This article was origially published on Stamford Buzz.
Landscape designer and author S. Jane von Trapp has been named executive director of Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, board president Paul Travaglino announced on Monday. Trapp’s new position is effective on August 4. “Jane brings to the Bartlett a rare combination of horticultural and fundraising expertise,” Travaglino said in a statement. “Her extensive background in both areas position her perfectly to help the Bartlett fulfill its mission to educate the community about botanical environments and the importance of protecting them for future generations.”
Von Trapp, who was chosen by the the Arboretum’s Board of Directors governance committee, has more than 20 years of horticultural experience. After graduating with a degree in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Vermont, von Trapp owned a landscaping and wholesale nursery business in northern Vermont as well as a retail garden center. She is past president of both the Vermont Association of Professional Horticulturists (currently GreenWorks: Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association) and the New England Nursery Association.
“I am thrilled to be associated with this special place that Dr. Bartlett created,” von Trapp said in the statement. “Together, with the Board of Directors, the staff, and the volunteers, I hope to grow the Bartlett Arboretum’s reputation as a favorite community destination and first-class educational and research facility.”
Von Trapp, who is a Redding resident, is also the author of three how-to books on landscaping: Landscape Doctor, Landscaping from the Ground Up and Landscape Makeover Book. She is also the U.S. researcher and writer for DK Publishing’s A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants and has contributed to several magazines and books, including “Martha Stewart Living,” “This Old House Magazine,” and IDG’s Landscaping for Dummies.
Von Trapp has spent the last 12 years working as a fundraiser and communications specialist at independent schools in Connecticut and New York and as development director at Western Connecticut State University. She is a graduate of the Leadership Danbury program and serves on the Board of Directors of the Lake Dunmore Fern Lake Association in Salisbury, Vermont.