2025 Interns
Emma Cawelti - Marketing and Communications Intern
Hello! My Name is Emma Cawelti and this past summer I was the marketing and communications intern for Reiman Gardens. Going into my senior year in Public Relations and Digital Media, I learned so many valuable skills working for a public garden that will be useful in the near future. Not only was the internship program at Reiman Gardens very professional, but educational as well. Each week, we met as interns and learned about each department and how everyone works together which helped me see how much goes into maintaining a public garden. With the help of my supervisor, I received real-life experience in marketing large events and promoting our spaces on social media.
Throughout the summer, I have been working on my individual capstone project. One of the obstacles we wanted to address was our bus tourism and ways to increase our group tours. After meeting with Discover Ames, I walked away with a large binder filled with information from trade shows and possible tourism companies to reach out to. From there, I narrowed down the list to the top 100 companies that had the most international business to the United States. I then created a brochure that showcases the beauty of the gardens and how incredible our tours are. Some highlights included accessibility through wide paths, affordable pricing, the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing, and our unique garden spaces with over 6,000 types of plants.
Torie Kutsch - Conservation Research Intern
Hello my name is Torie Kutsch and I am the summer Conservation Research Intern at Reiman Gardens! I am a Junior at Iowa State University studying Environmental Science and hope to have a future career in conservation. My day to day job is researching the Western Prairie Fringed Orchid, which is an endangered orchid species that is native to Iowa. I read research papers along with visiting prairies and talking to other conservation professionals to learn about this orchid.
Over the summer, part of my internship was to create a capstone project. My project was to come up with different ways that Reiman Gardens can add a conservation program that best fits how the garden runs. My goal was to come up with and give multiple ideas to allow for Reiman Gardens to choose the path that best works for them. Not only will my work allow the gardens to start up their own conservation program, but will also allow me to begin learning and start my career in conservation.
Cara Olson - Education Intern
Hi, my name is Cara Olson, and I’m from Peoria, IL. I am one of the education interns at Reiman Gardens for summer 2025 and a Biology major at Iowa State University. As an education intern I work to support the education department in a variety of ways including leading guided tours for youth and adult visitors. For youth tours this often involves prepping spaces like the Corncrib or the classroom depending on the type of tour. I also help plan and lead the 5 day and single day youth camps which occur throughout the summer. In addition to programming and tours, I assist with administrative tasks, such as processing new volunteer applications and approving submitted volunteer hours. These responsibilities allow me to gain experience not only in education but also in the behind-the-scenes operations that keep public programs running smoothly.
Over the summer I developed a capstone project which is a public lecture over the environmental impacts of generative AI and how to use it more effectively. With AI tools becoming more integrated into our lives, I feel it is important for the public to better understand not just how to use them more effectively but also how these tools impact the environment. Through more effective prompting the amount of information being processed by generative AI is reduced and leads to a lower environmental footprint. This project combines my interests in science communication, environmental responsibility, and emerging technologies. In the future, I hope to pursue a career in education where I can continue helping others engage with science in meaningful and accessible ways.
Sydney Brunaugh - Plant Collections Intern
My name is Sydney Brunaugh and I'm the Plant Collections intern at Reiman Gardens this summer! I grew up in Alton, Illinois and I’m going into my 5th year at Iowa State in the Landscape Architecture program. Over the course of the summer I've gained so much knowledge of not only my area but of all the departments that make up a public garden. I've produced and placed MANY labels for plants out in the gardens and have learned about the importance of data collection and keeping detailed records of all the plant species we have. Some of my favorite weekly Plant Collections tasks are curating the plants of interest table, working with the plant preservation group to collect and dry flowers, and making the What's Bloomin' Wednesday videos for the Instagram page.
The Capstone project I have produced utilizes both my prior knowledge of landscape design and what I’ve learned during my internship to produce a strategic plan for creating a new garden space here at Reiman. The area I’ve chosen to work with is directly behind the Butterfly Wing near the North fence and main entrance to the Conservatory Complex. This space is currently a mix of overgrown native and invasive species with a small lawn adjacent to the fence. The site is directly visible as you’re walking into the building and currently doesn’t serve an intentional purpose programmatically or visually. My intention for the space is to fill the area with native prairie plantings that also serve as habitat for at-risk pollinator species in Iowa. Another aspect that will be important to the space is including interpretive signage to inform visitors about the benefits and importance of using native plants and creating pollinator habitat in urban spaces. The space can be utilized for our educational programming and also creates many opportunities to form partnerships with outside organizations.
Grace Schuster - Landscape and Ornamental Gardening Intern
Hello! My name is Grace Schuster, and I am currently a Landscape and Ornamental Gardening Intern at Reiman Gardens focused on public horticulture. I am a student at Iowa State University, studying Public Horticulture with a minor in Design Studies and Animal Ecology. I am passionate about connecting people of all ages to the natural world through hands-on experiences. This summer, I've had the opportunity to explore many aspects of public gardens, including plant care, garden design, and visitor engagement. I got to spend time learning about the ways plants can create not just beautiful, but interactive spaces for visitors.
