Tree Planting Intern

AGENCY DESCRIPTION The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation manages 14 percent of the land in New York City with facilities ranging from playgrounds and large parks, to tranquil wooded areas and more than 14 miles of beaches. Parks serve as New Yorkers’ backyards, as vital meeting areas for outdoor play and recreation – but also as an important tool in mitigating the effects of climate change, critical engines for economic growth and development. NYC Parks’ mission is to grow, maintain, and program a world-class park system prioritizing equity, access, safety, and nature. In the past year, Parks completed a number of initiatives citywide that helped New Yorkers access their shared public spaces. These include: • Securing more than $700 million in funds to build or substantially reconstruct six recreation centers, including two opening in 2026: the $141 million Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush, Brooklyn and the $92 million Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center in Tompkinsville, Staten Island. • Expanding our free learn-to-swim programs to reach an additional 4,800 second graders and bring the total to nearly 18,000 youth served by our essential swim programming.  • Keeping more than 8 million people safe at the city’s public beaches last summer along with over 1 million patrons at outdoor pools, thanks to the highest number of Parks lifeguards since 2019, including a 23 percent increase in new recruits. • Completing a $23 million investment in public space at New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments, bringing new playgrounds, sports equipment, and seating areas to NYCHA residents. • Launching our latest Tree Census, which involves thousands of volunteers to measure the size, location, and condition of the city’s trees. Conducted once every ten years, the census helps to identify areas where more trees can be planted, supporting a more equitable urban canopy and increasing the many benefits trees provide. • Celebrating the historic expansion of the Second Shift program, dedicating extra maintenance services for 100 additional hot spots at parks across the five boroughs during peak evening and weekend hours. This expanded the total sites citywide serviced by dedicated staff to 200 hot spots.   • Adding 100 new Parks Enforcement Patrol positions to bolster patrol strength throughout the city.  • Promoting equity in athletic spaces by rolling out new athletic permit rules and fee changes to improve access for non-profit and youth organizations. UNIT DESCRIPTION The City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation manages right-of-way and park trees across all five boroughs. Over 650,000 of those trees line the streets; of those trees, almost 175,000 are in Brooklyn. The Tree Planting Program, part of the Environment & Planning Division, manages the planting of 15,000–18,000 new street and park trees each year, including 4,000–5,000 new street trees in Brooklyn each year. Foresters in our program are responsible for both field surveys of potential tree planting locations and for the overall project management of one or more capital tree planting contracts. Interns will help further the department’s mission by assisting in the collection and analysis of data essential for effective management of New York City’s urban forest. POSITION TITLE Tree Planting Forestry Intern for Brooklyn (Mortality and Longevity of Street Trees in Brooklyn NYC Research Project) INTERNSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES Interns will spend a majority of their time on fieldwork for a 5- and 10-year study of the mortality and longevity of New York City’s street trees. Interns will spend the majority of their time working independently on the streets of Brooklyn collecting this data. Data will be collected using FieldMaps and/or Survey 123 using a tablet. Interns will be required to travel from sampling point to point walking or utilizing public transportation. Interns may also have opportunity to assist NYC Parks by performing inspections of potential street tree planting locations and by recommending species to be planted at each location. Interns may also inventory existing trees and inspect the condition of recently-planted trees. Interns will be responsible for maintaining clean, tidy, and accurate data throughout the survey and inventory process. Interns will learn about NYC’s urban forest and about the factors involved in making management decisions for the urban forest, particularly regarding the planting of new street trees. Interns will also be exposed to project management skills and gain experience working with large datasets. Finally, interns will gain experience working within the context of a municipal government office. QUALIFICATIONS/SPECIAL SKILLS/AREAS OF INTEREST Minimum college sophomore standing with an interest in urban forestry, horticulture, plant science, or related fields. Preference will be given to students studying forestry or a related subject. nyc.gov/internships Familiarity with Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets is required, and familiarity with GIS software (especially ESRI products) is a plus. Familiarity with tree identification, especially of common urban trees of the northeastern U.S., is useful, but can also be taught as part of the internship. Interns will be required to work independently outdoors in a variety of weather conditions and to utilize NYC’s public transportation system. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This opportunity does not include remote workdays Title: City Seasonal Aide Salary: $19.14 per hour APPLICATION PROCESS Please email cover letter and resume to Leslie.Nusblatt@parks.nyc.gov

START DATE IS BEGINNING OF JUNE; EXACT DATE TBD