Meet Niko, DUG’s Senior Director of Education & Engagement.
Niko grew up in Kentucky’s heartland, the grandchild of sustenance farmers, where a love for growing food took root early. After swapping rolling hills for mountains, she spent the next decade teaching English as a Second Language across Denver, Mexico, Brazil, and New Zealand, where her passion for cultural exchange and education flourished.
A transformative year WOOFing in New Zealand reconnected Niko to her agricultural roots and deepened her love for permaculture. Ever since, she’s been happily digging in the dirt—gardening, learning, and embracing the lifelong wisdom of Mother Earth.
Since joining Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) in 2020, Niko has worn many (sun)hats. Now, as the Senior Director of Education and Engagement, she leads DUG’s vibrant education programs with a vision of Denver as a place where everyone has the opportunity to grow their own food and reconnect with the land.
A Spanish speaker, chicken whisperer, and devoted plant enthusiast, Niko now calls Eugene home, where she lives with her partner Rah, two mischievous cats, and a feathery flock of six backyard chickens
