OUR STORY
The dedicated and close-knit team at Boreal Bioscapes creates one-of-a-kind outdoor spaces using sustainable practices, extensive horticultural knowledge and artistic design principles. We are committed to providing you with creative gardens and landscapes of impeccable quality.
"Thank you again for all your hard work. We received many compliments on the garden and people have certainly mentioned how wonderful it looks!"
- Karen Vezina
Meet Our Team
Boreal Bioscapes founder Claire Kaufman is an Alaskan Master Gardener with over 15 years of design, horticulture and project management experience.
Claire is is a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers and has trained under prominent British designer Duncan Heather. Claire has worked in both the commercial and non-profit garden sectors, along with instructing college-level courses in soil science.
Claire is the Past-President of the Board of Directors at the Alaska Botanical Garden. When she is not busy working with clients, Claire enjoys experimenting with new plants and techniques in her own garden (or skiing when it is too cold to garden!).
Jason Wareham has over five years of gardening and tree health care experience, combined with an environmental science degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage.
He is an expert pruner and is skilled in the areas of fertilizing, pest management, and cultivation.
Jason loves to be outside and has a passion for growing plants both edible and ornamental. He has an innate ability as a "plant doctor", bringing sick plants back to life.
Dan Paparella has a degree in environmental science. He has spent most of his life landscaping and working on farms, doing everything from driving trucks, trailers and tractors, to starting seeds and brewing compost teas.
As a newbie to Anchorage's climate and environment, Dan is looking forward to learning how to work with local soils, weather and animals to produce the best, most abundant vegetables, fruits and flowers for our clients' enjoyment.
Dan's favorite aspect about gardening is the planting process. There is just something about getting your hands in the soil, and giving a plant a new home and the chance to grow into something bigger and/or better than it currently is.
Porscha Banker brings professional experience working as a gardener and designer in New Orleans, Louisiana. Being born and raised in the Alaskan interior, she also brings a personal knowledge of the natural environment of Alaska.
Porscha hopes to deepen her understanding of the Alaskan environment with hands-on experience, as well as broadening her knowledge of garden design in a growing zone very different from New Orleans.
The living aspect is Porscha's favorite part of gardening. Plants bring life to our designed home environments, while simultaneously being homes themselves, and this duality feels magical to witness.
Valerie Brudie-Janigo brings hard work and detailed oriented teamwork skills to the Boreal Bioscapes crew.
She hopes to become more knowledgeable about how to care for native plants and revive plants that are struggling to grow.
Valerie’s favorite aspect of gardening is getting to hang out with all of the plants.