Talia Levi
Talia Levi
she/her
- Learning by Leading role: Plant Propagation and Nursery Management, Nursery Assistant and Co-coordinator (2025-2026)
- Major: Sustainable Environmental Design
I can’t imagine my experience at UC Davis without the Learning by Leading program and the Arboretum community. When I first got to Davis as a new student, I wasn’t sure which major to choose but I already loved spending time in the Arboretum, so I was excited when I found the opportunity to intern at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery and gain hands-on experience outside of my classes. Learning about plant propagation, drought-tolerant plants for the California climate, and public outreach reinforced my interest in pursuing a landscape-focused career path and inspired me to declare a major in Sustainable Environmental Design my freshman year.
While I knew almost nothing about plants when I first joined the Plant Propagation and Nursery Management internship in the fall of my first year, everyone was so kind and welcoming, especially the Nursery Manager at the time, Taylor Lewis, and the two student co-coordinators, Enola and Noëlle. After one quarter, I had already learned so much about pruning, integrated pest management, and California native plants, and had even gotten to help customers find plants at the fall plant sales! In the spring, I was hired as a nursery assistant and later became one of the co-coordinators to help plan lessons and activities for the internship. While I was nervous about taking on a leadership position with more responsibilities beyond the nursery assistant tasks, I’m grateful to have gotten the opportunity to grow through this role, surrounded by encouragement from the nursery team. I’ve loved getting to share my favorite parts of the nursery with new students each quarter and since they all come from different majors, I learn so much from them as well. One of my favorite tasks at the nursery is going out into the Arboretum to collect cuttings for propagation or plants to divide and then pot up. Last year, we collected showy milkweed from around the nursery with the interns, divided it, and repotted it for the plant sales, while teaching about its pollinator habitat value and drought tolerance. While the newly potted tubers didn’t look like much, we got to see them sprout up and go through the full process of propagation to plant-sale ready. Over the quarter, the interns were able to see the impact of their work as the plants they took care of went out into the community.
Beyond plant care and propagation skills, working at the nursery has taught me how to adapt. Working outside means you can’t always predict what the next day will be like, so even though we plan for each weekly meeting with a set of activities and lessons, I’ve learned to always be prepared, staying flexible and open to change. I’m so grateful to have gotten to work with Abbey Hart, the nursery manager, and Taylor Lewis because they have filled the nursery with support and care for the students by sharing advice, encouraging us to ask questions, and helping us to build our skills through nursery projects that fit into our interests. From my weekly work shifts to going on field trips around Davis and the Bay Area, I’ve learned so much every time I’ve come to work. This experience outside of the classroom has been so valuable, and having the chance to spend time outdoors surrounded by plants between classes is truly special.
After graduation, I hope to work in the field of urban planning to make cities more climate-resilient. I’m especially passionate about how parks and gardens provide both valuable community spaces and ecological habitat in urban areas. The Arboretum is such a valuable part of campus and getting to contribute to it by helping to propagate and grow plants at the nursery has been such a meaningful part of my college experience. Through the Learning by Leading program, I feel like I've been able to contribute to the Arboretum’s mission and help the nursery interns feel more connected and involved as well. I will miss working at the Arboretum and seeing all the amazing students and staff each week, but I will definitely be back to visit for the plant sales next year!