Interned at Seaworld Parks and Entertainment
Summer 2010

This summer I was fortunate to be offered a horticulture internship with Seaworld Parks and Entertainment. The majority of my internship was centered around Discovery Cove, a high-end park focused on creating the ultimate guest experience through interactions with the natural world. During my summer, I also had the privilege of working at Seaworld, primarily in the newly installed Sea Garden attraction.

Discovery Cove is particularly unique in the fact that it has an intimate atmosphere, with a very low guest capacity and world-class reputation. Having such a limited number of guests per day allows for an uncommon style of landscaping which imitates nature using large group plantings with a wide variety of tropical and exotic plants. From the guidance of a wonderful horticulture staff, I was involved in all facets of the landscaping at Discovery Cove. Some of my projects included trimming and maintaining plants in the main guest areas, hanging baskets, topiaries, and the outside entrance.

At Seaworld, I assisted with the design layout of the Sea Garden, deciding where to place plants within the garden to create an eye-catching, stimulating landscape. The garden incorporates three themes; a kelp forest, reef, and tropical island. Tying all three themes together using repeated plants, color, and texture presented a difficult and unique challenge which greatly enhanced my understanding of landscape design.

In addition to maintaining landscapes, I was also able to explore the educational and business side of horticulture. At Discovery Cove, I became a guide for the nature trail horticulture tour where I put my knowledge to the test sharing information about the surrounding plants as well as answering any questions guests had about the landscape. I also shadowed the management team, learning valuable information about ordering plants, reviewing design projects, and understanding budget concerns.

Through these experiences with both Seaworld and Discovery Cove, I gained a well-rounded perspective of how such a large garden operates. As a person with a perfectionist streak and a love for tropical plants, Sea World Parks and Entertainment was an excellent place for me to fully express my interests.