This summer of 2026, we were lucky enough to bring aboard two interns to learn about urban forestry and Extension in Florida. Their contributions to our programs helped us reach young people, residents, and professionals, expanding our Urban Forestry Extension Council (UFEC) network. We invited them to share about their experiences working with us and their dreams for the future! Get to know Natalie Vargas, in her own words, below.
By Natalie Vargas, SFFGS Urban Forestry Extension Assistant
From early experiences with trees in New York to finding academic inspiration at the University of Florida
When I was a kid, I would always go to a park in front of my house named Oak Grove. In this park, I would be surrounded by these large trees that provided me with shade on a hot summer day. The trees would be home to many animals such as birds, squirrels, and raccoons that would climb the trees. Growing up with a large green space less than minutes from my home is how I found myself giving presentations on trees, collecting leaf samples, and teaching kids about the importance of trees in neighborhoods years later.
Hi, I’m Natalie Vargas, and I grew up in Queens, New York City. My family moved to Orlando in 2019, and I got my associate’s degree in Natural Resource Conservation from Valencia College. I transferred to the University of Florida (UF) in Fall 2025, where I am currently a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Conservation and a certificate in Urban Forestry.
In my first semester at UF, I took a Dendrology course taught by Dr. Michael Andreu. Dendrology involves learning how to recognize and identify tree and shrub species by examining characteristics such as leaves, bark, twigs, flowers, fruits, and habitat, while also understanding their importance in forest ecosystems. In this course, I discovered my passion for trees and community, which led me to learn about careers in urban forestry. Since then, I have been passionate about the education of the importance of urban forests and how different communities interact with urban forests.
Connecting with Extension
In January 2026, I was first introduced to Dr. Stephanie Cadaval by Dr. Andreu. She was my first introduction to the world of social science and Extension. My first collaboration with her was on the production of an urban forestry scavenger hunt called Tree Quest. We adapted Tree Quest to allow people to interact with different trees around the city of Gainesville while learning about ecosystem services that trees give to us. My favorite memory working on Tree Quest was walking around campus and discovering the wide range of trees we have. From ginkgo to the American sycamore from the moon, we have a lot of cool trees! In May 2026, I began working as an Urban Forestry Extension Assistant under Dr. Cadaval and Dr. Andreu through the UF/IFAS Research Internship. As an Urban Forestry Extension Assistant, I assist in various projects within urban forestry at UF.
Using community science and technology to tell stories about our urban forests
The main project that I have worked on is our 360° Virtual Urban Forest Tours. Using 360° pictures, people will be able to document their urban forest and take virtual tours of other urban forests around the state of Florida. In this project, we aim to create a space for people to share stories about their urban forest, connect and understand their own and other urban forests, and allow citizens to participate and learn about the data collection process for trees. Meanwhile, in this role, I have created regional guides for the 360° Virtual Urban Forest Tours. These regional guides help people identify common trees and palms in North, Central, and South Florida.
Being able to work on the 360° Virtual Urban Forest Tours project helped me learn the importance of the connection between people and their urban forest. Many of us are surrounded by trees every day, yet we don’t know why they are important and how differently communities would look without them. This project reminded me why I fell in love with urban forestry in the first place: to help communities experience the benefits and joys of trees in urban areas.
Learning by doing: Connecting to professionals and communities in Florida
I have had the privilege of attending a variety of events this summer. This includes a talk about pine beetles given by Jeff Eickwort and Brianna Benitez from the Florida Forest Service, the Florida Urban Forestry Council’s 2026 Urban Forestry Summit, the Forest Friends Summer Camp in Cuscowilla, and a tour of the Florida Forest Service Forest Health Section building.
My favorite event was attending the Urban Forestry Summit in Gainesville. I was able to interact with people in a variety of careers in Urban forestry and learn about work that is being done across the country. Before this, I had never been to a conference, and networking was a skill I had yet to learn. Putting myself out there and approaching every interaction with genuine curiosity helped me enjoy myself and create meaningful connections with others.
In August 2026, Luis Hernandez, a fellow intern, and I had the opportunity to present at Zoo Miami to the Conservation Teen Scientist program. We shared information about dendrology, common tree species located in South Florida, and replicated a mini-Tree Quest at Zoo Miami. At the end of the day, we talked to the CTS teens about college and careers connected to urban forestry and conservation. We also got to visit the zoo and see the animals. In the zoo, I saw so much wildlife and trees that we don’t have up in Gainesville. This includes iguanas, rainbow eucalyptus, and royal poinciana!
Wrapping up the summer
Even though my summer has come to a close, I am grateful to be a part of the change created by Extension. I was able to witness firsthand how Extension connects research-based information with communities in ways that are both engaging and accessible. Finally, I met people from many different walks of life, all united by our urban forests. I am excited to continue working as an Urban Forestry Extension Assistant and learn more about our urban forests and working in Extension.
What’s next for Natalie?
I plan to continue developing resources for urban forestry education and working as an Urban Forestry Extension Assistant under Dr. Cadaval. I hope I can continue being an inspiration for people to pursue a career in urban forestry.
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