Reflection

I have loved working with the Botanical Center this semester!  I have learned how important it is to preserve things for future generations.  For example, when I was gardening in the master garden with Christine, I saw there were $500 reward signs up for information on stolen plants.  People were coming to the garden and stealing entire tomato and pepper plants.  Volunteers usually have to raise funds for these plants so Friends of the Garden were upset that people would just steal what wasn't theirs.  If everyone did this then there wouldn't be any plants for anyone to enjoy at the park.  I have also learned from this experience how important it is for everyone to contribute to projects.  If one person decided that they didn't want to plant bulbs one day or another person decided they didn't want to pull weeds, the plants really suffer in the following season. It is essential for each team member to do their part so that the park can prosper.  The positive outcomes have been learning how to work hard with a group of people who have different leadership styles to accomplish the same goal.  I plan to focus on getting other organizations to volunteer here in the spring. It is rewarding and fun work and I think people can really learn a lot about themselves and others by volunteering here!