C.J. McCartney, Nature-Inspired Landscaping – Wildflower Meadows & Butterflies

After moving to South Florida from Chicago in the late nineties, CJ McCartney underwent a shift in interests. Unfettered
from her company, and now living in a subtropical climate, she began cycling and hiking natural habitats and started
noticing all the wildlife that lived in and depended upon them for survival.
Along with a changing philosophy from “Somebody ought to do something about that, to one day realizing that she
could do something,” she started learning how to be a knowledgeable and effective Environmental Steward. Along with
training to become a Master Gardener, she started taking a variety of botanical and horticulture classes and seminars to
supplement her formal education from Harvard University in public policy and urban management.
Currently, she works with local groups to install pollinator gardens, is the Master Gardner in Residence at Ann Norton
Sculpture Garden and serves on several Boards and gardening committees.
Two decades later, that budding interest takes many forms — photographing nature, speaking to community groups as
well as designing/installing pollinator and wildflower gardens are just some of the ways it shows up today.
She approaches all her community service with an underlying belief that – together – we can mitigate the loss of
natural habitats by creating a patch or a plot of wildlife friendly yards to offer our homeless wildlife and native plants
a safe and welcoming haven.