ANGELA LUGO-THOMAS
she/her
Garden Development Manager
Angela Lugo-Thomas, also known as Detroit Boricua, lives in Highland Park with her family. As part of the Garden Development Team, Angela's your go-to for garden planning, site visits, soil testing, and a wealth of resources to grow and expand your garden. She has been an active member of the Garden Resource Program since 2009.
Angela started gardening in her community in 2008, was a former KGD board member, and previously worked at KGD as a garden development specialist with the early childhood garden program. She's also accomplished a few farming milestones like graduating from KGD’s Urban Roots in 2009, Soul Fire Farm's 2022 Farm Immersion Training Program, and the 2023 MSU Organic Farmer Training Program. She has a strong interest in learning more about medicinal and native plants. Angela is also the seasonal garden manager at Palmer Park Community Garden in Detroit.
Angela is developing Liberty Plaza in Highland Park, which will house Liberty Farm and Boricua Garden. She is a proud recipient of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund. Her advocacy for public park spaces has earned her the nickname "the resident protestor." When she's not busy cultivating and protecting green spaces, she can be found leading walking groups, dancing with the RicanStruction Bomba Drum and Dance group, promoting and organizing community events, and capturing life's moments through photography.
Aside from her work with the Garden Development Team, Angela is a board member of the Detroit People’s Food Co-op, a founding member of La Casita Cimarrón y Yuketi de Detroit, and Planet Detroit's former Community Engagement Reporter. Angela holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Michigan State University, where she also studied nursing.