use the form below. 

To send us mail, our mailing address is:

Local Nature Lab

93 4th Avenue # 59

New York, NY 10276