Founder and Owner sam smiley (they/them/theirs) has a background in invasive ecology, permaculture design, videography and photography. They also have over 20 of years experience as an educator in STEM and STEAM. sam presents their research and documentary work on Japanese Knotweed and Invasive Species at academic conferences around the world . Right now sam is getting their hands dirty and going right into the weeds with Astrodime, educating people about how they can manage their own backyard ecologies. Astrodime is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island with a satellite office in Provincetown, Massachusetts,
You can find more information about sam’s arts-based approach to science education in this article.
LICENSES
Rhode Island Arborist Lic. #1194
Rhode Island Certified Coastal Invasive Manager #386
CERTIFICATIONS & EDUCATION
Permaculture Design Certificate, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Green School (Arboriculture Track), University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Master of Fine Arts, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Master of Fine Arts, Troy, NY
Bachelors of Fine Arts, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA
PUBLICATIONS:
“A Knotty Problem: Arts Based Action Research in and out of a Community Garden”. Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience, 3(2).
“Field Recording or Field Observation?: Audio Meets Method in Qualitative Research. “The Qualitative Report, 20(11), 1812-1822. Retrieved from http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol20/iss11/8 .