EMMA GONZALEZ

PRIVATE EVENTS MANAGER | PROGRAMMING & EVENTS | she/her

Greenspace can be so transformative, and it's often in these tiny, quiet moments. Being able to witness that is a real gift. Like when you watch someone taste something for the first time, or when you see two strangers become acquaintances over the shared experience of getting into some dirt. Alternate answer: a few years back, I had a week of laying cobblestones in a park that nearly broke my brain/body, but I was pretty proud of it.

FAVORITE GREEN SPACE IN NYC

Smiling Hogshead Ranch in Long Island City is terrific, it feels like wandering into a wizard's backyard or something, and you can feel the love and care right when you enter. A great place to bring a book and a lunchbox. Governor's Island is also a delight to explore, and there is always something confusing and wonderful going on there.

PROUDEST GREEN THUMB MOMENT

FAVORITE PLANTS

I love a plant that doubles as a joke. I can't pass a snapdragon without making it's little mouth talk (which I think gets old if you spend much time with me), and I get a kick out of handing someone a spilanthes and watching their face as they eat it (a wild sensory experience). Or! And this one isn't funny, but I just love it so much -- marigolds are edible and the leaves taste exactly how the flowers smell, in this way that hits me with a wave of childhood nostalgia/ olfactory memory.