Week four of my internship began with researching about possible gardeners to use for a new project at The Ecology Center. The work focuses on maintenance, and I found some companies that support the mission of The Ecology Center. I also worked in the Children’s Garden throughout the week helping with them and taking nature walks to look through the farm. I worked with the U-Pick festival to guide families as they pick the seasonal berries from the farm and facilitate a hands-on experience for families as they engage with The Ecology Center. I helped with the Pizza night again and spent the day preparing for the event with the culinary team. I also finished the grant impact report for one of the foundations. The writing team helped me make final edits and it went off to design to for additional formatting. I started on two more impact grant writing for The Ecology Center focusing on the Nourishing Neighbors and Field Kits for families to take home during Covid for an at-home field trip. Lastly, I worked on natural dyes with a master dyer and some other team members. We dyed napkins for an event and learned what natural dyes are and other aspects of textiles specifically the fashion industry and striving toward more sustainable practices.
-Isabelle