Tag Archives: SOREC

An Incredible Summer Filled with New Experiences

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A tall, leafy plant rises from a black container.
A pear tree that was uprooted for my pear disease diagnosis project. I replanted it with little hope it would survive, but seeing it overcome its struggles filled me with happiness.
Photo credit: Jasmin Lama

Hello, I’m Jasmin Lama. I just finished my summer internship at Southern Oregon’s Research and Extension Center in Jackson County. I can genuinely say that it was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much about plant pathology, along with making unforgettable memories.

Focusing on my projects was one of the aspects of my internship that I enjoyed the most. As I mentioned in my last blog, my major project was to identify the cause of why pear trees in a Southern Oregon orchard were dying. Preparing and plating these pear tree samples took many hours of dedicated hard work. After observing them for 2 weeks, I concluded that Diaporthe eres was the causal agent. I researched this species extensively and worked hard on the lab report I submitted after my internship. For about 2 weeks, I participated in processing hundreds of frozen samples for our lab. This took up most of my days, but I gained new skills and had much fun. It gave me a great sense of accomplishment once I finished. Participating in pear shoot blight measurements was also a highlight of my internship. Observing the hemp plants for my hemp management project was also a big part of my internship. Watching them prosper, consistently watering and giving them their designated treatment was one of my favorite parts this summer.

This was an incredible experience. I want to thank the amazing mentors who made it all possible. Anupa Gaire, Joseph DeShields, and especially Achala KC, my supervisor, were like walking encyclopedias of plant pathology knowledge. They helped me learn way more than I ever thought was possible. I am so grateful for their support in the plant pathology lab.

Presently, I have transitioned into my junior year of high school. This experience has enriched my understanding and left a lasting mark personally and intellectually. Monthly meetings provided insight into the ongoing projects of my mentors, amplifying my appreciation for the field. Field trips and meeting new people from all over the county added depth to my experience. However, the most memorable experience was our road trip to Woodhall Vineyards just outside of Corvallis. It was an incredible experience being able to work in such a large vineyard and I will never forget it.

Approaching this new academic year, I’ve gotten tanner thanks to all the sunshine. More importantly, I’m grateful for the knowledge I gained from this internship. I hope to return soon. It was an amazing experience that I will cherish forever. I am excited to use the skills and knowledge I gained to positively impact the future.

Very thankful for the opportunities I received this summer!

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Rows of young hemp plants on black weed barrier.
Hemp plants when they were first planted two months ago.
Photo credit: Aayusha Subedi

Hello! I am Aayusha Subedi from the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center (SOREC) here in Jackson County. This summer has gone by in the blink of an eye, and I cannot believe I am at the end of my internship. Over the past two months, I have learned many new things and have created many lasting memories.

In mid-July I prepped over 150-plus grapevine samples for DNA extraction for Grapevine Red Blotch Virus detection. During this time, I also collected pear tree samples for my pear disease diagnosis project. I prepped and plated samples for the experiment, which was to identify why the pear trees were dying in the first place. I had been tasked to write a lab report on this experiment and its outcomes. In August, I worked on a hemp disease management trial. For this trial, I planted 60 hemp plants and monitored them for a month, observing them for any symptoms. I also went to a hemp farm multiple times this summer because a similar experiment was being conducted there as well. Towards the end of this internship, I worked on completing my report.

Rows of hemp plants.
Hemp plants now.
Photo credit: Anupa Gaire

Two highlights from this summer as an intern were picking blackberries with other interns and going on a treehopper collection excursion. The treehopper collecting was surprisingly fun; however, they are hard critters to catch (like the name suggests they like to hop away a lot). They were being collected as a part of a Grapevine red blotch virus detection experiment.  I also enjoyed walking around the garden located close by.

I am incredibly grateful for being able to take part in this program. Going into this position I was unsure about what to expect. One main thing I have learned a lot about is Grapevine red blotch virus and its effects on grapevines. This experience also taught me a lot about standard lab procedures and how to engage with others in a laboratory setting.

Now that I have completed my time here as an intern, I want to give my thanks to my wonderful supervisor Achala KC. I want to thank her for allowing me to work in her lab and for inviting me into the field of plant pathology. I would like to thank the amazing people who work at the SOREC, such as Anupa Gaire and Joey Deshields for helping me around the lab. I am truly thankful to have been able to receive this opportunity this year. This is an experience that will remain with me in the future. I hope to be able to come back and do this again. Once again thank you to everyone who helped make this internship and summer an incredible experience!

Glad for the opportunity to work behind the scenes

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Hi! My name is Anna Ehlers and I’m an OSU Extension summer intern at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center (SOREC) in Jackson County. I am an Oregon State University student majoring in horticulture with a minor in biological data science. I am working with my supervisor Lena Hosking, 4-H program coordinator in Jackson County.  

A woman sits cross legged on the floor in front of a horticulture display
Anna Ehlers with her 4-H horticulture display and materials.

I am finishing up my last week at my internship and things have been less chaotic since we finished working at the fair.  

Lately I have been working on a horticulture curriculum for future 4-H camps or day projects. I have found many fun example curricula online and in our project books. Not only am I searching for projects, but I am also editing and revising them to better fit our desired curriculum. Our curriculum has a set of learning objectives that should be incorporated into each project, so revising the projects to improve teaching methods are needed.  

In addition to searching for projects, I have to test them out. By testing the projects, I can improve them to make instructions clearer for students or instructors reading through the curriculum. I can identify issues or miscommunication found in the instructions and modify them. This can clear up any confusion before the projects have begun. We also identify the learning outcomes, so the students have a takeaway after participating in a project. This helps us create a quality curriculum.  

I have found so many things that students of any age can enjoy. My focus is horticulture so I found many gardening, growing and observational horticulture projects that can be educational and fun. There are projects that work better for different ages, so I have some projects that can be easily adjusted. The projects I have modified include pressed flowers, paper making, and seed germination.  

Since many projects include crafts, I created multiple examples for a number of projects. My favorite project I worked on was pressing flowers. In the gardens surrounding the office there are many, many flowers that can be pressed. In front of the plants there are signs labeled with the scientific name and common name. After pressing the flowers for many days, I would write down the scientific name and common name then use Mod Podge to glue the flower onto a piece of cardstock. This would allow the flower to be preserved along with its name, and allows the students to learn that flowers and other plants can have more than one name so that identification can be easier.  

For my seed germination project, I grew different types of beans to see how they grew. The different beans allow for students to track different growth patterns between the different species. To develop scientific inquiry, there are many possible things to experiment with. Learning about a control group and an experimental group can show how you can compare and contrast regarding the different experiments. By using observational skills, students can learn how to identify and describe changes noticed in the real world.  

A woman looks across black and yellow flowers at a site to the right of the camera

I’m glad I had the opportunity to work behind the scenes to understand how much work goes into every project and event that takes place. It takes many people many hours to make our events go well. This is especially true for planning the county fair and a summer 4-H camp.  

I’ve learned to appreciate the work that is involved in preparing curriculum and revising projects that will be used in the future. There is always more work to do, and more things to revise, but it all works out in the end. I was able to work on many projects independently, which allowed me to work on my creativity not only with my curricula projects but also with marketing.  

I had a wonderful time working with 4-H over the summer. I have learned so much during my 10-week internship and I would like to thank Lena for being a great mentor by teaching me so much about 4-H and about OSU extension in general. I would also like to thank my co-worker Steven McIntyre for assisting me with my various projects.