Master Gardener « OSU Extension Internship Program

Hello everyone! I have had a great summer so far interning in the Clatsop County Extension office and I want to share a little bit about what I have been doing so far. Since I don’t just focus on one program, there are always a variety of activities and projects that I get to be a part of on any given week. This may be my favorite part of my summer. Every week is different and there is always something new to experience or learn. That being said, the last few weeks of my internship will have a main focus: trees.

Makena taking photos of trees for a website and database of notable trees in Astoria. Photo: Aspen Bowling

One event surrounding this topic happens to fall on my last day, so I’m happy I get to participate before I leave; it will be a great way to cap off an already great internship. The event is an urban tree walk around downtown Astoria with an urban forestry specialist. We will stop and learn about some of the historically important and interesting trees in the area as we go along. As someone who studies wood science and has done projects on urban wood and trees in general, I am excited to learn from an urban forester, and maybe even share some of my knowledge with attendees as well. It should be a very fun event, and I am excited that I get to be a part of it.

In conjunction with the event, I have been working to put together a database, website and information handouts for a list of notable trees in Astoria. One of the Master Gardener volunteers has been compiling the list, and I am making it accessible to the public. There are some very interesting trees around Astoria, and it has been so fun to visit them, write about them, and take their pictures to add to the website. It is a big project, but it has been a fun project, and I am excited to see the end result. I hope it can become a great resource in the future that gives people the chance to explore the trees of Astoria and learn more about the forest in their backyard.

Hi again! I’m Olivia, and things have really begun to ramp up here at the OSU Extension office in Klamath County since my last post! I mentioned the “Activity Kit Day” I will be hosting; well, it is only in a few days! Along with this date closing in, I am adding the finishing touches to the activity kits I have been creating throughout my internship. I cannot wait to see my hard work come to fruition! I have had a wonderful time working with OSU Extension this summer and I am honestly sad to have to say goodbye. I have got to learn and do so many amazing things. Just a few examples being: catching and examining bugs, assisting during classes, helping at our local arboretum, working with Master Gardeners at our farmers’ market and tabling at a local farm for our annual small farm tour. My favorite thing to do was examine bugs under the microscope. I even made an awesome discovery! The larvae I examined was that of the European Elm Flea Weevil and as I was observing, I found a parasitic wasp using the weevils as a host. Nicole and I had not seen this before, so it was amazing to see it firsthand!

Olivia’s Native Plant ID Activity Kit she created. Photo: Olivia Wilde

Olivia examines a parasitic wasp under the microscope. Photo: Olivia Wilde

Although I have been having a great time working for OSU Extension, that doesn’t mean I haven’t struggled during some points. This was the first job I have worked where I am almost completely independent. At times it has been somewhat difficult knowing where my priorities lie, especially with the creation of the new kits. However, Nicole did a great job checking in and creating a welcoming atmosphere for me to ask questions and get help when needed. I have learned that even when working independently, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to ask questions or look for guidance, in fact you should do those things. Independence doesn’t mean you’re alone! I am sure the skills I have learned during this internship will follow me in my future professions and I could not be more grateful for this wonderful opportunity!

– Olivia Wilde, Klamath County Intern

Hello! My name is Olivia Wilde. I am going into my sophomore year pursuing a bachelor of fine arts in studio art as well as a minor in Spanish. I plan to become an art teacher in the future teaching high school, and eventually I hope to teach at a college level! I have not had any experience with Extension previously, but I am excited to get to know Extension and how it impacts our community.

Olivia Wilde enjoying the first day of class at Oregon State University last fall. Photo: Unknown

An art piece created by Olivia. Photo: Olivia Wilde

This summer, I am working with Klamath County’s Master Gardener program alongside Nicole Sanchez, the horticulture and entomology specialist in our Extension office. I have always loved plants and bugs, so I am very excited to learn more about both of these subjects! As an instructor, Nicole also has a wealth of knowledge in teaching, especially with diverse audiences. I know I will learn a lot about teaching, which is perfect for my future career plans! I am already delving into making educational content as one of my long-term projects. Our Master Gardener program provides fun and educational activity kits that give the community knowledge on a range of topics. My project is to create several new kits that approach new topics, engage wide audiences and are comfortable for our Master Gardener volunteers. I have already started working on these kits, which has been a very interesting and educational experience so far!

Near the end of my internship, I will be hosting an “Activity Kit Day” to introduce Master Gardeners to the new kits, as well as demonstrate the other kits. I am greatly looking forward to this day as it will be the culmination of all my work in this internship and that will be a great achievement! I am excited to see where this internship will take me. 🙂

Hi there everyone! My name is Makena Oglesby, and I am interning at the Clatsop County OSU Extension office this summer. I’ve had fun the first few weeks, and I’m excited to share my experiences with you through these blog posts over the summer!

