Intern Spotlight
 
Winter 2009
Danielle Neuhauser
 
My work with plants began in the Midwest, after I graduated with a degree in environmental studies and started working on organic farms.  I learned all there is to know about a life dedicated to cultivating the land and living with the seasons. I discovered the value of a practical, hands-on stewardship of the environment. At the same time, I continued my learning in the field of ecopsychology, eventually going on to graduate studies in counseling psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute.  My main interest now is the human-nature relationship. I believe that nature can be healing, and my experience thus far with Growing Solutions hasn’t failed me yet on this account. I have already seen the smiling, satisfied faces of the volunteers after a long day of planting. The simple act of individuals coming together to restore the earth, plant by plant, is powerful, and I would like to explore how this work can be just as restorative on an internal level. I was able to become involved with Growing Solutions through the Americorps NonProfit Corps program.  Hired as volunteer coordinator, my job is to help improve volunteer recruitment and retention rates, and be a contact person to organize events and volunteers.  I feel like this is an important role to play, and I also really enjoy working with the volunteers. One of my goals in working with Growing Solutions for the near future is to develop a horticultural therapy program for people receiving mental health services in the area.  
 
 
Growing Solutions Restoration Education Institute P.O. Box 30081 Santa Barbara, CA 93130 (805) 452-7561 growingsolutions@hughes.net
Spring 2010
Helle Lorentzen
 
Our newest intern arrived this week to help Growing Solutions Restoration Education Institute and Puma Canyon break into the ecotourism industry. Helle (pronounced Hella) Lorentzen is from Copenhagen Denmark and is currently working on her Bachelor’s in International Hospitality Management. She became interested in ecotourism and sustainable tourism after working at Lobo Park, a wolf park in Spain. This is where she really became aware of the impact that human beings have on nature. She notes that every time a person visits a destination, he or she has an environmental impact. Her goal is to educate travelers on how to minimize their environmental footprint when traveling and vacationing.  She is also hopeful that people will also learn to minimize their environmental impact on their day-to-day surroundings this way.
 
Helle notes that as people become more aware of the need for sustainability they will need more destinations to provide them with both eco-friendly hospitality and entertainment solutions. Today, she says, more and more people are starting to make their travel decisions based on the location’s environmental programs. They want to travel with heart, mind and a clear conscience.
 
Helle hopes to turn the partnership between Growing Solutions Restoration Education Institute and Puma Canyon Ranch into an ecological education in both sustainable food production as well as the environmental and architectural benefits of native plant habitat restoration.