It has been an absolutely incredible summer interning with Yellowstone Landscape. As a Plant Science major at the University of Florida, I look forward to entering the horticulture industry once I graduate. After researching several landscape companies for my internship, Yellowstone was my top choice – and I made the perfect pick. The people I have met not only take pride in caring for the landscapes of properties ranging from Disney resorts, vacation home communities, and HOA’s – but they also care immensely for each other. It’s one thing to do what you love every day; it’s another to do it with people who love it too. As a person whose horticulture background came strictly from books and not the “real-world,” this made all the difference in making my experience as an intern educational, practical, and enjoyable.
I have had many incredible experiences at Yellowstone that it is hard to pick a favorite! One of my most memorable moments was the day I spent with Petra, an Irrigation Technician, at one of our largest properties in Orlando, Reunion. It was my third time with irrigation and my two previous mentors were excellent at showing me the ropes. I learned how to test a residential irrigation system, identify broken sprinklers and dig them out to repair, and how to work with irrigation boxes that house the valves for the property. However, my day with Petra was different as she took identifying broken irrigation systems to a whole new level! She did not need to test a system in order to discover broken heads, but rather, looked attentively for other signs of damage. The biggest key indicator – erosion! Often, a broken head would spew water uncontrollably, causing a buildup of sand and soil over the plant material and hardscape. Yet this wasn’t the only thing that made the day with Petra unique – our entire day was spent conversing in Spanish. It was as if I was completing a “Study Abroad” experience in one day! I am fluent in Portuguese, and am conversationally-fluent in Spanish, so differences in language is not a barrier to me. But Petra made it a unique experience, because she explained each irrigation part, tool, and scope of work, just as one would in English, but in Spanish. She would point to a nozzle, an elbow, a shovel, and call them by name in Spanish. She would speak slowly and clearly, often repeating the words with me until I was able to call out the pieces by myself. This in turn, helped me tremendously to familiarize myself with the names of these important tools in Spanish, so that I can better assist a new team of irrigation techs that may not be strong in their understanding of English. This just goes to show that it’s not just plants in the horticulture business!!
My internship with Yellowstone has helped me hone in on the skills I have learned in school such as; plant identification, professionalism, agribusiness management, landscape design, and plant chemistry. It has also trained me in skills I would not have learned in a formal education such as; pest and weed management, irrigation, landscape installation and how to use a variety of equipment. Above all, I have learned how to stay competitive – as both a company and as an individual – in this fast paced industry. The crews I worked with are some of the hardest-working people I have ever met, and Yellowstone gives them a reason to keep returning. Finding motivation like this is hard for any company, but it seems to come so naturally here – and after a whole summer with Yellowstone Landscape, it’s easy to see why. I can’t wait until next summer to continue learning and make my mark!
