2012 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416): The Sponsor would like to support interns in developing and maintaining the U.S. National Arboretum's (USNA) Friendship Garden, Baker Garden, Fern Valley and Rain Gardens. The first priority in hiring interns would be to support the Friendship Garden. 1b.Approach (from AD-416): Sponsor will provide funds for hiring interns to support the Friendship Garden, support programs and improvements in the Fern Valley Native Plant Collection, provide support for collaborative efforts with the Washington Youth Garden, construction of the Rain Gardens and provide funding for environmentally beneficial improvements and programs in various gardens and collections of the USNA. Interns would conduct a variety of gardening and other maintenance tasks such as watering, weeding, mowing, mulching, deadheading, fertilizing, and pruning. 3.Progress Report: The National Capital Area Garden Clubs, Inc provided funds in FY12 for the Education and Visitor Services Unit-directed internship program; specifically in support of an intern in the Gardens Unit Friendship Garden. While working in the collection, the Intern learned and conducted a variety of gardening and other maintenance tasks such as watering, weeding, mowing, mulching, deadheading, fertilizing, and pruning. The Intern also participated with the other long-term interns in taking and providing digital images of the collections for addition to the arboretum’s image database ‘Asset Bank’.