Makena Oglesby poses with a display of some of her woodworking projects, including fish shaped cutting boards, coasters and magnets. Photo: Monique Council

During the school year, I study wood innovation for sustainability and have a focus on art & design at Oregon State University (this is a fancy way to say that I do woodworking). My major focuses a lot on wood science which I then get to apply to woodworking projects, both functional and artistic pieces. My favorite combination is when I get to make something beautiful or fun that is still fully functional, which you can see some examples of in the photo above. I am still exploring what I want to do once I graduate (at the end of fall term!) but I have thoroughly enjoyed my time so far in the OSU Extension office, and before that for about 4 years in Special Events for the Parks and Recreation Department in Hillsboro, Oregon. The work I did there is very similar to what I get to do this summer, and I have always enjoyed it so I could see myself continuing a career in the Extension Service realm after graduation (with perhaps some woodworking thrown in for fun).

I am typically located in Hillsboro, but this summer I have the opportunity to stay with my great grandmother as I work at the OSU Extension office in Astoria. I am excited to spend time with her as I work at the office and around the county this summer. As I am an intern under the Master Food Preservers coordinator at the Clatsop County OSU Extension office, I do a lot of work with all of the programs that we house including the Master Gardeners and Small Farms, 4-H and Oregon Sea Grant programs.

One thing I have already had a lot of fun doing is helping out at Seafood Tours on docks along the Oregon coast. The tours are free and open to the public and help teach people about Oregon ports, the daily lives of fisherman and how to buy seafood directly off of fishing vessels. It has been so interesting to listen to the tours as I help put them on, and make them enjoyable and memorable for the attendees. I may not be studying marine life, but it is a hobby of mine and something I love to learn about!

I am looking forward to the rest of my summer with everyone at the OSU Extension office in Astoria, and I am so excited to be involved in all of the events and programing we have planned!

More of Makena’s creative masterpieces: Makena’s Portfolio

Hello! My name is Aspen Bowling, and I am currently in week five of my summer internship with the OSU Extension Service in Clatsop County. This fall, I will be entering my fourth year at Oregon State University, where I am pursuing a degree in agricultural science with a minor in agricultural and natural resource communications. This is my second summer interning with OSU Extension, and returning has given me the opportunity to continue building on the experiences and skills I gained last year.

Aspen holds up an Oregon State University pennant; Go Beavs! Photo: Cayden Pricolo

One of the most valuable parts of this internship has been seeing the broad scope of OSU Extension and learning how many different programs work together to serve our communities. Before joining OSU Extension, I knew very little about everything it offered. Over the past two summers, I have had the opportunity to work with programs such as 4-H Youth Development, Master Gardener, Small Farms and Oregon Sea Grant. Each program has a unique mission, but they all share the common goal of providing research– based education and resources that improve the lives of Oregonians.

Throughout the internship, I have been able to take part in many hands– on experiences that have helped me better understand OSU Extension’s impact. I have participated in dock walks with Oregon Sea Grant, where we educated the public about seafood and commercial fishing industries. I have been able to represent Extension at local farmers’ markets, helping answer questions about soil and connect community members with available programs and resources. I have also volunteered at local food pantries through the Family and Community Health program, where we helped distribute healthy food information and educational materials to families. I have also had the opportunity to help with several youth activities through 4-H, which has been one of my favorite parts of the summer.

Aspen asks questions to a cloverbud participant regarding her home economics project. Photo: Alisabeth Ogier

One of the highlights of my internship so far was serving as a judge for the 4-H Home Economics Skills Contest. It was inspiring to watch the youth demonstrate their knowledge, creativity and confidence while showcasing the skills they have developed through 4-H. Seeing the pride they took in their work reminded me of the positive impact Extension programs have on young people and how these experiences help build lifelong skills. It was rewarding to play a small role in encouraging and recognizing their hard work.

Returning for a second summer has also allowed me to strengthen my skills in social media management, graphic design, photography, educational outreach and communication. As I prepare to enter my fourth year of college, this internship has reinforced my passion for agriculture, communications and community education. It has shown me how OSU Extension connects university research with local communities while creating opportunities for people of all ages to learn and grow. I am grateful to continue learning from the dedicated faculty, staff, volunteers and community partners in Clatsop County, and I look forward to making the most of the rest of my internship.

I have truly enjoyed being an Oregon State University Extension Service this
summer. I have been able to participate in multiple events and develop new skills. While
my experience was entirely with 4-H I have had the opportunity to help with a range of
activities. I started off by teaching flower arranging at our Junior Master Gardener camp.
Flower arranging was one of my main 4-H projects, and I enjoyed sharing my
knowledge.

