Duke in the Gardens Program Assistant Internship

Explore the Land-Based History of the Duke Gardens Storymap

Timeline

2025

This internship ran from August 2025 to May 2026.

Description

Affiliated programs: Green Devils Intern Program, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Duke in the Gardens Programming

Summary

This internship worked with Kati Henderson to support the facilitation of Duke in the Gardens programs, review program feedback to improve program structure, and implement promotional strategies. Duke in the Gardens programs are a series of three programs that aim to connect Duke audiences with nature, the land and community around them, and each other. Program participants usually consisted of classes, for which tours are requested by the professor, and student groups, who collectively choose to attend. Additionally, this internship supported miscellaneous Gardens Programs general outreach activities to the Duke community, as well as the larger Durham community and more, through diverse tabling events, festivals in the gardens, and sustainability education. Regarding the implementation or promotional material, this internship involved the production of a student-facing monthly newsletter including volunteer opportunities, garden and flower highlights, and staff spotlights. Lastly, as a student interest project, this internship allowed for research exploration into the land-based history of the Duke Gardens, resulting in a StoryMap deliverable.

Goals

1) Support the coordination of facilitated Duke in the Gardens programs, including the Grounding in the Gardens, Queer Ecologies, and Rooted Responses to Climate Change programs.

2) Develop & implement a plan for promoting awareness of Duke in the Gardens programs among Duke audiences. This included creating a student-facing monthly newsletter.

3) Assist with Duke Gardens education and outreach programming/events, such as EarthFest and Hanami Festival

4) Explore the land history of the Duke Gardens through archival research and interviews with Duke-associated organizations

Experience and Learning Outcomes

This project was part of the year-long, paid Green Devils internship program managed by the Office of Climate and Sustainability. Throughout this internship, the student leads co-facilitated and shadowed a range of Duke in the Gardens Programs for Duke University groups. From these programs, they gained insight on gardens history and ecological and botanical initiatives in the Gardens. They also promoted the Duke Gardens programs and initiatives through tabling activities at the Art Annex, Harvest Festival, Hanami, Planetary Health Fair, and Earth Fest. The students also supported inter-instituational collaboration with UNC’s American Indian Cultural Garden and interviewed Duke Gardens staff across departments and researched plant and garden information for the monthly newsletter. Finally, they interviewed Duke-associated organizations including the Duke Campus Farm, Duke Forest, and Duke Library archivists for the land-based history project.

Recommendations

Future Duke in the Gardens Program Assistant(s) should know that this position is dynamic and constantly evolving. They should be ready to offer support for any Duke in the Gardens events, as new opportunities present themselves.

Future interns should be willing to be flexible, amenable to assigned tasks/events and bring a creative and fun outlook to their facilitation and support of Gardens programming. As is, this position is well-developed and an amazing opportunity for any student interested in learning more about the Gardens and the amazing work they do day in and day out.

This position is ideal for students interested in all that encompasses outdoor education work and promotional projects. Additionally, Kati is supportive of intern’s academic/professional interests as they relate to the Gardens and is willing to incorporate said interests into potential projects, deliverables, and program improvements.

In the future, future interns should continue exploring the land-history of the Gardens to further findings and future questions (refer to Relevant Links Tab for StoryMap). Additionally, they should continue conducting interviews with Gardens staff and educating themselves on garden and plant information of the newsletter.

Student Interns: Chibuike Okafor, Emely Arredondo

Intern Supervisor: Kati Henderson, University Partnerships and Community Engagement Program Coordinator, Sarah P. Duke Gardens