Vertae's Story

Vertae began, as so many things do, with a walk.

Looking at the plants growing along the paths and hillsides of the French countryside near our home in Chaponost, we realized how little we knew about them — and how little most people do. We didn't know their names, their stories, or the extraordinary roles they play in the world around us. We didn't know that one of them, the Centaurée de Lyon, grows nowhere else on Earth.

That walk became a question: what if people knew? What if children grew up understanding the names and stories of the plants in their own backyards? Would they care more? Would they protect them?

We believe the answer is yes. And so Vertae was born.

We started small — with an iPad, an Apple Pencil, a pot of marigold seeds germinating on our kitchen windowsill, and a deep belief that art and education can change the way people see the world.

Our founding mission statement was a simple but powerful conviction: that the best way to protect nature is to help people fall in love with it first.

Founded in 2026 by Elicia Hyde-DeRuyscher and Rayan Al Amoudi, and based in Chaponost, just outside Lyon, France, Vertae is an organisation dedicated to raising awareness about local plant biodiversity through art, education, and community. Vertae is officially recognized by the French government as a nonprofit association (Association Loi 1901).

We are not botanists. We are not scientists. We are simply two people who looked at the wild plants growing around us — in the hedgerows, the woodlands, and the hillsides of the Lyon region — and decided that they deserved to be known, loved, and protected. Plants deserve a voice.

Our Mission

Vertae's mission is to educate the general public — and especially children and young adults — about the wild plants native to their region, the vital role these plants play in biodiversity, climate resilience, human health, and animal wellbeing, and the simple things each of us can do to protect them.

We believe that knowledge is the first step toward love, and love is the first step toward protection. That is why everything we do at Vertae begins with a story.

Our Ambassadors

At the heart of Vertae are three plant ambassadors — Sol, Milo, and Emmett — each representing a different facet of our mission.

Meet our ambassadors here.

What We Do

Vertae's work takes place across three interconnected areas:

Education in Schools & Daycares Our first goal is to bring Vertae into local schools and daycares near Lyon. Through guided nature walks with botanical experts, months-long grow-your-own plant projects, immersive art workshops, puppet shows, and musical performances, we help students discover the wild plants of their region, understand their ecological and medicinal importance, and develop a lasting connection with the natural world around them. Our first intervention is planned for September 2026, with the ambition of expanding to multiple French departments over the next five years.

Online Education & Live Streaming Vertae reaches beyond the classroom through its bilingual online presence. On social media, we share daily content following the journeys of Sol, Milo and Emmett — from seed to bloom. Soon, on Twitch, we will host live educational streams including interviews with botanists and environmental scientists, interactive podcast-style sessions with our community, and live field streams searching for rare species and supporting local conservation efforts. Our first live stream is planned for the end of 2026. Inspired by the model of Alveus Sanctuary (Maya Higa) — which has built a passionate global community around animal conservation through live streaming — Vertae applies the same principles to the plant world.

Art & Conservation Vertae's botanical art shop offers hand-illustrated cards, prints, and textiles featuring Sol, Milo, Emmett and other local wild species. Each product is designed to be as beautiful as it is educational — a piece of Vertae's world that you can hold, gift, or display at home. All proceeds from the shop directly fund Vertae's educational mission.

Get Involved

Vertae is a community project. It cannot exist without the people who believe in it. Whether you follow our ambassadors on social media, become a member, make a donation, purchase from the Vertae atelier, work with us, or simply share our story with someone you love — you are part of Vertae.

Knowing a plant is the first step to protecting it. 🌿