Ryan Barker
Ryan Barker, Community Educator
Started at GGI: 2010
What I Do at GGI: As the new Community Educator, my primary role will be outreach to the community through direct teaching, workshops, classes, and demonstrations. I will be responsible for making sure that gardeners have a greater capacity and understanding for growing their own food and how to do it more effectively. In addition, I will be involved in site visits with gardens, growing seedlings at the hoophouses, and working with volunteers in gardens throughout our service area and at Bell.
Background: I went to school first to study Geography in Springfield, MO, and then completed a Master’s in Landscape Architecture in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. In between that time I’ve done a lot of random jobs, almost always emphasizing education about the natural world. I’ve worked at outdoor education centers in Ohio and Pennsylvania, interpreted the natural world with three different federal agencies in Wyoming, mapped wildfire characteristics in the Mojave Desert, gardened in New Hampshire, and researched ethanol potential of corn stover in southern Minnesota. I also volunteered for a nonprofit in Ecuador doing forest restoration, a very difficult but satisfying project. Most recently I worked for a small St. Louis nonprofit, educating youth about vegetable gardening and helping communities to start and/or maintain vegetable gardens.
Presently: Though born and raised in St. Peters, MO, I am still trying to understand the city of St. Louis, and enjoy seeing all its different facets and neighborhoods. I love going for walks around my neighborhood, and spending free time with my wife at Tower Grove Park. My two most favorite hobbies are writing and producing music and being outdoors whenever possible, hiking, traveling, gardening, or for any other excuse. My all-time favorite song is “Take Time” by The Books, and my favorite hike in the Midwest is in the LaRue-Pine Hills Ecological Area near the Shawnee National Forest.
Recent Photos
