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Interning at the Botanical Gardens

Andy Grinsfelder

by Errika, Lake Shore High School

At the Botanical Gardens, there are many events and activities, but a lot of people don't know that summer internships are also offered! Every summer, many of the departments offer internships to high school or college students where we have the opportunity to work and gain experience. The Horticulture, Education, and Weddings and Events departments each took on 2 summer interns. I had the opportunity to gather some of the other interns’ thoughts about their experience here. 

I’m Errika, and I worked in the weddings and events department. I am a senior at Lake Shore High School, focused on event planning. I really enjoyed this internship, because it helped me gain experience in this field and understand the responsibilities that come with being an event planner. I applied for this internship as a requirement for my Academy of Business and Finance class and to be able to gain experience in this career field. My favorite parts of my internship were being able to set up for the many different weddings that took place, as well as the friendly staff. One of my favorite events was the big tent wedding in June, because I loved seeing the whole event come together and helping set up the decor. I felt this was a very beneficial experience for my future by helping me gain the knowledge needed to be successful in this occupation. “I really enjoyed working with Christina, Julie, and Rachael. We were a great team. I can’t thank them enough for this amazing experience, and teaching me everything I learned!” 

Spencer was a horticulture intern, who is a student at the University at Buffalo, focused on environmental science. He felt this was a great learning experience and beneficial for his future in horticulture. Spencer’s internship helped him become familiar with the different variety of plant species and the proper care for the diverse types. His favorite parts were the friendly and helpful staff and being able to work in the Botanical Gardens. Spencer’s favorite project was the Adopt-a-Garden program, because he was exposed to many different types of plant species.  “I enjoyed the people I worked with the most. That makes the biggest difference in how much enjoyment I get out of the work!” said Spencer on working with the staff.

I also had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica, the education intern. She is a student at the University at Buffalo, focused on Environmental Geography Science. The way she landed this internship is actually a funny story, because she applied by accident! She was looking to volunteer at the Botanical Gardens, and the education director said they had an internship opening in their department for summer camp. Like all of us, Jessica thought it was a great opportunity to expand her experience and knowledge. She wanted to have a background working with kids. She enjoyed how welcoming the staff was, being able to work with different people and have different activities for the kids every day. Jessica felt this was a great practice for her future so she could possibly pursue a career that involves kids someday. “I want to try and stay on as a volunteer, and maybe come back next summer. It has helped a lot learning to work with kids.” 

As you can see, participating in an internship at the Botanical Gardens was a great experience and has proven to be very beneficial to us as we progress forward in our schooling. We enjoyed the working environment and how receptive the staff was to teaching us! It was great to see the different interns’ perspective on their summer experience!

Looking for a fun and interesting internship?  We have so much to offer!  Horticulture, Education, Marketing, Guest Services, Facilities and so much more!  Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Karen Hammer at 716.827.1584 ext. 207 or khammer@buffalogardens.com


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