Meredith Gauthier is the Recycling Program Manager for Austin Parks and Recreation and has worked for PARD since 2013. Meredith's mission as a sustainability professional is to implement a comprehensive recycling program at all Austin park sites. She works with the City’s urban agriculture and green infrastructure teams, and facilitates farmer's markets at parks. Previously, she was the Community Gardens Program coordinator and managed 27 community gardens on City land while helping new gardens get permitted, and also managed the Wildlife Austin program. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and is a SITES Accredited Professional as well. Meredith holds bachelor’s degrees in Ecology and English from Rice University and master’s degrees in public policy and urban planning from The University of Texas at Austin. She wants to see more recycling and composting in parks, more nature in public spaces, and believes that landscape gardens should be edible - for wildlife and for humans!