Frédérique Lavoipierre is the author of Garden Allies: The Insects, Birds & Other Animals That Keep Your Garden Beautiful and Thriving. Her column: Voices of the West: New Science on Life in the Garden currently appears in Pacific Horticulture. Frédérique served as the director of education at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, prior to which she was the founding director of the Sustainable Landscape Professional Certificate Program at Sonoma State University. She holds a Masters in biology, with an emphasis on ecological principles of sustainable landscapes; her research focused on plant/insect interactions. She currently teaches, writes, and works as a consultant.