Mara Feldman 

she/her 

• Plant Propagation and Nursery Management Co-Coordinator 2023-25, Ecological Land Management Student Technician 2024-25, Plant Propagation and Nursery Management Intern 2022-23
• Major: Environmental Sciences and Management Major with Emphasis in Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity 

My passion for plants started with being a part of the Nursery team, where I was introduced to many of our California natives. That passion has continued to grow through the work I did with the Ecological Land Management (ELM) team helping to restore our natural ecosystems in the Putah Creek Reserve by establishing native plants for wildlife habitat. 

The two teams I’m a part of are unique in that many of our projects are ongoing. The cyclic nature of the nursery means that even if I’m not the person that helped to start or finish a project, I can contribute to it at any stage. I’m helping to sell plants propagated by students before me that I haven't met , and seeds that I planted this winter are going to be potted up by and sold by students that I haven’t met next fall. With the ELM team I get to take a bit more ownership of the land that I’m working on which is so special. The hope is that one of the forty or so acorns I’ve planted at various sites are around for generations to come. Both of the teams I’m on have given me a sense of being a part of something bigger than myself, whether it’s at a plant sale that brings together the Davis community, or helping to combat invasive species in California, I know that the work I’ve done makes a difference. 

In my time in the Learning by Leading™ program I’ve learned to trust not only myself more, but my peers as well. When I first started out as an intern in the Teaching Nursery I knew nothing about plants; I was lucky enough to have amazing teachers and people to look up to and I learned so much from them, even though it took me a long time to be assured in my own skills enough to be a teacher myself. It was only once I began to explain things to other people who were new to realize how much I had learned myself, because I was able to see myself in them, and see how far I had truly come. It was only then that I began to have more trust in my interns as well because I knew that they had the capacity to learn and grow their skills in the same way I did. One of my favorite memories of this was from this past Winter quarter when one of my interns showed up late to a session and missed the instructions. My fellow co-coordinator and I hadn’t seen her come in initially as we had been working with another student. Without missing a beat, one of my returning interns pulled her to her work station and began explaining the task they were working on. When I came over to check on both of them, my returning intern became nervous that she had overstepped. Getting to encourage her in that moment and foster her natural leadership skills was so special to me. I hope to continue to encourage students in that manner. 

My staff mentors mean more to me than I know how to express. I had the privilege of getting to intern under Taylor Lewis, the Nursery Manager who hired me and believed in me and my skills enough to be a Co-Coordinator. His passion for plants and the Nursery was contagious, and the joy that he brought with him everyday is something I have strived to channel everyday. Sadly he passed away from cancer before I entered my senior year, so while he is no longer with us physically, his energy and presence in the Nursery is everlasting. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning from him. His successor, and current Nursery Manager, Abbey Hart has done the most beautiful job honoring Taylor and continuing the work he started with the Nursery and our internship program. I’m so thankful for a boss and mentor who trusts me and encourages my curiosity to try new things. She sees my potential and allows me to play into my strengths while also pushing me to get out of my comfort zone and learn from my fellow team members to improve in areas where I’m less sure of myself. 

While I’m unsure exactly what I want my future to look like, I know that everything I’ve learned through the Learning by Leading program, and the connections I’ve made through the Arboretum and Public Gardens have been invaluable. Meeting new people who have had jobs in my field I didn’t even know existed have opened my eyes to a world of possibilities.