In her research, she draws on feminist posthumanist theories and urban political ecology lenses to study human-animal relationships in informal learning spaces like aquariums and gardens. Teresa's current project examines how community gardens might challenge historical conceptualizations of urban landscapes that posit them as devoid of and not for “nature,” especially common urban animals. Further, she explores how service-learning in these sites can be deployed as a pedagogical tool to encourage her undergraduate students (many of whom are pursuing teaching at the early childhood or primary level) to grapple with their own sense of socioecological responsibility. She can be contacted at tllor001@ucr.edu