Kamryn Gardner is the Community Engagement Program Manager at Green Living Science, overseeing programs focused on curbside and public space recycling education. She works closely with community members to activate public parks through stewardship efforts, promote recycling, and foster environmental leadership at the neighborhood level. Kamryn manages a team of ambassadors and park champions who help lead community outreach, organize cleanups, canvassing neighborhoods to increase curbside recycling participation, and connecting Detroiters back to nature. Through this work, she helps build community leadership and a culture of stewardship to keep Detroit clean and green. Kamryn holds a degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability from Michigan State University and is passionate about empowering Detroit residents to become stewards of their local environment.

TSN Conference 2026

January 22nd, 2026 (Thursday) // 3:05 pm – 4:05 pm // Room 104 // Our Backyard Detroit: Empowering Residents to Transform Parks and Neighborhoods // Our Backyard Detroit (OBD) transforms parks into living classrooms, empowering Detroit residents to lead environmental stewardship in their neighborhoods. Through a contractor model, we hire local residents as Champions who facilitate hands-on education, host events, and reinforce recycling and sustainability behaviors citywide. OBD combines youth engagement, school programming, and multi-family recycling initiatives to strengthen community leadership, intergenerational collaboration, and equitable access to resources. By embedding sustainability into daily routines and providing standardized materials, training, and partnership support, we enable resident-led initiatives that foster neighborhood pride, lasting environmental change, and deeper connections between Detroiters and their green spaces.