Stefan Bloodworth is executive director of the Columbus Botanical Garden. Our Heiferhorn Way campus is closed to help stop the spread of COVID-19, but this Sunday’s service (April 19) will be available on our YouTube channel at 11 a.m.

Biologist Edward O. Wilson famously described “biophilia” as “the rich, natural pleasure that comes from being surrounded by living organisms.” Stefan understands that. He was raised on a farm in Durham County, North Carolina. Cows, horses, whip-poor-wills and bobwhites, he says, were the soundtrack of his childhood. The forest was where he was happiest. He learned to identify trees, frogs, flowers and birds “with a passion bordering on obsession.” Stefan earned a bachelor’s degree in English from North Carolina State University, where he also studied forest ecology. His career has included landscape design and 16 years as a curator of the acclaimed Bloomquist Garden of Southeastern Native Plants at Duke University. Stefan joined the Columbus Botanical Garden in 2018. He calls it “a young garden with boundless potential and big dreams.” Stefan and his wife, Erika, who’s a member of our Fellowship, raised two boys, Ethan and Samuel.

Tune in to Sunday’s service on our YouTube Channel, and don’t forget to leave a comment. If you post a question, you might even get a follow-up answer.

Topics: Biophilia, Environmentalism