Tara Ekiert, who is entering her senior year at William Paterson University in Wayne, has been working this summer as an intern at the Knippenberg Center for Education at Laurelwood Arboretum. She spends approximately 15 hours a week entering vital information into the database for Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum’s Plant Identification Program. When she completes 124 hours, she will quality for three course credits.

Tara is majoring in Environmental Science. When she graduates, she hopes to find a position that will allow her to do field work. “To do that, I will need to know how to identify plants and understand how they support the environment,” she explained.

The Plant Identification Committee is using a state-of-the- art computer-based system to help identify and catalog plant records. Pertinent data are entered on a dedicated computer at the Knippenberg Center using relational database software. The committees is also creating customized botanical labels for select plants in the arboretum. The project is intended to help preserve the legacy of Laurelwood Arboretum and identify possible new areas for enhancing it in the future.

Tara has been working with Betty Montagne, chairperson of the Plant Identification Committee  and Joseph DiGiacomo, chairperson of the Rhododendron Study Team. She gathers key information about plants that have been identified in the arboretum and then catalogs these records in the Plant Identification Database. After work, she enjoys exploring the arboretum on her own. “It is a calm, relaxing environment, and I have learned a lot working at Laurelwood,” Tara said.