My experience as an intern at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens was absolutely unforgettable. I worked in the most beautiful garden in the world, which just happens to be surrounded by the breathtaking Rockies. What more could a girl ask for?
I was able to increase my understanding of alpine plants immensely by working with a very knowledgeable and exuberantly friendly staff. The staff at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens made the experience very well worth it. They have genuine interest in you and your success. They are more than willing to do their best to provide you with an ample learning environment, structured so that you gain knowledge without even realizing it through various activities that are both fun and challenging. I also gained useful knowledge on how a small public garden is executed.
Each day of the week was a little different than the next in the gardens. I worked closely with the other intern on a daily basis. We worked with the volunteers, completed various maintenance tasks, went on field trips, and led an intense outdoor children and teen’s program. We had the opportunity to assist in the design and implementation of the teen’s educational program. Each week was a different topic, ranging from soil science to environmental stewardship. The program was three hours long once a week. It was an incredibly gratifying experience, and it was exciting to share our passion for the outdoors in an environment that may have been unfamiliar to the teens.
Overall, it seemed surreal some days to think that we were weeding next to waterfalls. We truly looked forward to work each day. Vail is an amazing town full of adventures. It was a blissful summer, and being constantly surrounded by wholesome natural elements that entice every sense was an experience that will not be easily mimicked. If you have the opportunity to apply for this internship, I would encourage you to go for it.
This summer I was the Garden and Education Intern, which included the Children’s Program, for the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. It was a lot of fun and a great experience. Every week I organized and led an outdoor educational program for children between the ages of five and ten. For each program I chose a different topic relating to natural science and came up with various games, art projects, and activities that explained the topic. With the help of the garden supervisor and the other intern the programs ran smoothly and were a lot of fun for both the children and us.
The other part of my internship was spent working in the garden. This was also a great experience. It was very physically active and I spent most of my workdays outside, which I really enjoyed. I worked closely with the garden supervisor and the other intern. I helped to maintain the garden wherever it was needed. Some of the duties consisted of weeding, pruning, planting, repairing water features, and a little garden design. I also helped with special events such as a horticulture therapy class and a charity banquet.
Another valuable part of this internship was the field trips we took. We visited botanical gardens, went for hikes, and saw some of Colorado’s most beautiful plant life. One of the most memorable trips was a hike we took through a bristlecone pine forest on Mt. Goliath at an elevation of about 11,000 ft. It was very beautiful and impressive.
To conclude, this internship was an experience that I will never forget. I learned many important skills, met some amazing people, and had a wonderful time.
I spent 3 month in the Betty Ford Alpine Garden from the blooming to the withering and I participated in the procedures that connected with these things. In spring deadheading, pruning, planting and watering where much of my duties. In early summer the garden started a voluntary training program and every Monday I gave a lesson about weeds, planting, seed collection, the seed exchange program, composting, and herbs; after this I worked with the volunteers in the garden. In summer time we weeded a lot and planted a new bed in the perennial garden, as well as parts of the alpine and the Himalayan garden. Two times a month I cleaned the pond to maintain algae. By bringing a lot of dead wood from a nearby creek to another garden pond, as a new landscaping project, we were able recreate beaver dams.
Every Wednesday the Gardens had a Children’s program and usually I helped with this especially with the art projects. We had three field trips – Denver Botanic Gardens, Yampa River Botanic Park, and Mt. Evans Scenic Byway. We saw different areas on each trip, many varieties of plants. These trips were very interesting and I had a lot of fun.
I enjoyed the whole season, but my favorite was the deadheading, planting and naturally the voluntary training program.
During this time I learned a lot of practical things and used them daily, met many interesting and wonderful people. I enjoyed Vail’s culture life and Colorado’s amazing mountainous area.
It was a fantastic place with a very good staff and I enjoyed every moment there! Come and be an intern for the next year!
During my summer internship with the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, I had the opportunity to develop a long-term plan for instituting and maintaining a horticultural therapy program, while also conducting the initial research necessary to develop a garden centered around medicinal plants of alpine regions and cultures. These projects not only allowed me to learn more about these particular areas of study, but it also helped in networking with people within the Vail community, like horticultural therapists and herbal medical practitioners. Working as an intern not only helped me learn more about horticulture as a practice, but, because of the small staff, I was also able to learn more about different aspects of running a botanic garden; from outreach and education programs to maintenance and landscape design.
The Executive Director and Director of Horticulture also make the internship at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens an exceptional experience; they ensure that you’re not only learning, but that all your needs are met. They care about the interns and make sure that the experience will not only be educational but also a lot of fun. Field trips to different botanic gardens and hikes in the mountains are part of the learning experience. Also, Vail is a great place to live especially if you like recreational activities, mountains, and being ‘close’ to the sky. As an east-coaster, I definitely appreciated the low humidity and constant sun!
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