Campers, student staff, and volunteers gather with Micah Kloppenburg, Arboretum restoration outreach coordinator, before a camp work party. (Photo: Maddie Smith, UW–Madison Arboretum)
Every summer, the Arboretum’s core staff is joined by a cohort of college students from UW–Madison and other campuses to help advance all facets of the Arboretum’s mission. They work as assistant rangers, Visitor Center assistants, garden and land care assistants, and outdoor educators. These students represent a variety of academic fields, including conservation biology, botany, dance, music, engineering, journalism, and family studies, just to name a few.
This year, six students spent their summer alongside the Arboretum’s education staff working on programs like Earth Focus Day Camp, field trips, Learning Together family classes, and more. Our youth programs center around crafting positive nature experiences for youth participants. Long before these programs start, though, another “summer camp” takes place: staff training.
This training covers all the topics one would expect – first aid, logistics, emergency preparedness, tips and tricks for working with youth – but also includes ample time for staff members to explore, wonder, and connect with each other. In other words, they have time to enjoy the camper experience.
Additional training takes place throughout the summer, whenever there is time between programs. Here is a typical day of staff training in mid-summer:
- 8 a.m. Arrive and discuss the plan for the day.
- 8:15–9 a.m. Nature journaling: Staff members find a spot to sit or walk on their own, recording observations and reflections in their nature journals. This is a daily practice.
- 9–9:30 a.m. Share experiences from journaling time: This is an essential part of building a community of curious individuals and enjoying a shared sense of wonder.
- 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m. Lesson planning and practice: Arboretum core staff lead the student staff through a tried-and-true lesson, such as creating a “mini museum” of plant clippings and found natural items. The student staff first participate as if they were campers; then we flip roles and they practice leading the activity. Students also use this time to research and develop their own lesson ideas for upcoming programs, based on their unique interests and skills.
- 12–12:30 p.m. Lunch break.
- 12:30–2:30 p.m. Trail practice: The team embarks on a hike through the Arboretum’s trail system and gardens, practicing wayfinding, plant and animal identification, and other outdoor skills along the way.
If this schedule sounds more like a day at summer camp rather than a day at work – that’s no mistake! The patterns of our training days are similar to our camp program days on purpose. We take experiential learning seriously around here – we believe in the power of learning by doing.
When campers arrive, our staff confidently invite participants to join the established patterns of exploring, observing, and having fun in nature that they’ve been practicing all summer long. Our summer camp staff are simultaneously learners and leaders.
Another benefit for student staff at the Arboretum is the opportunity to meet and work with people with a variety of backgrounds and areas of expertise. In addition to learning from our experienced naturalist educators, students get involved with hands-on ecological restoration and research experiences. Take it from Lilith Wehrs, an environmental studies major who worked with the education unit this summer: “As a college student, I’m still finding my niche. Working at the Arboretum has introduced me to so many people with completely different areas of expertise. One day I will talk to an expert birder, and the next day a native plant specialist. I have soaked up information from the extremely knowledgeable staff, from the land care crew to researchers to naturalists.”
The student staff program prepares participants to succeed not just in their role at the Arboretum and at the UW–Madison, but also in their personal and professional lives. Several past student employees have gone on to pursue graduate studies in environmental fields and careers as educators. For example, one recent alum now directs a nature-focused summer camp in Minnesota.
We aim to empower each student to be an advocate for nature throughout their lives, whether it remains a part of their professional lives or not. Vivian Steinke, a conservation biology and music major who has spent the past two summers at the Arboretum, puts it this way: “I wanted to work at the Arboretum because I have always been interested in nature and incorporating it into my daily life. The Arboretum is a hidden gem in Madison and I love coming here on my own time.”
Though saying goodbye always makes the last days of summer a little bittersweet, we appreciate the diversity of perspectives and skills that each new cohort brings. And we’ve seen the bonds of the “camp crew” strengthen through their employment. Many of them return to the Arboretum as researchers, students, or just friends enjoying the trails and gardens.
Others – like myself – never left! I began working at the Arboretum as a student in the summer of 2022. I often look back on lessons and experiences from my first summer as a student staff member, especially the mentorship and encouragement of my peers and colleagues. Now, as a full-time staff member, I am honored to continue participating in this community of learners and leaders for many summers to come.
– Maddie Smith, community education coordinator
