About | KRA

About the KCC

What began as a small neighborhood effort has grown into a powerful grassroots movement to restore and protect Kenilworth’s natural spaces.

Our story started when a few passionate members of the Kenilworth Residents Association came together with one goal: help Riverlink remove invasive species—especially fast-spreading kudzu—from a 3+ acre property in the heart of Kenilworth. Armed with gloves, clippers, and a love for their local environment, these volunteers laid the groundwork for something much bigger.

Word spread, momentum grew, and what started as a weekend cleanup turned into a sustained community effort. Over time, our mission expanded beyond that first parcel of land. Today, our nonprofit actively stewards Meadow Park, Seven Springs Park, and Forest Park, working to restore native ecosystems, improve trail access, and educate neighbors about the value of healthy green spaces.

Our work is deeply rooted in the belief that conservation starts at home. By bringing together residents, local organizations, and environmental experts, we're reclaiming overgrown areas, protecting native plants and wildlife, and fostering a stronger connection between people and the land.

We’re just getting started. With plans to expand into other open spaces throughout Kenilworth, we’re committed to creating a greener, healthier, more vibrant community—one park at a time.

Meet the KCC Board

Betsy Alexander

Member

Betsy Alexander has lived in the Kenilworth neighborhood for over 25 years. She started with a lot filled with English ivy, grass and privet, but came to love native plants as the invasive plants were removed and replaced with natives. The deal was sealed when birds, butterflies and fireflies started showing up. Now she’d like to join with other native plant gardeners in Kenilworth and create a community-wide pollinator pathway for all to enjoy.

Dawn Camner

Co-Chair, Co-Founder

Dawn is an independent creative director, graphic designer, and amateur gardener who moved to Kenilworth in 2021. She quickly learned that there was a big problem—thanks to a nudge from her neighbor, Elisa. Her backyard was completely overrun with kudzu. A professional removal estimate for $11k inspired her to tackle it herself. Years later, her yard remains almost entirely kudzu-free. Motivated by the state of other neglected green spaces in the neighborhood, Dawn stepped up to co-chair the KCC.

Although she’s maintained gardens in New York's Hudson Valley, England, and Saudi Arabia, she didn’t know much about eco-conservation until joining the KCC. Still, she’s just the right kind of obsessed to ensure the momentum—and the mission—keeps growing.

Elisa Carvajal

Co-Chair, Co-Founder

Elisa spent 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry, developing manufacturing processes and streamlining operations. After making Asheville her second home, she turned her attention to a new challenge: invasive plants taking over her neighborhood.

What began as a collaborative effort with Riverlink to clear invasives grew into co-founding the Kenilworth Conservation Collective with friends who shared her passion. Today, she brings a vision-focused mindset to community conservation, working alongside amazing neighbors to keep the momentum going.

She still enjoys a good workday: pulling vines, stacking up huge kudzu piles, and soaking in the spirit of Kenilworth.

Liana Hibbard

Co-Founder

Liana Hibbard served as the President of the Kenilworth Residents' Association (KRA) from 2022 to 2024. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Liana earned a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning. Before moving to Asheville, Liana volunteered as a Certified California State Naturalist, Land Steward, and Instructional Aide at Pepperwood Preserve, a conservation science center focused on ecosystem monitoring, applied interdisciplinary research, and nature-based science education. A resident of Kenilworth from 2020 to 2024, Liana is dedicated to serving this vibrant, biodiverse community. Today, Liana lives in Amherst, MA, with her husband and twin daughters.

Mary Ann Roser

Member

Mary Ann Roser is a writer and editor who worked at daily newspapers for several decades. In 2016, she founded a communications consulting company, Roser Prose LLC. In that role, she edits the University of Texas business school magazine, consults with various clients and edits books. She and her husband, Ted Thomas, moved in May 2024 from Austin to Kenilworth where they enjoy walks, treasure their neighbors and cave to the whims of their cats, Stanley, Stella and Blanche.

Karen Willey

Co-Founder

Karen Willey, Climate change communicator. Flower hunter. People connector. Tree hugger. And Educational consultant: helping folks to learn more about native plants and ecosystems. “Because I am a naturalist, I want my grandchildren’s grandchildren to have access to the same beauty that I see around me daily, that is why I communicate climate change.” She and her husband Matt bought a home in Kenilworth in early 2022 and Karen is currently on the Azalea Garden Volunteer Crew at the North Carolina Arboretum.

Michelle Wise

Member

Michelle D. Wise is a former art director, visuals editor and designer for The Homes & Gardens of the Northwest in Portland, Oregon. She is also the granddaughter of American farmers who undertook sustainable efforts well before the adoption of modern conservation practices. Today, she uses those family guidelines and principles in her own Kenilworth garden.
After retiring, Michelle and her spouse Jean, moved to Asheville to be more community connected, especially with Kenilworth’s thriving artists network and so she could pursue her independent graphic design and mixed media work.

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