Psychology senior Kiki Karsh sees possibilities growing up all around her. Karsh, a horticulture minor, plans to combine her fields of study into a hybrid career. In the summer of 2001, Karsh had an internship in Big Cypress National Preserve that would make many students green with envy.
What is Big Cypress National Preserve?
The preserve is located in south Florida north of the Everglades.
“The preserve is a natural watershed for areas farther north in Florida around Lake Okechobee,” Karsh said.
Ruts caused by people driving off-road vehicles through the area for years had impeded the flow of water and were having negative effects on the flora and fauna of the Everglades and Florida Keys.
What did the internship entail?
“I helped restore the native prairies” at the preserve, Karsh said. “My job was to propagate the natural grasses.”
Karsh said she and another student intern marked off adjacent 100 by 100 meter plots of land, with one of the plots suffering from damage and one in its natural state. The plots will be studied for three years to see if the land is able to repair itself.
Karsh and her co-worker designated trails so the plots being studied would not be disturbed.
Who sponsored the internship?
The project was sponsored by Big Cypress, and Karsh was paid by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“They paid me $10 an hour for 40-hour weeks,” Karsh said. Her rent was only $90 a month.
“We lived in a gorgeous house on the preserve,” Karsh said. “We were an hour from civilization in any direction.”
What did you learn from your experience?
“I gained a better appreciation for how the environment all interacts together,” Karsh said. “I’m more aware of how people don’t realize how one thing they do can affect the grand scheme of things.”
Why are you interested in horticulture?
“Eventually, I want to do horticulture therapy,” Karsh said.
She said she and a friend plan to open a practice for abused children to undergo horse therapy and plant therapy. The goal, Karsh said, is to teach the children to take care of those around them, just as they take care of plants, and “break the cycle of abuse.”
How will your internship help you with your future career?
“It definitely helped me make connections with all kinds of people in the plant world,” Karsh said. That will enable her to stay informed with current events in her field of study.
“I also gained a better appreciation for the way plants actually grow, with the interaction of nutrients in soil and water,” Karsh said.
Have you had any other internships?
“Last summer I worked at the Dallas Arboretum,” Karsh said. “I designed a tree camp for kids who were orphans or abused.”
Karsh said the camp allowed the kids to spend time in nature.
“They don’t really get to go outside and play, which is really sad, but it was amazing to them,” Karsh said.
What opportunities does LSU provide for someone studying horticulture?
“The Horticulture Department is really great here,” Karsh said. “They’re always keeping us informed and giving us information on internships.”
Karsh said the small size of the department and the friendly teachers allow for a pleasant environment where “you pretty much know everyone.”
She said the classes are well-rounded.
“Anyone can take a general gardening class and learn a lot,” Karsh said.