Dean Burwash is raised for a fun picture. Photo: Andrea Hunter

I also worked on my grant application skills by researching and looking at
successful applications. I had a difficult time finding grants that could be applied to the
specific things we needed them for. Some grants looked very promising and in the fine
print said that they would not give funds to universities or university programs. I was
successful with an application, and I also found a few perfect grants that we just missed
the deadlines for. I enjoyed learning about the grant application process, and I hope that
I can find a few more before my internship is over.

I continued creating Canva graphics for social media reminders, events and
posts. Throughout the last school year, I was working as an unpaid 4-H intern and all I
did was create social media posts. I have become well equipped using Canva and I can
see my improvement from my designs when I started.

The biggest part of my internship was working at the Polk County Fair. I spent
part of my time in the 4-H building answering questions and such. Most of my time was
spent running errands around the fairgrounds and helping with morning meetings.
In between these events I spent my time at the Oregon Outdoor Education
Center at 4-H Wild West Camp in July and August. I was not there only as an intern
necessarily, but it was still one of my favorite experiences working with 4-H this
summer.

The last two weeks I worked at the Oregon State Fair helping with setup,
teardown and picking up our county’s exhibits.

I think I gained a better understanding of 4-H programming and the work that
goes into things behind the scenes. I would tell future interns to participate in as many
things as they can. I have enjoyed participating in a wide range of events and activities
as an intern.

– Dean Burwash

Hi, I’m Rachel and I’m an intern at Oregon State University Extension Service in Hood River
County. I have been working in partnership with the Master Gardener volunteers at the FISH Food
Bank Garden. The mission of the garden is to grow produce for the food bank and provide garden
education to the community. The garden is a place for people to visit, volunteer and connect with
others.

Rachel Fuller smiles for the camera in the FISH Garden. Photo: Yvonne (a FISH Food Bank volunteer)

My position in the garden was that of a garden manager. I found it enjoyable working with
the plants and soils as well as background systems and structures. I have years of experience in
vegetable farming and brought new ideas with a production mindset into the garden. This was a
fun challenge stepping into the gardening world and learning how to interact with vegetable
production in a more lowkey environment where community is really one of the main
components.

I have not fully comprehended the extent of this internship’s value. There were so many
things that I got to do and take part in including public speaking, infographics, creating systems,
building relationships and developing better intergenerational communication skills, working
with youth, grant writing knowledge, volunteer management, garden management and more.
When I went back to school, I had my eyes and heart set on the NRCS. That dream was derailed
this winter and since then I have been reassessing what I value in a future career. I went back to
school with the core mission to help rural farmers and communities.

Through the grant writing courses and discussions with a mentor I have seen the value in
those skills and the foundations that fund farmers and rural community projects. While I still have
interest in working in soil conservation, my interest is peaked and I wonder if a career working for
an organization or foundation that focuses on funding rural communities. While I love being
outside and working with plants and soils, I do think that my experience here has shown me that
I could take my career in many different directions. I have become increasingly more confident in
my right to guide my own days. I have invested my time in the things that benefit me and benefit
the garden. I have also become more confident in knowing what workload is manageable for me
and when to say no to extra tasks and projects while still finding a way to delegate the tasks so
that they get done.

Hello! Emily Killebrew, now Emily Riley, here! So many good things happened this summer
during my marketing internship at Oregon State University Extension Service in the Marion
County office, including my marriage last weekend. I attended many events, took many photos
and wrote many posts! The Instagram page has even gotten a good following started. Yay!
Now that I’m in the last month of this internship, I’m looking forward to seeing what the
Marion County office has in store to start up fall, such as the propagation classes the Marion
Master Gardeners Program is running and the Grass Seed Certification Process with Brandi
Freres, the Grass Seed Certification Aide. I’m also looking forward to some time to organize the
photos I have taken before I leave. There are a lot.

Emily Killebrew snaps a photo of the Food Safety and Preservation workshop in Scotts Grange. Photo: Sarita Contreras

A big struggle I overcame this summer was the work-life balance of moving, my wedding, taking
care of myself and participating in this internship. I found it challenging to stay focused in the
right time compartments; however, with the help of my supervisor, we were able to find a
schedule that worked best for me. I also gave myself grace reminders when I did not get things
done as expected. Thank you, Elvira Alvarez, for reminding me to do this!

Speaking of Elvira Alvarez, she and Susan Levy both helped me learn the little nuances of on-
brand social media marketing by using specific words when it comes to names, titles and
descriptions within each social media post. This is important for any future marketing interns:
using correct names and descriptions is more valuable than using a play on words to be creative
and not repetitive, either written or verbal. It’s much better to stay consistent with these rather
than finding other ways to call something or someone and offend others by accident.

As an aspiring writer, I tend to try and find synonyms of a word or other ways to say one thing,
so people aren’t distracted by repetitive word usage within my paragraphs or throughout
multiple posts. Now I know that people could get distracted in these instances if I change up
the words too much. I will remember this advice both when writing and speaking and hopefully
learn the delicate balance between the two while keeping the balance between them for the
rest of my life.

