In the Spring of 2024, Taryn Mitchell and Sydney Lowenthal were selected for undergraduate student internships as part of the Goats In The Garden Project, supported and made possible by a grant from the North Texas Community Foundation. Intern mentors for Taryn Mitchell included Dr. Brooke Best (Director of Texas Plant Conservation), Sebastian Alarcon (Senior Horticulturalist), and Karen Shuback (former Horticulturalist; currently Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Natural Resource Specialist at Cedar Hill State Park). Sydney Lowenthal’s mentor was Anna SoRelle (Innovative Learning Manager for Special Programs). At the end of the semester, we asked them to film a short video, create a reflection piece, and/or select a few photos that best encapsulate their summer or their favorite moments. Below are their submissions!
Taryn Mitchell
Texas Christian University, May ’24 grad, B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Research & Horticulture Intern
Taryn: My favorite part of this internship has been getting to know my team better & meeting lots of new people. In this photo my team spent the day putting up goat fencing. This was exciting as the goats were getting closer to being in the garden. What the photo doesn’t show is spending the morning with my team asking tons of questions to get to know them better. I now know my team’s favorite movie, ice cream, food and so much more. My team is also responsible for growing my knowledge of plants and conservation. Now I know plants found in the area that are not found in West Texas where I grew up. One of the most important things I’ve learned is the difference between [young] box elder and poison ivy as this has allowed me to avoid the dangers of poison ivy. I could not have been successful without the help of my team!
Taryn: This second photo was taken the day the goats arrived in the garden. It was so exciting to finally see them in person after weeks of preparation. This day was also special as I got to see my friend Dan Caudle. I met Dan during my sophomore year of high school, and he is responsible for growing my plant and soil knowledge and helping me explore possible career paths with engineering and agriculture. He also inspired me to apply for an internship at the Botanical Garden as he spoke so highly of BRIT and the work he was doing there. It was fulfilling to share one of the most exciting days of my internship with the person who started it all.
Sydney Lowenthal
University of Texas Arlington, Dec ’24 grad, B.S. Anthropology, Education Team Intern
