BV Cool Trees Grows Its Team

In June 2024, two Tree Team interns help Boxerwood Garden Steward Karen Stanley spread mulch through a new tree nursery at Enderly Heights Elementary School.

This spring, Boxerwood educators Catherine Epstein and Ginny Johnson interviewed two dozen Buena Vista teens who wanted to be part of the 2025 Tree Team. This paid summer internship supports BV Cool Trees, a three-year collaboration between Boxerwood and the City of Buena Vista. (Click here to read more about our collaboration.) 

Last year’s team of six built a tree nursery, interviewed local tree experts, spread the word about the initiative throughout their community, and even designed official BV Cool Trees logos and brochures. The internship went so well that Catherine and Ginny were prepared for more applicants, but they were taken aback by receiving four times the 2024 number, or 10% of all students in grade 8-11 at Parry McCluer HS. What, they wondered, was drawing so many young people to this experience?

The answers varied, but the foundation of each was the same: Buena Vista teens want to help.

During the interviews, one young woman expressed that she’s very interested in history – specifically Buena Vista’s past – and that she wanted to use this knowledge to “grow the future” for the City through working with trees. Another student referenced her personal interest in nature photography and her desire to support the environment that inspires her art. 

One 8th grader said that he’d already found gratification by planting pollinator gardens, and that he feels inspired to educate his community about supporting the natural world in similar ways. Another teen said that he became interested in earth stewardship through attending Luminary Nights at Natural Bridge State Park and witnessing recent forest fires in the area. He also described the inspiration he takes from his grandfather, who worked for the Department of Forestry.

While many responses included previous experiences or specific knowledge that the teens wanted to gain, others held just as much passion in a simple phrase. When one young man was asked what motivated him to apply for the internship, he thought for a moment. Then he looked up and responded: “I want to learn to care for this place.”

This year, the BV Cool Trees internship runs June 23 - July 10 with fifteen interns, the maximum we were able to hire with grant funds. Catherine and Ginny are excited to work with these inspiring earth stewards!

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