Katherine Smith
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 decorated buckets are created with that goal in mind.
Beyond the professional, I am a daughter, a sister, and wife, a mother. The creation and dissemination of these buckets are a personal commitment for me. As I began to witness the rise in residential use of broad applications of synthetic herbicides on lawns and sprays of synthetic pesticides for mosquitoes, I decided to start sharing information and encouraging options. For me, this is now a way to honor my dad, who suffered with decades of illness due to indirect exposures, and, I hope, to help save future generations from the struggles he endured — and to encourage biodiversity, better for all of us and our planet.
I have been an environmental advocate on local campuses. In 2022 I completed the Advocacy Bootcamp with Re:wild Your Campus. In 2023 I collaborated with Principal Triplett at Oakhurst Elementary in the City Schools of Decatur to create an ecologically-sensitive IPM for mosquito control, which included hiring goats for ivy removal and installing mosquito buckets on school grounds. In 2024 I helped establish the third organic demonstration plot on Agnes Scott College’s campus at the Dana Fine Arts Building.
I am a Licensed Commercial Pesticide Applicator and Pesticide Contractor, with expertise in mosquitoes. Please ask me questions!
Nell Ruby
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
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.
Our Beliefs & Values & Mission
We believe in collaborative efforts and personal agency. We believe in grassroots change and local/global connections. We believe in critical making and visual acuity. We believe in collaboration and community.
We believe we can (all) make decisions and work together, for good.
We seek to address public, pollinator, and planetary health by increasing biodiversity, enhancing soil health, and reducing (even eliminating!) herbicides and pesticides.
When we started in March 2025, we sought to spread mosquito buckets, whether through DIY instructions or assembly/delivery, throughout Decatur, GA to support our local pollinators and extend the efforts of Bee City USA® – Decatur, GA (Beecatur) and Bee Campus USA® (People for Pollinators). We have already moved beyond that goal, literally and figuratively. We have a partnership with Intown Ace Hardware on Scott Boulevard, buckets throughout Atlanta, and an expanding list of products.
We provide individual consultations and group workshops; we travel and speak throughout and beyond Decatur. Please visit us frequently, check out our blog, sign up for our mailing list and announcements, and email us if you have interest or questions.
