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Award-Winning Horticultural Training Programs

The Delaware Center for Horticulture operates the only nationally accredited conservation corps program in Delaware.  

Branches to Chances® (BtC) is a nine-week horticultural training program for unemployed, underemployed, those in recovery and/or previously incarcerated individuals.  Launched in 2009, and accredited by The Corps Network in 2025, Branches to Chances® (BtC) has trained more than 117 individuals in entry level skills in horticultural education – from landscaping, tree stewardship and urban agriculture to park maintenance –our program provides paid employment and exposure to green jobs.   Activities include hands-on training with daily tasks such as weeding and reinforcing a basis of knowledge in plant/weed identification, basic botany, equipment use, and safety.  

Branches to Chances class

Branches to Chances® (BtC) program participants are also provided with wellness counseling and training, skill building and knowledge in financial and computer literacy, preparing them for holistic life skills to build a solid foundation for success.  DCH staff assists with job placement for our graduates with a nearly 70% success rate. 

Branches to Chances® (BtC) is generously supported by:

Bank of America

Corteva

Chichester duPont Foundation

Discover

Middle Run Foundation

M&T Charitable Foundation

US Forest Service

U.S. Senator Coons

WSFS CARES Foundation

Urban Conservation Corps (UCC) 

Building on the success of Branches to Chances® (BtC) the DCH has launched the Urban Conservation Corps, a 12-week paid horticultural training program for individuals aged 18-25.  Leveraging the network of the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps our Urban Conservation Corps (UCC) program is modeled after more than 150+ Corps nationwide providing young adults the opportunity to serve, learn and earn, by supporting conservation projects in urban communities. UCC participants will be trained in ecological landscape management, urban and regenerative agriculture, and urban and community forestry in over 22 DCH-managed sites throughout Wilmington and New Castle County.  As Delaware Center for Horticulture is also part of a network of American Public Gardens Association and U.S. Botanic Gardens,  UCC participants will have access to field studies projects at some of the region’s most innovative and established horticultural institutions, as well city and county parks, with an emphasis on building skills-based learning in horticulture and conservation practices to attain entry level positions in green industries.    

Our UCC is a 12-week paid horticultural training program for individuals aged 18-25. Leveraging the network of the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, our UCC program is modeled after more than 150+ Corps nation wide providing young adults the opportunity to serve, learn and earn, by supporting conservation projects in urban communities. 

UCC participants will be trained in ecological landscape management, urban and regenerative agriculture, and urban and community forestry in over 22 DCH-managed sites throughout Wilmington and New Castle County.  As Delaware Center for Horticulture is also part of a network of American Public Gardens Association and U.S. Botanic Gardens, UCC participants will have access to field studies projects at some of the region’s most innovative and established horticultural institutions, as well city and county parks, with an emphasis on building skills-based learning in horticulture and conservation practices to attain entry level positions in green industries.  

Applications for Urban Conservation Corps program are now being accepted for our summer co-hort.  To apply, please visit our career opportunities here. 

2023 Branches to Chances® Sponsors

  • ABHA Architects
  • Acme Store #808
  • Bancroft Construction
  • Bank of America
  • Capital One
  • City of Wilmington
  • The Corps Network/The William Penn
  • Foundation
  • Corteva Agriscience
  • Delaware Criminal Justice Council
  • Delaware State Parks/Brandywine Zoo
  • Discover Bank
  • Gordon, Fournaris & Mammarella, PA
  • Harry’s Hospitality Group/Kid Sheleen’s
  • Su and Peter Horty
  • Bob Hurka
  • Jewish Family Services
  • Kentmere Rehabilitation and Healthcare
  • The Laffey-McHugh Foundation
  • New Castle County
  • Pettinaro Management, LLC
  • Alice Reilly
  • Williams Houck & Co., LLC
  • Wilmington Trust
  • T.D. Bank
  • The WSFS CARES Foundation

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Rachel Mussaf

Office Manager

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Rachel supports the day-to-day operations and administration of the Delaware Center for Horticulture as Office Manager. With more than 18 years of experience in non-profit administration, education, community engagement, and program management. She enjoys building relationships, keeping things organized, and helping create welcoming spaces where people and organizations can thrive.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Josh, and their two children, Jenna, 17, and Henry, 15. As a family, they love spending time together, exploring new places, and cheering each other on in all of their activities and adventures.

Noah Zeigler

Urban Greening Coordinator

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Noah Ziegler is the Urban Greening Coordinator at DCH where he uses ARC GIS to plot and plan upcoming projects around New Castle County.  He has had a diverse career path that include time with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and DNREC Environmental Laboratory.  Graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Environmental and Energy Resource Management and is now working towards his master’s in environmental management from University of Rhode Island.  In his spare time, Noah enjoys camping, playing ultimate frisbee, and playing darts.  

