Native Landscape Apprenticeship Review
By Madison Roberts, Native Landscape Apprentice
I want to share about my experience as a Native Landscape Apprentice, where I gained knowledge, skills, and experience that will help me in my journey towards a career in conservation. For background, I am a student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga double majoring in Biology and Environmental Science. I had some prior experience doing trail maintenance but was on the lookout for an opportunity to work in natural areas for the betterment of the ecosystem and those who experience it, which is exactly what this program is about.
My initial expectations were that after a few training sessions our crew would split up and do independent work pulling invasive species; however, our five-person team under Byron Brooks stuck together, and I have since enjoyed the strong productive bond our crew developed. The practice we took against invasive woody plants is called “cut-stump treatment” where we cut the plant at the base and precisely apply a herbicide to the plant. What herbicide we apply and when we apply it depends on the weather or growing condition of the plant. I have learned so much about native species management tactics alongside my crewmates. For example, bamboo is cut one season and treated the next. All of us “worked like machines” and were very focused, which helped us accomplish so much more than we had expected. We cleared and hauled off piles of invasive plants in just a few hours allowing us to fly through the property. While working, our crew shared pleasant and educational discussions about the history of Reflection Riding, invasive plant and animal species in the area, native species evolution, and the practicality of the practices we use for managing native landscapes here.
Another part of the apprenticeship involved working with our community. We have worked with volunteers from JROTC, REI, Wauhatchie School parents, and even birthday groups who all offer helping hands to remove invasive brush. We also taught our visitors about how to spot our target plants, the reasons we remove them, and the effects they have on native competition.
Throughout my experience, I gained a few unexpected skills including operating heavy machinery, using and fixing gas powered chain saws, and operating a skid steer, which is used to collect and pile brush to burn. Learning to use the skid steer was an accomplishment because of the amount of coordination, forethought, and spatial awareness it took to use both hands and feet to operate it. We also used backpack sprayers to target nonnative flowers before the growing season. An amazing and unexpected experience was transforming our crew into a burn crew. By using tools such as drip torches and fire flaps, we prepped and burned areas for controlled ecological fires. These fires stimulated native plant growth and gave them an advantage over invasive plants for the growing season. All skills and experiences, even if unexpected, have been great to add under my belt.
The skills I am most proud of are my ability to explain the ecology of our area and my ability to identify both invasive and native species. We learned to identify plants in the winter without leaves, so when spring came we saw the plants transform. These skills have made me feel more connected to and proud to be a part of Southeast Tennessee. I am very grateful to have had this position as a Native Landscape Apprentice at Reflection Riding and have enjoyed the development of new skills and on-site knowledge that I will carry with me to future positions and share with those around me.
Last semester, Reflection Riding hosted four fantastic Native Landscape Apprentices: Drake, Henry, Mayson, and Madison. They became an important part of our team, battling invasive plant species across our campus and restoring the beautiful landscape. They have each continued to be a part of our team in different capacities. Both Mayson and Madison now work with our Nursery crew as Nursery and Botanical Apprentices. Henry serves as our Facilities Coordinator, and Drake has continued doing his Native Landscape Apprenticeship with our land conservation crew!