Week 3 will be a hard week to top! It was full of fun, field work, learning, and new friendships. The week began with a trip to Rockville to water the newly installed sod and continued with pest scouting of the Matricaria and Snapdragon flower trials. Then, it was the Campus Residency and Research Tour!
Both days of the two-day tour began with leadership training from Antonio Silas and Myles Alexander. The sessions were very engaging and informative. It allowed me to assess how I define leadership and how I can successfully carry out that definition. I was inspired by the idea that we are leaders in individual ways. Even the smallest action can be an act of leadership. As a leader, I want to use many of the leadership styles discussed, including servant, democratic, and visionary. Throughout the remainder of my internship, I want to hone in on the idea that I am a leader in the UME community. Even as an intern, I have the ability to create change and influence.
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| This is one of the aquaponics tanks. A tilapia fish is swimming by the window. |
On the first day, after the morning training, we visited the Fermentation Lab where we were taught about the process, classes offered, and examples of fermentation. I enjoy many fermented foods such as sourdough, kombucha, and pickles, so I found this interesting! We also toured the greenhouse, which was full of trials for UMD’s agricultural labs. Next to the greenhouse is Dr. Izursa's aquaponics farm, where water from live fish tanks is used to grow herbs and vegetables hydroponically. We also visited the campus farm, which currently houses sheep and goats. The day ended with a group dinner as we continued to get to know each other!
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| This is me with a few of the sheep! |
Day two included the mixer luncheon, where AGNR faculty and our mentors joined us for lunch and networking. This was a great event as it allowed for many new connections. While talking to Joseph Sullivan, the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, he emphasized the importance of remembering these moments as I move through this internship, as he
often references his early career experiences. I really enjoyed talking with people who have so much wisdom and experience in my desired field. After lunch, we learned about saltwater intrusion on farm land and small fruit pathology. We ended the tour at the campus learning garden, where we discussed the different bee species present there. I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet with my fellow interns, mentors, and program directors.
On Friday, Laura and I went to three sites in Washington County to check Boxwoods for Box Tree Moths (BTM). The traps use sex pheromones to entice the adult male moths in; however, we did not catch any. We also looked at the boxwoods for any present life stages and found eggs! This gives us crucial information to understand the biology of BTM and when to treat it. Box Tree Moths are a new invasive pest that overwinters as caterpillars and emerges in the spring as the most damaging life stage. This allows them to quickly defoliate, leading to the death of the Boxwoods. Since Boxwoods are one of the most popular ornamentals, this is quite problematic!
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| Box Tree Moth eggs on the leaf of a Boxwood. |
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