Alexis Bacon

Education Coordinator

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Alexis Bacon is the Educational Coordinator at DCH where she assists with supporting preexisting programs like Branches to Chances and the Urban Conservation Corps and developing additional programming for adult and child education. She has worked in horticulture and sustainability for over ten years, primarily in the public garden world with internships at Scott Arboretum, University of Delaware Botanic Garden, and a variety of roles at the American Public Gardens Association. She received her bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Temple University and a master’s degree in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from Virginia Tech. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, picnicking, hiking, and camping. 

Ana Pavón

Advancement Coordinator

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Ana is the Advancement coordinator at DCH, where she supports the planning and execution of fundraising and donor engagement activities including fundraising efforts related to DCH’s programs and projects through events, membership, donor stewardship, and community engagement. With several years of experience supporting municipal and non-profit organizations, she brings a strong background in fundraising and membership work, focused on deepening community engagement, building meaningful relationships, and supporting grassroots giving.

Ana holds a B.A in Sustainability and Certification in Environmental Education from Arizona State University. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, home renovation projects, and traveling.

Julia Ehrhardt

Ecological Landscapes Manager

Julia Lo Ehrhardt is the Manager of Ecological Landscapes and Greening where she works with plants and people to create healthy communities that are beautiful, thriving and regenerative. A self-proclaimed plant nerd, Julia has over twenty years of experience in horticulture, conservation, education, visitor services, and volunteer program management. She possesses a BSc. Agriculture, MS Public Gardens Administration (Longwood Graduate Program) and an MPS in Sustainable Food Systems from the Culinary Institute of America. Her career has taken her to the New York Botanic Garden, Longwood Gardens, Mt Cuba Center, and Tyler Arboretum.

In her spare time, Julia grows a multitude of vegetable varieties, dreams up container combinations and incorporates more plants into her 1/3 acre property in Oxford, PA. She shares this space with her car guy husband and his super garage. Julia also expresses her creativity through knitting, cooking and making fermented foods (kimchi and kombucha). She also volunteers with the Chester County Food Bank and the Oxford Area Environmental Advisory Council.

Kesha Braunskill 

Community Forester

Kesha Braunskill is the Community Forester for the DCH, focusing on Wilmington’s greening efforts and fostering lasting partnerships. With experience at the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Delaware, she has engaged communities and municipalities statewide, emphasizing the significance of trees in both traditional and innovative ways. Kesha is an ISA certified arborist and holds a BS from the University of Maryland and a MS from Delaware State University. Kesha is excited to work with the communities in and around Wilmington to encourage a healthy urban forest. Outside of work, she is an artist and wildlife rehabilitator. 

Ann Mattingly

Director of Horticulture

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Ann Mattingly serves as the Director of Horticulture at the Delaware Center for Horticulture, returning to DCH and Wilmington with over twenty years of experience leading horticulture, public space stewardship, and community-centered greening. Her career has woven together the care of plants, places, and people—guiding urban landscape projects and nurturing partnerships that support neighborhood health and connection. Her earlier work helped establish the E.D. Robinson Urban Farm and launch the Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition, both of which continue to advance food security and justice today. She brings a steady, collaborative vision to nurturing the city’s green spaces, strengthening the places where people gather, grow, and find connection

Adrienne Spencer

Urban Farm Coordinator

302-658-6262

Adrienne plans and implements the production, sale, and marketing of fresh vegetables and fruits at DCH’s E. D. Robinson Urban Farm at 12th & Brandywine, interacting with visitors and customers at the farmer’s market. She holds a B.S. in Communications from Howard University and is a longtime Wilmington resident. Adrienne is a member of PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) and the 2016 Recipient of the Nancy Caroon Travel Scholarship.

 

Jamie Shanklin-Spencer

Urban Agriculture Manager

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As Urban Agriculture Manager, Jamie leads DCH’s efforts to expand equitable food access and sustainable growing practices through urban farming, education, and community partnerships. She manages farm sites, youth programs, and food justice initiatives across Wilmington and beyond.

Jamie is the founder of Messiah’s Market Herbs & Horticulture Inc., where she has developed healing garden spaces, Agri-STEM youth programs, and a year-round farmers market. She currently serves as Chair of the Urban Farm Committee for the Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition (DEUFFC) and as Delaware Director for the Mid-Atlantic Black Farmers Caucus. She is also a certified Delaware Master Gardener, as well as Permaculture Design Specialist.

When she’s not growing food or building community, Jamie enjoys homeschooling her children, creating herbal remedies, and restoring connection to land and culture through storytelling and the soil.
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