Payton Blankenship's Internship Experience

Payton Blankenship is a sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in plant biology with the ecology and management option. In the summer of 2025, he interned with Lincoln Parks and Recreation as a seasonal laborer in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Over the course of his internship, Blankenship was responsible for the planting and upkeep of several parks and gardens in the central Lincoln area. His duties ranged from the not-so-glorious task of cleaning park bathrooms, to mowing, trimming, weeding, pruning and, best of all, planting in public parks such as Lincoln’s Sunken Gardens.

Blankenship says working with Lincoln Parks and Recreation expanded his outdoor knowledge substantially. He learned how to care for ornamental plant gardens and public parks in a variety of ways, gaining life and work skills in the process, like how to use a line trimmer and how to drive a manual vehicle. He also gained substantial knowledge in identifying problematic weeds common in Nebraska, a skill crucial in achieving his future conservation goals. He even had the opportunity to design and install a garden bed in the Sunken Gardens, which also provided him with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Blankenship's current career goal is to work as a conservation specialist focusing on increasing green spaces in urban areas. He is passionate about this goal because he believes properly designed green spaces are excellent tools for decreasing emissions and increasing quality of life. Working with Lincoln Parks and Recreation has given him invaluable insight into what the design, installation and upkeep of these gardens look like and how much work truly goes into maintaining them. This internship taught Blankenship lessons critical to making an impact in his prospective field, preparing him for his future career.