Elizabeth Paige Yates

Practical Proposal
Professor Andrew Brown
UWRT 1103 Section 12
September 16, 2016

After having a lot of ideas string through my head, I have decided I want to do my
practicum project in the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens on campus. I decided to choose a
place to do my twelve-hour project research because I am interested in seeing the ways a place as
spectacular as the Botanical Gardens can change people, speak to people, and grow. People can
grow into human beings and have human experiences in the gardens by looking at all the life that
thrives in the location.
The fact that the Botanical Gardens are on campus is great for me because it is something
I can set my own schedule for. I am overall very busy being a student and working. My schedule
changes quite frequently so doing my project research at a human experience place would be
best for me. The UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens is a great example of a human experience
place. The Botanical Gardens exemplify a human experience place because it is a place of
growth through nurturing of both plants and people.
I plan to go to the Botanical Gardens and sit in different parts of the gardens at different
times of the day to get a true understanding of this human experience place. I plan to walk
through the gardens and sit at different bridges and benches to get the full experience. I plan to
go early in the morning, in the afternoon, and then after the sun has set to get a complete variety
of observations. The UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens are a credible example of a human
experience place because it was given as an example in class. It is also a credible place because
gardens mean growth, and that is what a human experience place is all about. I will visit the
botanical gardens on Sundays, on Monday mornings, and on Thursday nights. Those are the best
times that work with my school schedule and work times. I will dress in outdoor casual clothing
because the gardens are in nature. I plan to observe and take notes on different aspects of the
gardens. I will observe the people that walk through the gardens at different times of the day,
how they interact with the gardens, and if they come to the gardens with other people. I will
observe the sounds, sights, and smells of the gardens. I will take photographs of a variety of plant
life in the gardens. I hope to go to the gardens at least once when it is raining to see how different
the experience is. I am excited to see how the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens express itself as
a human experience place.
If this option does not work out for some reason, I will have a few backup options. My
first backup option is the Atkins Caf in the Atkins Library. I feel like the Atkins Caf would be a
good option to explore students on campus, especially during exam time. My second option
would be to shadow a nursing professor and interview them on their expertise.