Each year, Matthaei Botanical Gardens hosts over 65 field trips and provides hands-on nature-based learning to over 3700 students from Michigan. Field trips are integral to student learning and engagement, and vital for fostering connections between students and nature. The leaders of many of these field trips are education interns who take the summer to facilitate learning and experience at Matthaei. This year for Giving Tuesday, we ask you to support this internship. While the internship is only three months long, it puts into motion ripples of impact that transcend that short timespan: A high school student visiting Matthaei on a field trip forms her first impression of the University of Michigan. Feeling supported and invited in, she applies the following year. A student intern, unsure of their path forward, finds their love for environmental education and continues to seek those roles in the future.
Read below to hear from interns past how the internship impacted them, then, and how the experience continues to be meaningful in their lives and careers:
Emily Welch: Education Intern 2019
Current Role: Energy & Infrastructure Consultant, D.C.
“When I got an internship, I was already passionate about environmental science, but I was planning to become an economics major, and then I was going to try and join some environmental clubs, because I knew I wanted to do stuff related to markets. And I think that doing this internship really convinced me that I could do both, and that this interesting niche cross-section is where I wanted to sit for the rest of my life.”
“I always tell everyone that this was my favorite job I've ever had, even though it was only for the summer. Now I live in DC, and I have great opportunities for work. I've done really cool things with government, but I think something about getting to work outside every day and getting to be near plants.”
Kelsey Davis: Education Intern 2024
Current Role: Professional Aide for Mass Timber Initiative at MSU
“As a student, this internship helped me tremendously with public speaking and being able to speak in front of large groups. That was really something I grew in, and I think that reflects in what I'm doing now. Overall, the role really helped me grow as a leader.”
“I can’t stress enough how important these internships are. They cater to a large student demographic and really help them get involved in the environmental scene. For some, this may be their first career step, allowing them to gain that experience in a less formal setting. And I think something like that is really valuable.”
Natalie Nieman: Education Intern 2025
Current Role: UM SEAS Student
“That summer, it was exactly what I wanted to be doing, and it solidified for me that I wanted to continue working in environmental education after graduating. I got to learn and develop skills that weren't necessarily taught in a classroom, such as interpersonal skills important to environmental education. After graduation, I would love to do something similar to what I did this past summer: either as an interpretive ranger in a state or national park or working for an environmental nonprofit, helping them with communications or curriculum development. So that's what I'm hoping for. Fingers crossed!”
Emma Fagan: Education Intern 2024
Naturalist at Oakland County Parks
“It's a really good, early-career opportunity, especially for people who have just graduated. It's an excellent opportunity to get your foot in the door in this field.”
“I saw our role as doing our best to maybe undo some of the assumptions that people are taught about nature, like, for example, that bugs are gross. Once, we were picking snails off the pathway because we didn't want anyone to step on them. And one kid collected like 30 snails in her pocket. She reached in at the end of the program. “Look what I got.” But, you know, at the beginning, she was like, “Ew! They're slimy! I don't want to touch them.” Here she is collecting snails. So that's what it's about at the end of the day.”
Troy Tofil: Natural Areas Intern, 2025
Current Role: Environmental Educator at River Edge Nature Center
“I think it was a really, really formative internship, and it's helped me secure positions and do the work that I really enjoy doing. I think it was pretty significant. I felt really respected and heard, and I felt like the work that I was doing was really impactful. I think it was helpful for me to get the certifications I needed to be competitive for jobs. It’s a great entry-level role for people to develop and harness skills that they want to use in the future.”
