Native Landscape Apprenticeship: Summer 2026
Summer 2026—what a summer to remember! This past season, our pre-apprentices returned to our campus full-time and made strides in land conservation. We kicked off the season with a new hire, which expanded our team to six pre-apprentices! Our longest-serving member also graduated high school and became our first official apprentice! Read on to explore all the adventures from Lead Naturalist: Native Landscape Management Apprenticeship Ailani Ramirez-Pineda.
This summer has been a busy and exciting one for our Native Landscape Management Apprenticeship students. With the 2025–2026 school year ending in May, the apprentices were able to take on more hours and gain hands-on experience across several areas of Reflection Riding.
We are especially proud of Jahore Vann, who graduated from The Howard School this year and is transitioning into our first official apprentice post high school. Jahore plans to continue his education at Chattanooga State Community College, and we are excited to see where this next chapter takes him.
We also welcomed a new pre-apprentice, Avanna Coleman, an upcoming sophomore at Howard High School. Avanna first visited Reflection Riding on field trips with her environmental science teacher, where she stood out for her leadership and interest in conservation. Her teacher encouraged her to apply to the apprenticeship program, and we are excited to welcome her to the team. Through funding for the apprenticeship program, we were also able to provide Avanna with essential work gear, including boots, gloves, rain gear, work pants, and a sun hat, while replacing or supplementing gear for our returning students.
Learning Across the Campus
During the summer, our pre-apprentices split their time between Reflection Riding's Land Conservation team, the Native Plant Nursery, and Summer Camp. This intentional rotation gives students exposure to different conservation career pathways while helping them learn how different teams, responsibilities, and skills come together to care for our campus.
The students began their summer by joining portions of summer camp counselor training. They met the camp counselors, participated in the infamous hike to Sunset Rock in preparation for the challenging hike our oldest campers take, renewed CPR certifications, and completed canoe training.
With the Land Conservation team, students supported a wide range of campus projects, including weeding, invasive plant removal, mowing, and habitat maintenance. They helped prepare the wolf habitat for use by clearing overgrown vegetation and worked alongside the Understory volunteer group to mulch and improve the Playscapes.
One of their favorite projects was preparing the back meadows for potential prescribed burns. The students also participated in a hands-on experiment exploring different methods of managing sweetgum trees, learning how land managers evaluate which techniques are most effective while limiting regrowth.
They also supported our Welcome Center garden steward with invasive plant removal and helped begin the foundation for a future courtyard garden and picnic area. These projects gave students a chance to see how conservation work can include everything from habitat management to creating welcoming spaces for people to connect with nature.
At the Native Plant Nursery, students worked alongside Lead Naturalists Hannah and Lauren to pot plants, sanitize and reuse pots, maintain plant inventory, practice proper watering techniques, and care for plants through trimming and deadheading. They also helped with seed germination, sowing, and general nursery maintenance.
Supporting Summer Camp
When the apprentices joined Summer Camp, they became an extra set of hands for counselors and a source of encouragement for campers. They hiked, played games, helped with arts and crafts, and went canoeing with different age groups throughout the summer.
For many of the apprentices, this was also an opportunity to step outside their comfort zones. Working with campers encouraged them to be more outgoing, silly, patient, and confident while communicating with children of different ages.
Building Professional and Leadership Skills
“From seeing their confidence completely blossom to hearing the positive feedback and compliments from the educators, full-time staff members, and volunteer leaders who work with our students, I’m continually amazed by their growth every year. It’s incredibly inspiring to see how much they develop—not only in their skills, but also in their confidence, the way they see themselves, and their interest in continuing in conservation work”
Hands-on conservation work was only one part of the apprenticeship experience. Throughout the summer, students also spent time developing leadership, communication, teamwork, and career-readiness skills.
We held team-building activities that focused on communication and problem-solving and used excerpts from Small Acts of Leadership by G. Shawn Hunter to spark conversations about confidence, leadership, imposter syndrome, workplace stress, and what makes a good leader.
Students also participated in mock job interviews, taking turns interviewing one another and providing feedback on communication, answers, and confidence. These activities gave them a chance to practice skills they will use well beyond the apprenticeship program.
Exploring Conservation Beyond Reflection Riding
The students also had opportunities to explore conservation work beyond our campus. Through plant scouting with the Native Plant Nursery team, they visited Lula Lake, Fiery Gizzard Trail, a private farm near Sewanee, and the Cherokee National Forest as part of work supporting the Tennessee Valley Seed Project.
These trips combined outdoor adventure with lessons in plant identification, seed collection, land stewardship, and conservation. Students used tools such as iNaturalist to identify plants and document locations for potential future seed collection. They also had opportunities to meet conservation professionals and learn about the many ways people can protect and steward land.
During a camping trip in the Cherokee National Forest, the students helped set up camp and prepare dinner before hiking to Benton Falls. For many of the apprentices, it was their first camping experience, making the trip both an educational opportunity and a memorable adventure.
Students also participated in trail maintenance lessons with volunteers, learning about trail construction and erosion control. They worked on trails around Chief Walkingstick Cabin and learned how natural materials can be used to slow water runoff and reduce erosion.
Off campus, the apprentices returned to Howard High School to help maintain its native plant nursery and participated in a job-shadowing experience with the City of Chattanooga's Natural Resources team. They helped support a wetland rewilding project in Carver Park by removing invasive brome grass while learning more about city conservation work.
The Power of Mentorship
One of the most meaningful additions to the apprenticeship program this year has been our partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Most of our pre-apprentices have been matched with mentors and meet with them twice a month.
Since the mentorship matches began, we have seen a noticeable boost in students' confidence. They are becoming more comfortable with themselves, more proud of their accomplishments, and more willing to recognize their own strengths.
For our students, having a consistent one-on-one relationship with a mentor has been an important complement to the professional and hands-on experiences of the apprenticeship. The Big Brothers Big Sisters team has also been incredibly proactive in checking in with students, families, and our staff throughout the process.
We are excited to continue strengthening this partnership and hope to have all of our students matched with mentors soon.
Looking Ahead
This summer gave our apprentices the chance to learn and experience conservation work. From caring for native plants and managing habitats to working with campers, exploring local ecosystems, practicing professional skills, and building relationships with mentors, each experience helped them grow in confidence and prepare for their futures.
As the school year begins, the apprentices will return to a weekend-only schedule so they can balance the program with homework and extracurricular activities. While the pace may change, their learning continues. We are excited to see how the skills, confidence, and experiences they gained this summer continue to shape what comes next.
If you see our apprentices on campus on a Saturday, be sure to say hello!
