What a great week to write my blog post! I just got back from the Conservation and Land Management Internship Training held in Chicago. This week-long orientation/training was filled with learning new information, meeting new people, and seeing new sights. The workshop was held in the Chicago Botanic Garden, which is absolutely gorgeous. Such a variety of plants can be viewed in these 385 acres and I was fortunate to see most of them.

Connecting with the other interns in the program throughout the week was invaluable. I enjoyed listening to their stories and seeing the differences in our jobs, but more importantly the similarities. Being able to see that I was linked to an entire community of individuals spread across the country showed me the importance of this project.

Having the gardens as the backdrop for the week was incredible. I was like a kid in a candy store every time I had a spare moment to go explore the grounds. My all time favorite plant from the gardens was an Allium, pictured below. Their flowers reminded me of a Dr. Seuss Book and how unique each living thing can truly be.

Only 4 months left of my Internship here in Farmington, NM and I am astonished at how quickly time is moving. I had a great time in Chicago and am now looking forward to getting back and gathering more seed collections for the Seeds of Success Program.