Faces of Green Spring
Meet our Summer Interns!
Kyla Vaught. Photo credit: Laura Strecker.Kyla Vaught: Farmers Markets Intern
This summer I worked with the FCPA Farmers Markets on food security. I conducted outreach to advertise the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Matching Dollars Program for the four markets that accept EBT card benefits. I got to visit the farmers markets and interact with the community, which was always fun. I was able to brainstorm new promotion ideas and create media material to promote healthy eating and food access equity across the county. I learned about food insecurity in Fairfax County, and I am grateful I had the opportunity to advocate for disadvantaged populations in my community through this role. This internship allowed me to meet new people and explore future career paths as I continue my work in public health.
Skyler Foley. Photo used with permission.Skyler Foley: Historic Resources Intern
I served as the Historic Resources Intern at Historic Green Spring. My role at the Historic House has been to research the fourteen people enslaved by John Moss, who owned the house from 1784 till his death in 1809. During the internship, I learned how to conduct genealogical research, worked with documents at the Fairfax Historic Courthouse, and summarized my findings into a slideshow program that will be offered at Green Spring in the future. It has been incredibly rewarding to contribute directly to the local history so close to where I grew up. The staff at Historic Green Spring has been incredible in helping me learn how to conduct and present this type of research. My experience at Green Spring has solidified my interest in public and local history, and I hope to continue this type of work past graduation!
Jack Woods. Photo used with permission.Jack Woods: Horticulture Intern
Over the summer, I had the privilege and pleasure of participating in the Horticulture Intern program at Green Spring Gardens. I was able to participate in many different, exciting projects. We worked hard sprucing up and planting the Concentric Garden and the Long Border with tropical and annual plants. We spent a day at the White Gardens as a team, pruning and weeding to keep the paths walkable and usable.
One of the most exciting projects I got to work on was the Swale Garden, a recessed area under the bridge near the Children's Garden. The swale border is planted with perennials. The interior of the swale was not planted and was covered in weeds. Our team spent time weeding and cleaning up the bottom and sides of the swale in order to plant several hundred plugs of Carex (sedge), a type of water-loving grass. Rain gardens and stormwater management have always fascinated me in horticulture, and I'm pleased that I got to participate in such a project.
Kathleen McNerney. Photo credit: Laura Strecker.Kathleen McNerney: Horticulture Intern
During my time at Green Spring Gardens, I worked all over the property and became familiar with a variety of different gardens and how to care for them. I learned how to identify a number of native and invasive plants, but mostly I learned how much I have still to learn. I discovered that there’s no clear distinction between a “good plant” and a “bad plant” — there are natives that are weedy and invasives that don’t cause any harm. I’d spend time tearing out a certain species in one garden only to carefully weed around it in another. I loved being told about which plants attract which animals and then getting to see it play out in real life. I learned that yellow jackets live underground and that they do not like being disturbed and will chase you. Overall, I learned about all the coordination, cooperation, and long, labor-intensive hours it takes to keep a place as beautiful as Green Spring running. My favorite part of this internship was getting to work with passionate, like-minded people. The collective knowledge of Green Spring Gardens is astounding, and everyone I met was all too happy to share that knowledge.
Shannon Johnson (l) with gardener Marion Adam (r). Photo credit: Susan EggertonShannon Johnson: Horticulture Intern
As my time at Green Spring Gardens comes to an end, I hope to share some thoughts and experiences about my internship. For someone who has never had a job in horticulture, but had prior hobbyist experiences in gardening, I really enjoyed the educational aspect that the job provided. There are so many knowledgeable gardeners that I got to work with. From their overt willingness to share both scholarly knowledge and trade secrets, I felt as if I truly got something out of this internship and not just logged hours. There is a great sense of community and continual learning that I truly enjoyed whilst working here as well. This job is certainly physically demanding, but I found that it was so rewarding to look back on projects that we completed as a team. All in all, as a student pursuing a degree in horticulture I’ve found this internship to be a great way to take the next step in my career.
Tuan Truong (r) with garden plots coordinator Patricia Dietley (l). Photo credit: Laura Strecker.Tuan Truong: Garden Plot Program Intern
My internship experience this summer has been one of great learning. In working with Patricia Dietly with the Garden Plot Program, the garden plot tenants, and Extension Master Gardener volunteers, I had to be adaptable. While reporting on the activities in the Edible Garden, I interacted with the EMGs who tend to the garden, helping them along the way. From them, I learned a lot about seasonal crops in the Northern Virginia area and tips for their cultivation. In working with the garden plot tenants, I was responsible for communicating important notices, friendly reminders, and miscellaneous information to each gardener so that the Garden Plot Program could operate smoothly.
I was also responsible for recording data whenever Patricia and I went out to inspect the gardens for compliance. My experience at Green Spring has helped me be more knowledgeable about the Northern Virginia area as a whole as well as its crops. I have greatly improved my skills in interpersonal communication and data entry. Overall, I am very satisfied with my internship at Green Spring.
Ayesha Shahzad. Photo used with permission.Ayesha Shahzad: Youth and Family Intern
Spending my summer at Green Spring Garden has been exciting, educational, and extremely beneficial to me in so many ways. From instructing summer camp programs to working with other interns to weeding in the garden, my experience here has been something I could not have replicated anywhere else. My favorite memory from this summer was the first week of summer camp when the other counselors and I figured out how best to work together and we found our groove at Green Spring. Since then, all of our camps have gone so smoothly, and we have all had so much fun working with each other and with the kids.
Beyond that, having the opportunity to spend more time in nature has been so amazing. Thanks to my time here, I have a lot more knowledge of plants and gardening than I ever did, and I am finally investing in some of my own plants. My new love for plants is something I see myself carrying with me throughout the rest of my life and I will never forget my summer at Green Spring!
