On the QT | The Official Newsletter of GWA April - May 2017 | Page 13

work and a study abroad experience in Belize.
Avery’s fondness for this industry has led her
to public horticulture, where she can express
her eye for design and love of plants. Through
using creative writing and photography skills,
Avery hopes to educate and draw people’s
interests to the world of horticulture.
K A REN S CH N ECK
Karen is a junior at
Kansas State Universi-
ty studying horticul-
ture with a specializa-
tion in greenhouse
and nursery manage-
ment and a minor
in agribusiness. She
loves working with
plants and hopes to
be a professional greenhouse grower after
graduation. Karen also loves to talk and write
about plants and her experiences with differ-
ent aspects of horticulture. At Kansas State, she
currently serves as the treasurer for Horticul-
ture Club and Collegiate 4-H. Karen is also the
Bedding Plant Sale Chairperson for Hort Club,
where she is gaining experience growing
plants and managing operations. Karen also
just finished her term as president for Alpha
of Clovia 4-H Cooperative Leadership House.
Her days are full of learning about horticulture,
being active in her clubs and doing as much as
she can with plants.
HE IDI R. SHOL
Heidi is from Crook-
ston, Minnesota. She
has attended the
University of Minne-
sota-Crookston since
fall 2014 and has been
active in the Horticul-
ture Department and
Horticulture Club. She
is a junior, majoring in horticulture and minoring
in environmental sciences. These disciplines
nurture a passion for both growing as well as
environmental sustainability. Both these fields
of study have taken Heidi in very fruitful and
interesting directions. Her most exciting work
has been with research in spindle pruning and
aquaponics. Study of greenhouse gas emissions
will be her next research endeavor this summer.
Horticulture has also led Heidi to study abroad
this coming summer to China and Japan, where
her focus will be on their styles of botanical and
imperial gardens. Heidi plans to attend graduate
school in fall 2018, and achieve a bachelor’s
degree in horticulture or plant science.
T R AC I M . PA R K S
Previous to her inter-
est in horticulture,
Traci was a photogra-
pher and professional
speaker. Her degree
was in commercial
photography but her
hobby has always
been nature pho-
tography. Traci is
fortunate to have had her work exhibited and
published nationally. She also loves speaking
and is eager to combine that with her photog-
raphy in garden communications. Last summer,
Traci worked with annuals in a greenhouse and
this year she is working at another nursery in
the perennial department. Traci wants to use
this experience to specialize in sensory/healing
gardens because of her personal experience
with severe vision loss and recurring clinical
depression. She wants to teach kids what these
gardens are, why they’re important and what
kinds of plants might be included in them.
Traci thinks it’s really important—and a fun
way—to teach them that gardens are more
than just pretty.
Christina Salwitz participated in the Container War challenge at the Northwest Flower & Garden
Show in Seattle earlier this year at the Washington State Convention Center.
Above: GWA Region III National Director introduces
Tony Abruscato, owner of the Chicago Flower &
Garden Show and a sponsor of the Region III meeting
at Navy Pier. Below: About six GWA members toured
the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Tucson Botanical Garden,
which sponsored the Region VI meeting in March.
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