Sarracenia flava, yellow pitcher plants are just a few of the carniverous plants we see daily

When I was told I was going to be stationed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, I had no idea what to expect. I had never been to North Carolina before and knew little of it beyond the fact that UNC was pretty darn good at basketball. My main responsibilities here at the North Carolina Botanical Garden involve traveling around the state and collecting native plant seeds for the Seeds of Success program. Collecting has been somewhat of a challenge because BLM doesn’t own any land out east. As a result, we have had to get permission through The Nature Conservative, The Natural Heritage Program (NC), National Forest Service, and the National Park Service (when collections were done for Park Service). Experiencing this has been so interesting because it not only has given me an opportunity to work with so many different conservation programs, but it has allowed me to see the struggles in communication between them-each working towards a similar but slightly different goal, each with a different protocol. We have also had the opportunity to help them with some of their own projects, putting our seed collecting skills to good use.

Uniola paniculata, sea oats are one of the dominant sand dune species on Masonboro Island

Masonboro is an island off the coast of North Carolina. It is eight miles long and a much needed reserve for birds, crab and sea turtles. Maintained by the North Carolina Coastal Reserve (http://www.nccoastalreserve.net/), the island is just south of one of the most traveled and touristy beaches in North Carolina. As a result, it is frequently visited by boaters and recreationalists who create some impact on the creatures that need it, including the plants. Sometime in the near future a large dredge pipe will need to be put in on the island in order to clear out some of the sediment in the inland channel. We have been working with the NC Coastal Reserve to pick out and collect important sand dune species in the hopes that the sand dune ecosystem lost to the pipe will eventually be restored.

Beyond the Seeds of Success protocol, Quentin and I have also gotten to participate in a plant rescue, collecting

Quentin observing the greatness of the trees.

seeds and rescuing plants on an Environmental Protection Agency site that is currently becoming Durham’s first toll road (ironic?). We have also gotten to participate in rare plant monitoring all over the state, my favorite being Geum radiatum which only grows on cliff sides in the mountains. National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife, and National Forest Service were all involved, many of whom had employees that had taken courses in repelling for the sake of monitoring this plant. The monitoring itself required a hike on the Appalachian Trail accompanied by amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains (tough life, right?). So here’s my big “Ah-Ha” moment. I even got a short lesson in repelling and while doing so, Chris, the Park Service botanist says to me, “Now stop for a second and turn around and think about what we’re doing. Pretty incredible, right?” and I turned around slowly as to not lose footing, and there they were. The mountains were spectacular! And I instantly loved everything…the mountains, the people that do this for a living…the cause. In watching conservationists struggle to get their message through to the public, I often wonder how it is that people can be so lacking in any sense of responsibility for the environment. For me, it just takes small moments of experience like this for it to make sense and for it to be something that I want to work towards.

Quentin and I pause to enjoy the view while looking for Geum radiatum on Mount Leconte in Smokie Mountains National Park

I have enjoyed reading about all your internships and experiences.  I like this quote because it is perhaps what many of us think when we step out the door each morning, coffee in hand:

John Muir writes in My First Summer in the Sierra, “Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue.”

This has truly been an amazing experience!

-Jill Pyatt (North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill)