While Anna Detoro may have roots in Poland, Ohio, she is branching out and learning more about her chosen profession in the green industry.
Detoro is a junior at the Salem Campus, working on her bachelors of science degree in applied horticulture, with a concentration in urban forestry. Since last April, her studies have placed her in the soil lab at the Davey Institute of the Davey Tree Expert Co. in Kent.
As part of her cooperative work experience requirement to earn her degree, Detoro went to work at the Davey Institute, upon the recommendation of Chris Carlson, associate professor at Salem. It was through his urban forestry/arboriculture class that she was introduced to a recruiter from Davey Tree and presented with the opportunity to complete an internship with the company.
She explained that she approached her internship with mixed emotions: excitement and nervousness. “ provided me with the right tools for success in the tree care industry, but I only had a small amount of college education compared to the other employees at Davey Tree, many of whom have master’s or doctorate degrees,” she said. “At Davey, I work with the best tree professionals in the world, so I was nervous about working at such a huge and prestigious company.
“Luckily, I work with very reasonable and incredible educators at Davey. Every day is like being in class at the Davey Institute. I gain knowledge every moment I’m there and I’m thankful for such a wonderful opportunity.”
Detoro works in the soil lab, performing a variety of different tasks. She said a typical day includes logging plant and soil samples, as well as identifying diseases, pests and fungus on plant material through culturing and microscopic examinations. She also does soil testing to determine pH, soluble salts and texture analysis.
Following graduation, Detoro said she plans to continue working at Davey Tree in the research and development area, focusing on soil analysis and urban tree preservation. “Davey Tree is filled with experts from various fields in environmental studies,” she said. “This company has different career choices that will fit your preference and will be a long-term career that you’ll love – not just a monthly income.”
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