Daily Inspiration: Meet Carianne Campbell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carianne Campbell.

Hi Carianne, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I absolutely love the desert, and I have been an advocate for native plants for as long as I can remember! After getting a degree in Botany, I knew I had to move to the Sonoran Desert, where all of the most amazing plants grow.

Through my experiences working with the National Park Service, and later as an environmental consultant and then in the non-profit conservation sector, I have worked all over the southwest and northern Mexico on projects focused on vegetation restoration and wildlife habitat. In 2019, I decided to take my passion and build a business that creates accessible and educational options for the community. That is how Strategic Habitat Enhancements, SHE, came to be.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I first started out, it felt pretty lonely advocating for the use of native plants. I knew several other native plant gardeners, but we seemed pretty “fringe.” It has been amazing to see the transformation over the past 20 years or so, though, as it is starting to be more mainstream. People are becoming more connected to this place – the Sonoran Desert – and more and more want to enjoy birds, pollinators, and natural wildlife in their yards!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most known for my knowledge of native desert plants and how they can be used in wildland and urban landscapes. I am not “decorating” landscapes with native plants but finding ways that people can live in better harmony with nature by strategically using native plant materials. I really believe that together we can create an urban network of wildlife and pollinator habitat!

I have designed my services around these goals, and I focus on providing educational classes and workshops both online and in-person on a wide variety of topics related to native plants, pollinators, and other wildlife. I work with residential clients to co-create landscape plans that they can implement themselves or with my help.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
It was like a lightning bolt hit me. On a college field trip, we arrived at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument after dark. I opened the door to my tent and was completely awestruck. I was seeing the amazing splendor of native Sonoran Desert vegetation – strange forms of cholla, prickly pear, mounded shrubs, saguaros, and organ pipe cactus, for the very first time. In an instant, I was struck with a clear message – I would build my life’s work around protecting and advocating for these plants. I was 18 and fresh from the east coast (I grew up in Maryland), I had never been west of the Mississippi River, yet I had never felt so at home.

That was 27 years ago, and I did not squander that moment of inspiration. I got my undergraduate degree in Botany and then got my first “real job” as a biologist at Saguaro National Park, where I learned all the native plants in the low desert and measured thousands of saguaros.

Contact Info:

• Email: carianne@strategichabitats.com
• Website: www.strategichabitats.com
• Instagram: strategic_habitats
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Strategic-Habitat-Enhancements-606857666403867

Image Credits
Personal photo by Ed Flores, Carianne Campbell