Meet Children’s Garden Intern Kittie Storey

Meet Children’s Garden Summer Intern Kittie Storey.  Kittie works with our Youth Volunteer Summer Program on Tuesdays and Thursdays, helping with supervision, horticulture knowledge, and by being a positive role model. She also leads our “Food Production” chat.  Kittie holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University and has interned at Tricycle Gardens as well as Paradise Valley Produce. She has volunteered at various educational institutions including the Children’s Museum or Richmond and local elementary schools. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is very thankful for Kittie’s industrious work ethic, easy-going outlook, and positive perspective while working outdoors with our teen volunteers. She is great horticulture resource: she knows when a crop is ready to harvest, she is the fastest mulch spreader I’ve ever seen, and she knows great techniques for staking tomatoes.  

Take it away Kittie…..

Volunteers from the Founders Center along with Service Learning Intern Kittie Storey and Youth Programs Developer Nicki Apostolow, as they harvest tomatoes.

My experience as a volunteer at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has been much more than I had expected and I continue to be surprised and delighted everyday. When I was first asked on as the Service Learning Intern, I had expected to work fairly close with the youth volunteers, possibly in a supervisory nature, but our relationship has evolved into so much more. I feel that I am both a mentor and a peer. I feel that the knowledge that I have acquired in farming and gardening in the past has transferred to them. Their ability to digest that information and use it in their work in Community Kitchen Garden is inspiring. Working side-by-side with these young, hard-working individuals in a garden that is producing food for those in need is the most rewarding part of my experience at Lewis Ginter. Regardless of the project at hand, or the intensity of the summer heat, they complete each task without complaint and with immense focus. The youth volunteers express interest in what they are doing and continue to want to learn more.

Kittie staking tomatoes with Zach (youth volunteer)

Along with the help of  Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden staff and horticulturists,  we are helping young people to understand the importance of agriculture, food production and service to our community. I am so very glad to be a part of this and I hope that I make as much of an impact on the junior volunteers as they have on me.