Additionally, Kelly Noack taught me that even clear photos do not necessarily mean they create
a story; what makes the story is other aspects of photos (action, focus, etc.). I hope to take her
advice to heart with any photo I keep and share with others.

Thank you, Oregon State University Extension Service in Marion County, for all that you taught
me and are still teaching me through this summer.

Hello, my name is Abigail Cape, and I am in towards the end of my internship for this
year with Polk County 4-H. Throughout this summer, I have had so many amazing experiences
and opportunities within Polk County 4-H. Some of my favorites were helping with the Jr. Master
Gardeners Camp, working with the West Salem Dream Center and finally being able to help
with both county and state fair. Fair itself has always been a favorite of mine; as a youth to show
at, and now as an intern being able to help with all of the behind the scenes work before, during,
and after fair is something that I truly enjoy. During our county fair this year, I had the
opportunity to run the small animal judging contest, which typically consists of knowledge, breed
ID and finally a couple of animals for the kids to judge; however, due to number of animals
required for a class, the judging portion of the contest was omitted causing the contest to be
more of a knowledge contest. Youth were able to choose from four different tests, two were
about rabbits and cavies (guinea pigs), with the other two being about various kinds of poultry.
During the state fair, I was able to clerk for the horticulture exhibits for the 4-H for the second
time, as well as work in the 4-H building at the state fair.

OSU Extension intern, Abigail Cape, assists with the small animal projects at the Polk County Fair. Pictured is a 4-Her walking her Cochin Bantam. Photo: Annalee Altavilla

Throughout my time this summer working with Extension, I have been able to learn so
much. With our county growing and more kids being interested in more things, helping the 4-H
program I grew up with grow and adapt to meet the needs of all the new members makes me so
happy. The skills I have learned during this internship will help me in my future years at school,
but also in my future career. As this summer and this internship unfortunately come to a close,
I’m reminded of all that I have learned through this program. I am truly grateful for everything
that I have experienced and everyone I have met in this internship this summer.

Hi again! My name is Savannah Barron, and this summer I had the pleasure of working as an
intern at Oregon State University Extension Service in Columbia County. During my last legs of
this internship, I have taken on many different projects. One of the largest—briefly mentioned in
my last blog—is the community garden at Lewis and Clarke Elementary School. It had been left
mostly to itself for about a year, so it was in dire need of a good weeding and watering. The
garden itself consists of four wooden plant beds and four metal ones, with previously planted
garlic and onions, as well as a fairly large native plant bed. Weeding out thistle and older plants
was a fun challenge, but planting some seeds in the hope that they would be ready in the fall for
the kids to help harvest was probably my favorite part. Currently, the radishes I planted have
taken off, while the strawberries, cucumbers and various herbs are a bit slower. I’m so excited
to see what the school ends up doing with the garden, and grateful that I could get it into a more
manageable condition for them.

OSU Extension intern, Savannah Barron, and Master Gardeners at Scappoose Farmers Market. Photo: Cassie Hall

I have continued with the Columbia County needs assessment, through both calling farmers and
tabling at events like the Clatskanie Garlic and Pollinator Festival, as well as farmers’ markets—
no matter how hot it may be. I have to say the people I’ve been talking to just have so much
passion for not only their farms and gardens, but for supporting the entire community of
Columbia County. Everyone’s very much invested in growing and changing as a collective, and
it’s been an honor being able to give them a bit of a voice in how they want to do that. Another
really fun bit of programming I’ve been able to do is going on site visits with Janhvi Pandey, who
takes care of our Master Gardener and Small Farms programs. These visits gave me hands-on
experience in what discussions occur about land use, plant diagnostics and even watershed-
based information in people’s day-to-day lives.

Overall, my time at Columbia County Extension has been very engaging. I feel as though I’ve
learned a lot, not just about the programs and events that Extension helps make happen, but
also about the community I live in. The diversity and dedication of the people I have met are
truly amazing things to witness. I am so very grateful for the opportunities that have been
presented to me and for the wonderful people in the Columbia County Extension office who
have helped guide me in this journey. I cannot wait to see how this experience will shape me as
I go on to newer things.

OSU Extension Internship Program

Category Archives: Master Gardener

OSU Extension intern branches out to celebrate Astoria’s trees for a perfect summer finale

OSU Extension intern celebrates new discoveries and project milestones

OSU Extension intern combines educational goals with community impact

OSU Extension intern brings creativity and curiosity to Clatsop County

OSU Extension Intern explores the heart of 4-H through events and engagement

OSU Extension intern focuses on growing- in more ways than one

OSU Extension intern reflects on milestones, marketing and mentorship

OSU Extension intern helps grow the 4-H program that grew her

OSU Extension intern cultivates gardens-and community insight-in Columbia County

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