Public Garden Internship
The State Arboretum of Virginia, located at the University of Virginia’s Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce, VA is offering an 8-week internship in Public Horticulture to begin on June 5th and end on July 28th. Some flexibility with start and end dates is possible. The intern will be expected to work 40 hours a week for the duration of the 8 weeks, Monday through Friday. The Public Horticulture Intern will receive a stipend of $4000 paid in two installments during the program. Dormitory style housing is available on site.
Education and Experience Requirements
Applicants must be enrolled in a degree program or have an Associates or Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, Arboriculture, Forestry, Environmental Science or Studies, or a closely related field.
Description
Interns will gain experience assisting with the care and maintenance of the Perennial Gardens and Native Plant Trail. The Perennial Gardens include an herb garden, pollination garden, Iris collection and more. Activities within these areas will include routine care (weeding, mulching, and planting), removal of invasive plants, and working with staff and volunteers. Interns will have opportunities to engage in outreach activities (social media engagement, interpretation, etc.)The intern will assist with Summer Camps for rising second through eighth graders. Camp is currently scheduled for June 27th and 28th, July 6th and 7th, and July 10th through the 14th. The intern will be working with Environmental Education staff and camp attendees. A third party background check is required for all summer camp staff including the intern.
Interns are also encouraged to develop a project aligning with their own professional interests as conditions and time allows. Past projects have included GPS work in the collections, interpretive plant labels, and social media engagement.
The intern will have access to summer public programs free of charge, summer undergraduate seminars, and the library collections, and will work closely with various members of the arboretum staff and volunteers.
Application Instructions
Please email a cover letter, current resume, and copy of unofficial transcripts as a Microsoft Word document or pdf with horticulture internship in the subject line to carriewhitacre@virginia.edu.
Applications due by midnight on March 31st, 2023.
Please do not hesitate to contact Carrie Whitacre, Assistant Curator of Herbaceous Plants at carriewhitacre@virginia.edu for any questions or inquiries you may have.