For my capstone project, I decided to map and assess the Children’s Garden to propose a barefoot path, play area, and pollinator-friendly native planting plan. This involved site analysis, selecting appropriate plant species, and creating educational materials to support public outreach. In addition to the capstone, I’ve had unique experiences such as assisting with special events, contributing to social media content, and participating in behind-the-scenes work with the horticulture team. These experiences have strengthened my interest in public garden management and reinforced my goal of pursuing a career that combines horticulture, education, and environmental sustainability. This internship has not only expanded my practical skills but has also affirmed my passion for creating meaningful, plant-based experiences for the public.
Izzy Forrest- Landscape & Ornamental Gardening Intern
Hi, my name is Izzy, and I am the Landscape & Ornamental Gardening intern here at Reiman Gardens. I am majoring in Agricultural Studies and minoring in Horticulture. This summer, I have been a part of the Sycamore Falls area involving mulching, weeding, and planting. My favorite part about this job is seeing the progress my colleagues and I have made throughout the summer. Overall, it has been a great experience and taught me so much about horticulture and the hard work that goes into it.
We were tasked with a big project, or capstone, that would go on to benefit the gardens in some way. For my capstone project, I created informational blurbs for the Sycamore Trees and Smooth Hydrangeas. I picked these two because they are perennials and are easily recognizable. My idea behind this is to provide fun facts about these species for families to share with their loved ones. Who doesn’t love a fun fact?
Trinity Khalek - Event Management Intern
Hello! My name is Trinity Khalek, and I am the Event Management Intern at Reiman Gardens. I am a senior, focusing on Nonprofits and Social Events. During my time at Reiman Gardens, I have gained experience in both public and private events, enhancing my skills in coordination and logistics. I have assisted with events such as the summer Plant Sale, the annual Rose Show, the Pollinator Fest, the Goldfinch Concert Series, and the Garden Art Fair. I have also helped with many wedding receptions and ceremonies in various garden spaces. My contributions included creating setup diagrams, developing safety plans, doing data entry for past events, and serving as the point of contact during events. This internship has strengthened my interpersonal and communication skills while allowing me to develop coping strategies for stress and unexpected challenges thrown in events. By the end of the internship, I will use all the skills I have developed in future events to create a memorable experience for clients and their guests.
Throughout the summer, I have also been working on my capstone project, "Back to Bloom." This event is designed to be a welcome social for college students to gather at the start of the academic year. I created this event because I noticed no existing event specifically targeted college students. Before my internship, I had never visited Reiman Gardens, and I realized many other students share that same experience. I saw this as an excellent opportunity to boost student attendance and raise awareness of the various resources, such as volunteer opportunities, internships, study spots, photo areas, educational programs, and year-round events. This event will have a vision board journaling activity paired with music, yard games, and possibly a food truck. It is a time to unwind and develop goals and aspirations for the school year.
Halie Hohnstein - Grow and Give
Hi, my name is Halie Hohnstein. I am a second-year college student at Iowa State studying horticulture with an emphasis on food and crop production. This summer, I am the Grow and Give intern at Reiman Gardens. With this internship, I am working with all the things that I love: vegetables, the community, and children. This program invites the community to bring in their extra produce to the gardens, we weigh it, clean it, and sort it before delivering it to the local food pantries. Throughout the summer, we will end up delivering to around 10 food pantries around the Ames area. Alongside working with the other students in the garden, I am also working with many different volunteer groups throughout this summer. I have worked with the Grow and Give volunteers, SHEP students from Ames High, and (my favorite) the TCA kids from Ames Elementary.
This summer, we also have a capstone project. For my project, I am looking into ways to extend the growing season. I am looking into getting cold frames and mini hoop houses to make planting happen earlier and the growing season last longer. This internship has given me a better understanding of what I want to do in the future. I have learned that I love working with the community and children. In the future, I definitely want to work with people while also still working in the gardens with produce. This job has been the best of both worlds, and I am excited to see what else this internship has to offer for the rest of the summer and into the fall.
Kaitlynn Johnston - Education Intern
My name is Kaitlynn Johnston and I am one of the Education interns at Reiman gardens. I am going to be a senior this coming fall at Iowa State studying elementary education with a science endorsement. I love all things, nature, science, and the outdoors!
I have had the chance to work alongside the education team to help create hands-on, engaging learning for children who come to the garden. Throughout my time here I have led interactive tours that align with Next Generation Science Standards for children of all ages, preschool through middle school, I have developed education materials and assisted with summer camps. Being at Reiman has shown me how nature and the outdoors can inspire creativity.
I have also had the opportunity to work on a capstone throughout my time here. With the overarching theme of outreach I have made a map of groups in Iowa and the surrounding areas from the past five years who have attended any of the guided or self guided tours we offer. Using this data I have found schools and areas we are not reaching, then created an outreach action plan, detailing what schools to reach out to, program guides to inform them about what we do at the gardens or how a field trip would look if their school wanted to attend, and questions to ask when calling them. During my ongoing work here at the garden I plan on learning how much we have grown in the last 5 years and make an obtainable goal to hit in the next fiscal year. Then helping to hit those goals by following through with my plans and contacting areas who are missing out on the opportunities Reiman Gardens has to offer.
