By Abbey Ascolani, RORG Student Team
Introducing Gabriel Harper-Hagen
Meet Gabe, a recent graduate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who has been the Volunteer Coordinator for the Red Oak Rain Garden since January 2022. As he takes the next steps in his career path, we commemorate the highlights of his educational and professional journey.
Background and Interests
Gabe obtained his undergraduate degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Science and his graduate degree in Sustainable Urban Design from UIUC. Through internship experiences and community work, he developed an interest in green infrastructure systems and nature-based solutions. His goal going forward is to help people with ecosystem services and incorporate the urban environment with nature.
Career with the Red Oak Rain Garden
Gabe’s journey with RORG goes back to 2019 when he first emerged in green infrastructure projects during his Illinois Extension internship with Lisa Merrifield, Community and Economic Development Specialist. It was eye opening for Gabe to learn about the green infrastructure field which combines different passions of his — plants, the outdoors, nature, architecture, and design — in a way that’s beneficial to the environment and people.
With a newfound interest in this field, an opportunity arose for a position with the Red Oak Rain Garden to work with their volunteers. Lisa connected Gabe with Eliana Brown and his career with the RORG team took off.
Memorable moments
Gabe has valued the rewarding nature of working with and learning from others at RORG. While he enjoyed leading large group volunteer events, he grew especially fond of the summer sessions with smaller groups. Through learning about the experiences and backgrounds of the volunteers, including Champaign County Master Gardeners and East Central Illinois Master Naturalists, Gabe found that these one-on-one interactions helped him understand the importance of community relations. “The best part is bringing different backgrounds together for a mutual goal and celebrating that goal at the end of work days,” explains Gabe. Additionally, working hands-on with nature and advising students was a source of stress relief for him. He frequently encouraged students from all backgrounds to work with the welcoming RORG team.
Other Recent Projects
Over the course of his educational and professional career, Gabe has been involved in a variety of projects for Lisa Merrifield that have provided remarkable research and information to the UIUC campus, the greater Urbana-Champaign community, and beyond. Some of the most prominent projects include a biodiversity master plan and green infrastructure inventory.
Lisa developed a biodiversity master plan which Gabe worked on for his graduate program after expressing interest in sustainable urban design. The plan analyzes what has been done and what needs to be done for biodiversity hotspots in the Champaign-Urbana region. After synthesizing the findings, which include approximately 50 interviews with community members, the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) will publish the plan to benefit the campus, park districts, and cities.
Another of Lisa’s projects that Gabe contributed to is a green infrastructure inventory for the state through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. This project involved cataloging various green infrastructure practices, providing valuable insights into ongoing installations and initiatives. The map can be found on the Great Lakes to Gulf website.
His other notable projects include creating a community survey about green infrastructure and contributing to new planting developments in Urbana, such as plant designs and schemes for a residential rain garden on Vine Street.
Where He’s Going Next
After establishing an appreciation of forming connections with community members via his time at RORG, Gabe knew that wanted to pursue a career that would enable him to continue to work closely with people. Recognizing the potential communication gaps between organizations and the community, Gabe was inspired to seek work that allows him to get direct feedback from community members and learn from them. As such, he is starting a position as a landscape designer with a residential studio in Chicago and looks forward to being able to work closely with clients by focusing on smaller projects.
Hopes For RORG and Green Infrastructure
Gabe’s hopes for the Red Oak Rain Garden and campus green infrastructure emphasize the importance of continuity and care. He wishes that the rain garden continues to have a dedicated and passionate team to take care of it and be a statewide educational resource. In regard to campus green infrastructure, he envisions a team to take care of the Dorner Drive retention pond, thus creating an ecological corridor that would connect the rain garden, pond, and forest at Illini Grove. (Learn more about previous work on this topic in this 2021 RORG blog.) Finally, he would love to see more students become involved with volunteering for these campus projects to open up the possibility of expanding more natural areas.
Best Wishes to Gabe
“Gabe became an invaluable member of the team, combining his knowledge of plants, design, and stewardship with thoughtful engagement with RORG volunteers and visitors. He is fantastic to work with and it’s been a joy to watch him grow with the rain garden over the past few years,” says Layne Knoche.
Eliana continues, “Everyone on the RORG team thanks Gabe for his wonderful dedication and contributions during his time with us. We miss him and wish him the best of luck with his bright future!”
Abbey is an incoming Senior at UIUC studying Communication with a minor in Legal Studies. Her interests include traveling to national parks, learning about film and television, and spending quality time with family and friends. From being a camp counselor to hammocking around campus, Abbey has a profound passion for the outdoors and will never say no to an opportunity to explore. She is eager to contribute to the missions of the Red Oak Rain Garden, such as community and student engagement, and develop her educational goals through this internship.
redoakraingarden.org 
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