In 2008 she founded the Azuero Earth Project in Panama to promote chemical-free reforestation with native trees on the Azuero Peninsula.[citation needed][4]
In 2013 she founded the Perfect Earth Project to “promote nature-based, toxic-free land care practices for the health of people, their pets, and the planet.” The organization’s key programs are based on its mission, which is to "educate, engage, and inspire individuals, land care professionals, and decision makers to adopt toxic-free, nature-based, and climate-responsible landscaping practices for a healthier, more sustainable—and beautiful—environment for all."
[5][6] She is the founder and board chair.[7]
In 2024, she was named one of the top 50 Creatives in America by Wallpaper magazine, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh.[8]
Her husband Jay Chiat, died in 2002. She has a daughter, Ariel Sheldon, and a grandson, Dylan.
Affiliations:
Founding member and past president of Metro Hort Group
Member of the Board "What is Missing?", Maya Lin's environmental media artwork
Member, Advisory Council, Philip Johnson Glass House
Awards
Quill and Trowel Award for Garden Writing, 1998
Institute of Classical Architecture and Art's Arthur Ross Award, 2012
Decoration and Design Building Stars of Design Award, Landscape Design, 2013
Guild Hall Lifetime Achievement In the Visual Arts, 2017
NY School of Interior Design Green Design Award, 2018
Isamu Noguchi Award, 2018
Quogue Wildlife Refuge Conservator Award, 2020
LongHouse Visionary Award from LongHouse Reserve, 2022[9]