Bergen County Audubon Society President Don Torino welcomes Michelle Wiessner of Van Vleck House and Gardens in Montclair to The Nature Connection radio show this Sunday, Oct. 25. The program can be heard from 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. on WFDU 89.1 FM and will be available starting on Monday at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-connection/id6795559600

Michelle is Director of Education at Van Vleck House and Gardens, one of Montclair’s most treasured historic and horticultural landmarks. It traces its origins to 1868, when Joseph Van Vleck Sr. moved his family from Brooklyn to Montclair and established a 12-acre country estate. Like many successful businessmen of the era, he sought a refuge from industrial city life and envisioned a grand home surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds.

Today, the estate’s historic centerpiece remains the distinctive U-shaped Italianate villa. The house and gardens are a testament to generations of stewardship and a deep appreciation for horticulture, beauty, and community.

Michelle is dedicated to providing engaging environmental, horticultural, arts and wellness programs for children, families and adults. Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Rutgers University and completed additional coursework in outdoor teaching, environmental education and ecology.  Previously she worked as the Director of Education at Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit for over 10 years, presented outdoor teaching workshops at the New Jersey Science Teachers Convention, the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE) Conference and several individual schools in the New Jersey area.

The Nature Connection airs on the fourth Sunday of each month.