July 14, 2025
Each summer, Santa Fe Botanical Garden is fortunate to welcome a cohort of passionate, curious, and dedicated student interns who help us fulfill our mission to celebrate, cultivate, and conserve the biodiversity of our region. These internships offer meaningful hands-on learning experiences across education, science, and conservation. This year, we are excited to introduce our 2025 summer interns and highlight the important work they’re doing in the Garden and beyond.
Ella Whitman, Linda Milbourn College Intern 2025
Linda Milbourn College Internship
About the Program: This eight-week internship honors the late Linda Milbourn, former executive director of SFBG, whose vision and warmth were foundational to the Garden’s success. Made possible by a generous donor, this opportunity supports students interested in horticulture, science education, and community engagement.
Meet Ella Whitman
Background: Ella is currently studying Architecture and Environmental Design with a minor in Sustainability at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT, with interests in plants, people, and the outdoors. Originally from Fort Collins, she brings a passion for critters big and small, and keeping safe relations with them and their homes that we visit.
Summer Project: This summer, Ella is creating a native bee guide to aid in the SFBG’s pollinator data collection. In addition, she is working on a public outreach piece about the pollinator garden project for the public to engage and educate in bringing pollinators to their own garden.
In Their Words:
What inspires you about working at a botanical garden?
Working at the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens, I have gained the most inspiration through current education projects implemented within the gardens. As well as the amazing staff that provides the knowledge and resources to create these experiences. Bring education to the public and engage communities of all ages to learn and utilize what they have learned in many different ways through art, science, music, and more.
What’s something new you’ve learned so far this summer?
Something new I have learned this summer is all the different birds native to the area, learning how to listen for their calls and identify them. I have found this interesting because I have always been a visual person, but learning to listen first and using this as your first clue for identification, I have found it interesting. Learning about the Pinyon Jay and how different the Mountain Chickadee (which I am used to listening for) is from the Black-capped Chickadee call.
St. John’s College Internship
Lu Godfrey, St. John’s College Intern 2025
Meet Lu Godfrey
Background: A 2025 graduate from nearby St. John’s College, Lu brings a liberal arts perspective and deep appreciation for the natural world to the Education Department at SFBG. Lu has a passion for taking in and sharing knowledge and beauty, and they are very excited for the opportunity to show people some of the wonders of nature through the garden. She is contributing to creative, interdisciplinary programming
Summer Project: Lu is creating a “Poetry Path,” a tour which will be available on the SFBG app. This tour provides an opportunity to focus on some details of the garden, be creative, and take a mindful walk outside. This is done through prompts that entreat the visitor to use their senses and experiences to write poetry about the plants, as well as some interesting facts about the plants themselves and what they represent. There are also a few examples of different forms of poetry the visitor could use to inspire them.
In Their Words:
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose this internship for both personal and professional reasons. Professionally, I am interested in the Education and Interpretation field. Though my eventual goal is to do this kind of work at a museum, I knew that interning at the garden would give me great experience and better prepare me for that role and possibly many others! Personally, I find nature very inspiring and important, but my knowledge about it doesn’t extend very far: I am not much of a gardener or outdoorsman. So I really wanted to learn more about gardening and different plants and animals, and I knew this internship would be the perfect way.
What’s your favorite spot in the Garden?
One of my favorite parts of my day here is checking on the blooming agave, which grows so much every day! The agave death bloom is such an interesting phenomenon: it looks like the average agave for 20-30 years, and then suddenly it grows a massive stalk (which bears a striking resemblance to its relative, the asparagus plant) This stalk will grow more than a foot a day, and due to the plant putting all its energy into that rapid growth, it dies soon after. It’s finally starting to grow its flowers, so come on over here and make sure you don’t miss it!
Jill and Stanley Jankowski Science and Conservation Internship
Ben Ouaou, Jill and Stanley Jankowski Science and Conservation Intern 2025
About the Program: This internship provides a unique opportunity to explore the biodiversity of New Mexico through field-based research, herbarium work, and conservation planning. Interns gain hands-on experience in scientific data collection, seed banking, and native plant monitoring.
Meet Ben Ouaou
Background: Ben is a senior studying Geography at University of Colorado Boulder. With strong interests in ecology, conservation, and mapping he is excited to contribute to hands-on projects that protect native species and ecosystems.
Summer Project: This summer, Ben is working alongside SFBG’s Science and Conservation team to support rare plant seed collection and documentation, participate in ecological restoration of the Piñon-Juniper Woodland, and conduct field monitoring in remote parts of New Mexico.
In Their Words:
What’s been the most exciting part of your fieldwork so far?
I have enjoyed all work that has allowed me to help with various tasks around the Garden and promote its mission, including the Piñon-Juniper Woodland restoration workshop in early June. However, the most exciting experience for me was working alongside a team from the UNM Herbarium and Vail’s Betty Ford Alpine Gardens to survey and collect plant specimens in and around Wheeler Peak. We found and collected well over 200 species at Walter, Wheeler, and another unnamed peak, ascending from the treeline below as early as 4:00 in the morning to witness one of the most unforgettable sunrises of my life thus far. The hands-on experience of collecting and pressing enabled me to quickly learn alpine plant taxonomy, and the trip as a whole was an incredible introduction to the challenges and prevailing rewards of such comprehensive field work.
How do you hope this experience will shape your future?
I have a somewhat eclectic background of various scientific interests and knowledge, but I recently honed in to geography as my intended field of study, where I am especially interested in geographic information science (GIS) and mapping technology. I find personal benefit in geography because of its interdisciplinary nature and collaborative applicability to other fields of science and even social science. Throughout this current exploratory period of my academic life and career, I have found immense value in experiences adjacent to geography, including this internship. Within it, I hope to build connections in the scientific world but chiefly to understand my relationship to plant field work and how I can traverse disciplines and apply geographic knowledge to botany, conservation, and ecological restoration within my future career.
Sunrise at Wheeler Peak, July 1, 2025, by Ben Ouaou.
Santa Fe Public Schools (SFPS) Work Based Learning Internship
About the Program: This structured internship connects Santa Fe Public Schools high school juniors and seniors with local employers for hands-on, career-focused internships. Students gain real-world experience, build professional skills, and explore career paths to prepare for future success.
Sophia Buchan, Santa Fe Public Schools Work Based Learning Intern 2025
Meet Sophia Buchan
Background: Sophia was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico and attends school at Santa Fe High School. Sophia enjoys music and playing the clarinet in band and alto saxophone in jazz band and loves to read. Sophia is excited to be working as an intern for the Santa Fe Botanical Garden and looks forward to what the garden has in store.
Summer Project: As part of the SFPS internship program, Sophia is spending the summer working alongside Garden staff and volunteers to support the summer youth camp. This week-long day camp invites children to explore the natural world through art, science, gardening, and outdoor play. Sophia is helping facilitate daily activities that engage campers in hands-on discovery—from soil digging and plant identification to hiking local arroyos and learning about animal tracks. Through this experience, she is gaining valuable skills in education, communication, and environmental stewardship while inspiring a new generation of nature lovers.
In Their Words:
What’s one skill you’ve gained or improved during your internship at the Garden?
One skill I believe I’ve improved on during this internship is teamwork. Having to work with the other staff here when it comes to our summer camps or other jobs has made my communication wand work with them a lot better.
How has this experience influenced your ideas about your future career or education path?
This overall internship has helped me understand how much I love biology and I hope to pursue a career that I can put those skills to use.
