Kara Thomas
Kara Thomas
she/her
- Learning by Leading role: Plant Propagation and Nursery Management, Intern and Student Assistant (2023-2026)
- Major: Sustainable Environmental Design; Minor: Climate Science & Policy
I have always been drawn to the intricacies of nature, spending time outside and exploring new plant types that existed in my hometown, but I never had the opportunity to explore the field of environmentalism and horticulture until my involvement with the Learning by Leading program. The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden was a substantial factor in my decision to attend UC Davis, and it has proven to be an extremely influential part of my college experience. After learning about the LxL internship program in some of my major’s introductory courses during sophomore year, I knew it was something I would love being a part of.
When applying for the 2023-2024 cohort of the Nursery Management and Plant Propagation LxL internship, I vividly remember answering the last question, “What is your favorite plant?”, with one of the only plants I knew at the time: a houseplant I had called Pilea peperomioides. Since then, I’ve added countless plants to that list through my rich and diverse involvement with the Arboretum Teaching Nursery. On the first day of the internship, I met the program’s manager and Co-coordinators, and I was immediately struck not only by their expertise in nursery processes and horticulture, but also by their ability to foster such a closely knit, friendly, and welcoming community that shares these passions for plants and the environment. As a result, the internship quickly became the highlight of my week. Although I had no prior experience working with plants (aside from trying to revive my dying houseplants in high school), I was quickly and kindly taught so many new things about different plant species and how to take care of them. Whether we were potting up plants, propagating cuttings at Headquarters, or even just fixing the irrigation in the rain, being in that space surrounded by others who loved what they were doing was so inspiring to me and urged me to keep coming back every quarter.
One of my favorite memories as an intern was being pushed to participate at my first plant sale. I wasn’t particularly motivated to wake up at 7am on a Saturday to help out at a plant sale, but I was constantly reassured by my co-coordinators that I wouldn't want to miss it. Although they ended up being completely right, I still remember feeling extremely unqualified to work on the sales floor, giving customers plant advice or answering their questions. However, I surprised myself with the knowledge I’d learned in just a few weeks. As customers approached me throughout the day, I grew more and more comfortable with my role and had so much fun helping people find what they were looking for. Not only was it gratifying to realize how much I’d learned and use that knowledge to help others, but it was also so rewarding to feel like an active and meaningful part of this UC Davis community. Not to mention the live music and cheery disposition of everyone present at these sales; it is truly such a special community event that I’m so grateful to have been introduced to!
When I was ultimately hired in September of 2025, I was trusted to take on more responsibility at the Nursery. Although many of my tasks as a student assistant were similar to my tasks as an intern, being part of the staff taught me to be confident in my knowledge and my ability to lead others. As I grew into this role and new staff and interns cycled through the Nursery, I often guided newcomers through their tasks, helped answer questions, and gave advice. I’ve also found myself bringing what I’ve learned from this program into my academic coursework, often stepping up to advise on appropriate plant types for landscape design or ecology research projects. I’ve also had the opportunity to work promotional events as a student staff member, where I speak with the team to Arboretum and Public Garden donors and UC Davis staff, engaging and educating them on what we do in the Nursery LxL team. It means so much to me that my supervisors saw potential in me as an intern to be hired, and further, that they trusted me to take on such responsibility as a student assistant.
As a staff member, I also got to watch the internship program from a distance and see my coworkers step into co-coordinator positions, inspiring new cohorts of interns and creating the same alluring environment that brought me into this program initially. Last spring, I got to join in on the internship’s field trip to Patricia Carpenter’s California native garden near Winters, CA. I was genuinely shocked by how beautiful and expansive this garden was, and I was so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn about the space and how Patricia manages it. Not only this, but it was also lovely to be a part of the internship again for a day and watch the cohort after me learn new things; I was reminded of how much I’ve grown through this program in just a couple of years.
Although I’m unsure where the future will take me, I’m confident I’ll be working towards protecting the environment in whatever way I can. I don’t think my goals for the future would be nearly as solidified if it wasn’t for my involvement in the Arboretum and the LxL program. The relationships I’ve built with other Arboretum staff and LxL teams over the years, as well as the steadfast support and encouragement I’ve received from my staff mentors at the Nursery, have been invaluable to my college experience. Being surrounded by people so hardworking and passionate about the environment has only made my passion for restoration and climate action stronger, and I’m excited to take that with me as I step into my professional career.