Student Completes Native Plant Internship at Glacier

Glacier National Park and Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates have been working together for the past ten years with local high school students on a native plant restoration program in the park. Recent Columbia Falls High School Graduate Micinze Christopherson recently completed the program as a student nursery assistant intern and was recognized for her contributions to the program.

Christopherson has been involved with the program for the last two years. She volunteered part time at the cooperative greenhouse located in the Columbia Falls High School during the winter and at the native plant nursery in the park during the summer. She assisted with general greenhouse operations, and propagation and maintenance of more than 9,000 native plants that are used in the park for restoration projects. In addition, Christopherson assisted with seed collection, nursery maintenance, working with other volunteers, and educational programs within the park.

Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates presented Christopherson with a stipend for her work and announced that Columbia Falls High School Student Breanna Friar will begin the program this summer.

The park’s native plant nursery cares for an average of about 30,000 plants each year, with about 11,000 plants being incorporated into the park’s restoration projects. The native plant program provides many opportunities for volunteering with nursery maintenance, seed collection and restoration projects. The nursery hosts a volunteer day every Tuesday beginning June 18 through August 27. For more about volunteering with the native plant program, contact 406-888-7835.

The Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates are an official partner of the park. They are a volunteer organization with a purpose to assist the park through various projects, including trail maintenance, native plant nursery operations, back-country and river patrols, rehabilitation and maintenance of historic buildings and more. For more information about the Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates and opportunities to volunteer, contact 406-862-5836.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com