About the Founder

My curiosity about plants, nature, and holistic wellness took root in childhood. I followed my biology teachers on nature walks and spent my summers traipsing in the mountain ranges of the Appalachians. My room was always full of bags of leaves and piles of rocks. I remember planting seeds from every fruit I ate, full of wonder about what would happen next.
 

This love of plants has continued throughout my life, and along the way, I also became interested in how and why people become ill and what helps them to become well. Taking a path to heal others seemed inevitable as both my father and grandfather were physicians. So, it was inevitable l that I followed in their footsteps and became a physician. Helping people heal is in our family’s DNA. 
 

Now, after spending more than 30 years in clinical practice in emergency medicine, internal medicine, and public health, I have noticed that prescriptions can help symptoms, but may not address the underlying cause of illness. We are living lives that are disconnected from our landscapes, from our food, and from nature. People who enjoy some connection with living things feel better. 
 

My desire is to correct this imbalance through my work at Taproot. By combining my passions for healing and plants with my love of creating holistic sustainable landscapes, Taproot is dedicated to helping people beyond medicine. Taproot does not simply create a beautiful outdoor environment for clients, it also creates an environment that purposefully helps keep people feel connected to their surroundings while enhancing their well-being, as well.