Tina Cross received her bachelor’s in English with a minor in Digital Writing, Literature and Design from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2020. Since then, she has pursued her combined love of the outdoors and education by becoming a Minnesota Master Naturalist volunteer. One of her greatest passions is pollinator gardens and designing natural play spaces for her son to enjoy. Tina takes every opportunity to share her love and knowledge of pollinator gardens with her community and is currently a coach for Lawn 2 Legumes grantees, offering support in garden design and plant selection. In 2017, Tina published a book titled Lost Farms of the St. Croix Valley, where she interviewed local farmers and shared their stories and photographs as part of a regional history. She is employed at the University of Minnesota Duluth as a Personnel Document Analyst for the Swenson College of Science and Engineering, where she assists the finance and human resources team with faculty, staff, and student appointments. Tina is currently enrolled in the Master’s of Parent and Family Education with licensure program and continues to focus her education on nature-based learning. Tina currently lives in the Duluth, Minnesota area with her husband, son, and two energetic dogs. She spends her free time gardening, hiking, chasing her toddler, and volunteering at the Esko School Garden.
