Abby Rhinehart manages public and private events, field trips, and kitchen programs at Mission Garden. Passionate about creating equitable, hands-on opportunities for environmental education, she has worked in science education, communications, and research at the University of Washington and the University of Alaska Anchorage. She previously served as an educator with the Washington State History Museum and the National Park Service. Abby earned an M.A. in Museum Studies with a specialization in evaluation from the University of Washington. In her free time, she enjoys backpacking, learning about plants, making pottery, and spending time with her dog, Taco.
Mission Garden is a living agricultural museum and community garden located at the base of Sentinel Peak in Tucson, Arizona. Known as “Tucson’s birthplace,” the Garden interprets over 4,000 years of continuous agriculture in the region, from Hohokam and O’odham traditions to the Spanish Mission era and modern heritage crops. Managed by Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace, Mission Garden is both an educational and cultural site—hosting public events, school field trips, and volunteer programs that celebrate desert agriculture, traditional knowledge, and the deep connections between people, food, and the land.