OUR TEAM

Katherine Smith

Katherine Smith (advocate/primary doer of all the things): I have been an art historian for over three decades, a professor for over two decades, with Nell. I value good design and successful art, which, for me, communicates concept and message through content and medium. Our mosquito buckets are created with that goal in mind.

Beyond the professional, the creation and dissemination of these buckets are a personal commitment for me. My dad, one of the bravest people I know, died in February 2025 after more than 2 decades of multiple illnesses, all seemingly the result of his airborne exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam. As I began to witness the rise in residential use of broad applications of synthetic herbicides on lawns (which contain a chemical in Agent Orange) and sprays of synthetic pesticides for mosquitoes, I decided to start sharing information and encouraging change. For me, this is now a way to honor my dad and, I hope, to help save future generations from the kind of struggle he endured and to encourage biodiversity, better for all of us and our planet. 

I have been an environmental advocate on our campuses. In 2022 I completed the Advocacy Bootcamp with Re:wild Your Campus, an organization that continues to inspire and guide my work on garden restoration at the Dana Fine Arts Building, Agnes Scott College. In 2023, I collaborated with Principal Triplett at Oakhurst Elementary to create an ecologically-sensitive IPM for mosquito control, which included hiring goats to for ivy removal and installing mosquito buckets on the school grounds.  

Nell Ruby

Nell Ruby (advocate/designer): I am a designer, artist and teacher. Creative collaborative problem solving keeps me optimistic–I think more clearly when I look more carefully, and I look more carefully when I connect thinking and making. The collaboration is where you come in. Together we will envision and design a livable, sustainable, inclusive eco-system that respects all living things. We can do it–one mosquito bucket at a time.  

Peter Helfrich

Peter Helfrich (advocate/educator): A backyard beekeeper for 13 years and a native bee enthusiast, I am president of the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association and current chair of the City of Decatur’s Bee City USA® committee, helping to ensure our community continues to meet numerous criteria related to pollinator conservation. In 2023, I was named a City of Decatur Hometown Hero for my work on behalf of pollinators, and in 2024 I was honored as the Georgia Beekeepers Association’s Beekeeper of the Year.