Richard Gilbert, Biological Scientist & Nursery Manager

My job is to help plants grow. At the oldest Federal tree nursery, we produce 1.5 million seedlings and 1.5 million container trees every year. These seedlings are sent to national forests for planting. I am receiving some of the Moon Tree seeds to help grow them into seedlings before being distributed.

Working in a nursery setting is a wonderful thing. Your job is changing throughout the year, and it is so rewarding to see the plants you produce. There is no better job than having your hand in dirt and working with customers with the same passion.

How does such a big tree come from such a small seed?

Seed planting equipment is so critical for nursery production. The pneumatic seeder we use for container production helps us with accuracy and efficiency.

Greenhouse expansions have been the most exciting and rewarding projects I have worked on. With the addition of every greenhouse, we increase our production area and can supply more seedlings to forests and other areas.

My first memory of being interested in plants is working with my parents in the garden. You get to eat what you grow; fresh from the garden is the best. I can still hear my parents telling me to stop eating the peas and strawberries.