Erica Klopf was raised in Naples and is dedicated to the development sustainable landscapes in South Florida. She completed her undergraduate work at Florida Gulf Coast University in Spring of 2012 with a double major in Art and Environmental Studies. Her university experience included one year of service in the Student Government as the Director of Environmental Initiatives, two years as the assistant to the Director of Sustainability in the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, and two years as a student naturalist, leading tours of natural areas and connecting students to concepts of sustainability. She completed internships at the Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead, Florida, at the Naples Botanical Gardens in Naples, Florida, and at Benchmark Inc in Ft. Myers, Florida as an Edible Landscape Designer. Her studies of ecology, tropical fruits, and design culminated in the design of the Florida Gulf Coast University Food Forest. She is currently authoring a Care Guide which features her illustrations of the the fruits in the Food Forest She is certified as an Advanced Permaculture Designer.