1. NATIO N AL TR O P IC AL B O TAN IC AL GAR D E N
Chartered by Congress to Create a National Resource in Conservation, Research and Education
3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, Kauai, Haw aii 96741 USA  (808) 332-7324  Fax (808) 332-9765  w w w .ntbg.org
Recommendation for Nikki Saadat
Nikki Saadat worked with us for approximately three months in early 2014 at the Makauwahi
Cave Reserve, through the internship program at Antioch College in Ohio. This reserve is a
remote location on the south shore of Kauai, the closest thing to a wilderness imaginable in the
coastal zone of the Hawaiian Islands. With my wife and I, as well as other staff, students, and
volunteers, she camped under rugged circumstances with which she was not previously
experienced. The reserve, although visited last year by over 21,000 tourists and local people, is
completely off the grid, utilizing wash water from a local pond, generating electricity via wind
and solar on site, and accommodating our crew in tents.
Honestly, she was fairly clueless when she arrived regarding what camping in tropical
downpours and strong winds was like. She also had little or no familiarity with the skills
required for the tasks we assign to our interns. She was collecting scientific data, assisting
visitors, feeding farm animals, pulling weeds, painting outdoor fixtures, and coping every minute
with new challenges. Things that come naturally to those who have lived outdoors all their lives,
such as building a fire, repairing fences, or handling large animals were new things which she
learned with surprising speed.
By the time she left us, she had become the de facto assistant manager of the site, with a working
knowledge of many things that had been strange to her a short time before. She was quickly
accepted by the local population (most of our employees and associates are native Hawaiians and
other members of the rich ethnic mix that makes up rural Kauai). It was very satisfying to note
the extent that her independence grew, how she reacted under extreme stress, and how drastically
her maturity transformed over the 3-month time frame. Her departure left a vacuum in our team
that has been hard to fill.
I would recommend her without reservation for almost any task for which she could be
adequately prepared. It is likely that she will go far in life, because she has the necessary
determination and natural intelligence that could give her an edge in almost any endeavor she
chose to pursue. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to further discuss her
qualifications.
Regards,
David A. Burney
Professor of Conservation Paleobiology
National Tropical Botanical Garden