Student Spotlight: Raydaliz Saset Cancel, Arborist Intern
Happily climbing a tree
Hola! I’m Raydaliz Saset, but I like to be called Saset or just Ray. I’m the arborist intern at Longwood Gardens. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and attended the University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez campus where I got my bachelor’s degree in Horticulture.
What is your favorite plant?
This is probably one of the hardest questions to ask a plant lover! Two of my all-time favorite plants are plumeria and angel’s trumpets (brugmansia). Both plants remind me a lot of home. I like picking up plumeria flowers to enjoy their smell. Brugmansia are just magical; I like to think about them as bells since that’s what we call them in Spanish. I also love the “Flamboyán” tree (Delonix regia), which grows around Puerto Rico and blooms in the summer with spectacular red flowers. After coming to Longwod though, I fell in love with dahlias. Wow, all the different shapes, colors and sizes are truly amazing. Also, copper beeches (Fagus sylvatica) are majestic.
What is your favorite Garden? What is your favorite part of Longwood?
I love the whole Conservatory- literally all of it. Outdoors, I enjoy the Forest Walk, Peirce’s Park and Peirce’s Woods. Those areas are so peaceful.
What is the best part of being a student?
The best part of being a student is the ability to learn something new every day and share a space with new people from many different places. I love living on the Row! It is very fun especially when we get together and cook a bunch of delicious foods. Also, being able to walk in and go to the Gardens at any time is wonderful. This place is beautiful.
What is your background in horticulture (or whatever field you are in)?
My interest in plants and trees started when I was a kid. I remember always helping my grandmother in the garden. Eventually, I got my bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from the University of Puerto Rico where I mostly focused on soil sciences.
Why did you want to come to Longwood and what do you think helped you get the position?
Before coming here I didn’t have any experience in tree work and I was very clear about this in my application. I knew this would be a good opportunity for me to learn about arboriculture and eventually become an arborist. Being part of this program would enhance my knowledge in other areas, and give me the chance to meet new people as well as help me get a better idea of what I wanted to do in my future.
What do you do at work? Highlight your favorite project or what you do day-to-day.
Most of my day is spent outdoors, which is something I really enjoy even when it’s cold. The arboriculture team takes care of trees and make sure they don’t become a hazard for visitors and employees. I’ve had the chance of doing tree removals, pruning and tree risk assessments. Climbing a tree is the most exciting part of my day. Being up in a tree is bliss.
What are your future plans or what is your intended career path?
My main goal right now is to become a certified arborist. After finishing this internship, I want to work for a while as an arborist and travel, before pursuing a master’s degree in Forestry. I would like to focus on forest soils and how climate change affects the soils and forests in general. In the end, I want to go back to Puerto Rico, promote urban forestry in the island and improve the quality of our forests.
Cutting branches into smaller pieces to chip them.
A picture of Brugmansia from our Conservatory.
Hibiscus in the Conservatory.
My hair and the woods.
Surrounded by lots of dahlias this summer!
