Meet the Interns: Kelsey Griffith

Hello readers! I’m Kelsey, the plant collections and records intern. I’m a senior at Iowa State University, majoring in genetics, but after spending a few years working in a plant pathology lab, I added a minor in horticulture and fell in love with it.

My background in research and bioinformatics databases is translating very well to my position here at Reiman Gardens, where I’m identifying, labeling, and recording plants throughout the gardens. I love that I get to do some office work with the plant database, but also spend plenty of time in the Gardens themselves. It’s the perfect mix of my favorite things- technology and playing outside!

I took this internship to explore some more areas of plant science and gain more horticultural experience outside of research. I was curious about botanical gardens in particular — they seemed like a good fit for me, but I wasn’t sure.

I’ve learned a vast amount in just a few weeks about how the Gardens operate and all the different people who work together to make that happen, and I really enjoy it. I’ll be keeping you updated on my projects this summer, like garden inventory, mapping, and assisting with the Buck Rose Collection.