My Summer Internship with Bronx Green-Up

Posted in History & People on August 18, 2023, by Kaylah Paramore

Kaylah Paramore is a Summer Youth Employment Program Intern with Bronx Green-Up and the NYC Compost Project Hosted by The New York Botanical Garden.


A person in jeans, a white shirt, and a gardening apron crouches by a tree holding a plant with red leavesPlants have always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember—from my mom and grandma having their own array of house plants, to me taking classes here at the botanical garden when I was younger. But during the internship I participated in this summer, plants took over my world.

My work with Bronx Green-Up and NYC Compost Project Hosted by NYBG gave me plenty of new experiences this summer. From visiting a variety of city community gardens, to caring for street trees, I spent plenty of time outdoors while working as a Summer Youth Employment Program intern. Not only that, but I met so many great people through this internship. I got to hear many stories from local community gardeners, who shared their passion for horticulture.

I worked with Pam, Zoё, and Frances from the Compost Project and Ursula, Che, and Melinda from Bronx Green-Up. My job was to pitch in wherever help was needed, since the team is quite small. This ranges from office work to hands-on gardening. From weeding to planting vegetables for the next harvest, there was always something for me to do. I found it satisfying to compare the before and after of gardens after we helped fix things up. These six weeks have been nothing but enjoyable, and I can see myself going back to many gardens thanks to my team and all the incredible people I’ve met.

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