In my youth, amidst the bustle of New York City and the shadows of burnout and depression, I found solace in the forest. As a descendant of the Afro-Taíno Cimarrónes of the Bahoruco Mountains, I was irresistibly drawn to the wild. Nature became my greatest teacher, guiding me to forage for medicine, deepen my relationship with the living world, and begin the long process of healing. Drawing from the traditional healing practices of my mother and grandmother, alongside my own intuitive relationship with plants and the spirit world, I gradually found my way back to myself.

Over the next decade, my path led me through intensive herbalism studies, spiritual ceremony, community organizing, urban foraging, queer birthwork, and a multidisciplinary art practice. Together, these experiences revealed that healing is not simply about treating symptoms—it is about restoring relationship: with ourselves, our ancestors, one another, and the living intelligence of the Earth.

In 2020, I founded Botánica Cimarrón. Born from a deep respect for ancestral traditions, a critical examination of the present, and a radical imagination for more reciprocal futures, Botánica Cimarrón is an interdisciplinary cultural production studio exploring Afro-Indigenous ways of knowing through plants, sound, art, and ritual. Through publications, gatherings, educational experiences, and creative collaborations, we cultivate deeper relationships with the living world for those dreaming beyond the one we’ve inherited.