Thanks to her experiences working at the Arboretum and Public Garden, Noreen Mabini is well on her way to achieving her career aspirations of becoming a restoration specialist. As a co-coordinator for the Learning by Leading Waterway Stewardship team, the third-year UC Davis student oversees 10 undergraduate interns whose work includes renewing, maintaining, and restoring the Arboretum Waterway. 

In her internship, Noreen's work has lead notable improvements in the health and sustainability of the waterway. In addition to the practical skills she's acquired, Noreen also emphasizes the softer skills to be learned from her internship 

"I've gained and improved on several of my leadership skills, such as planning, communication, problem-solving, and public speaking," she said. "One of the projects that I’m most proud of is the floating island, a floating wetland that provides wildlife habitat and also suppresses algae growth in our waterway."  Visit the Arboretum's Flickr page to view photos of the project. 

Like Noreen describes in the video below, the Learning by Leading Waterway Stewardship team launched a second floating island of wetland plants near Putah Creek Lodge. These projects aim to improve water quality, restore wildlife habitats, and protect the waterway from harmful algae blooms. Floating islands can serve as green solutions to water pollution, as well. Visit our Flickr page here for more photos on the second floating island. 

"Working with the Arboretum and Public Garden has allowed me to become a better leader and enter my field with confidence," Noreen said. 

Great work, Noreen!