Sonja is the director of education and academic initiatives for Cornell Botanic Gardens and an adjunct associate professor of Horticulture in the School of Integrated Plant Sciences.  She is an educator who works with plants, nature, and gardens to help people foster a deeper connection to plants. Sonja provides leadership for and delivers education for the gardens, teaches classes on public garden management, plants and human well-being, annuals and perennials, and leads a Masters program in Public Garden Leadership. Sonja also works with faculty and gardens staff on a Climate Change Garden, which demonstrates the effects of climate change on plants and is designed to inspire visitors to take action to mitigate and adapt to climate change.