Doreen Monteleone, a graduate of Master Gardener training in 2014, volunteers at Bayard Cutting Arboretum where she has maintained gardens, built scarecrows, decorated for the holidays and even shoveled snow. As a member of the Bayard Cutting Arboretum Horticultural Society, she has served as President, VP of Publicity, Plant Sale Chair and Arboretum Liaison. Profits from their annual plant sales benefit the Arboretum. Even in 2020, when COVID prevented having the sale at the Arboretum, she held one in front of her house!

Doreen is also a volunteer at the Long Island Maritime Museum where she planted a Long Island native garden and has hosted educational booths at its festivals.

Doreen often speaks at CCE’s Spring Gardening School, libraries and civic groups on the topics of sustainable gardening, growing and using culinary herbs, home composting, and integrating native plants in the landscape. These topics seem to come naturally to her being a sustainability professional and coming from an Italian family with a history of living and eating well. Sustainable practices, cooking and gardening bring together her passions.

At home, Doreen enjoys growing figs, brugmansia, plumeria, and orchids. They join a vegetable garden which produces tomato sauce and pickles for the entire year.

Giving back to the community is important to Doreen. Besides her volunteer gardening activities, she does pet therapy at Stony Brook University Hospital where she and her Lab, “Molly” were named 2020 Volunteers of the Year.