Working in the Pollinator Garden this Summer

Hello, My name is Jada Newsome and I am a senior at North Carolina State University pursuing a B.S. Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation with a concentration in conservation biology and
This summer I had the pleasure of interning at the Gateway Nature Preserve. I chose Gateway Nature Preserve because of its involvement with community, inclusion and public outreach. I’m from Winston-Salem so being able to play a part in my own community and learn more about how conservation is impacting is important to me.

I primarily worked in the pollinator garden keeping up with maintenance and upkeep. One thing I hoped to learn was how to identify invasive plant species as well as the best ways to manage encroachment. I also wanted to get a better understanding of working with an organization that focuses on community and public outreach.

I spent a lot of time in the pollinator garden learning what we needed to remove and how it was affecting the native plants. We worked every Saturday in the morning. We identified invasive species as we worked in the garden that included Kudzu, Japanese Hops and Johnsongrass to name a few. For removal methods we mostly manually removed them, however we also did administer a natural weed killer to the paths to help clear the area. We try to stay away from herbicides if we can. After clearing the area, we would distribute a thick layer of mulch to help suppress invasive growth.

This internship also allowed me to expand my own field skills with the events we held. Bumble Bee field identification training was one of my favorite events we did. We got to learn how to identify the different species as well as the process of recording the data we needed to collect. Another event we did was a bird walk around the preserve where we identified birds using sight and sound. Both events help strengthen my existing field skills as well as help me learn some new ones.

Additionally, we partnered with Salem Academy to help work in the pollinator garden. We added a new section of plants to the garden and helped with maintenance. This experience allowed me to work with my community as well as assistance with education on invasive species.

The work I did during this internship was very rewarding. Not only did I get to help my community by providing a space for everyone to enjoy but I also met some amazing people along the way! I worked with the same few people during my internship, and they made it all the better. I wanted to give a special thanks to the pollinator garden crew as they were extremely inviting and helped me learn everything I needed to know. I recommend this internship to anybody that is interested in invasive species, community and public outreach. I also encourage everyone to take advantage of this space as it offers many opportunities to get outside and enjoy nature. I will continue to support the work they do and you should too!

Thank You Gateway Nature Preserve