Conservationist, Nonprofit Leader

15 years of experience in conservation and education

Chad is the Director of Conservation and Education at the Naples Botanical Garden. Chad Washburn began his career at Naples Botanical Garden in 2006. In the years that followed, he took a direct role in caring for the land working to reconstruct the ecosystems within the Garden’s Preserve. He’s also shared the organization’s expertise with colleagues in the local community and throughout the Caribbean, creating partnerships vital to the protection of countless threatened and endangered plant species. Chad served as the inaugural Director of Education at the Garden’s opening in 2009, later moving into his conservation post and setting the course for the Garden’s mission to extend beyond its grounds.

Chad Washburn has established Memoranda of Understanding with gardens in Haiti, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, and with the USDA Forest Service and National Wildlife refuges, which provide collaboration opportunities in South Florida and the Caribbean. Of prime importance is identifying at-risk species and prioritizing efforts to protect them. On a global scale, Washburn collaborates with Botanic Gardens Conservation International to bring people and gardens together to address the greatest environmental needs in the Caribbean region. This work includes assessing the threat of extinction of plant species on behalf of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Chad has an MSES in Applied Ecology from Indiana University Bloomington