Horticulture Intern

Horticulture Intern  

Holden Arboretum  

Internship  
   

Opportunity:  

The Horticulture & Collections department is seeking a summer intern. The Logsdon Horticulture Intern will rotate through various Rhododendron collections at both the Holden Arboretum campus in Kirtland, OH and the David G. Leach Research Station in Madison, OH to assist in the preparation, installation, maintenance, and renovation of our Rhododendron collections. This position will be exposed to many facets of sustainable landscape maintenance practices in a public garden setting. Logsdon Horticulture Intern will work with other Holden Forests & Garden Departments with opportunities for cross-training. In addition, all members of the Holden Forests & Gardens’ (HF&G) intern cohort will have the chance to participate in professional development, such as workshops, scientific lectures, networking, and field trip experiences. All interns will have the opportunity to develop and present their research at HF&G’s SEARCH symposium. This position is based at the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, OH with travel to the David G. Leach Research Station in Madison, OH with occasional travel to the Cleveland Botanical Garden in Cleveland, OH.   

  Position Details: 

• Position begins mid-May, flexibility in start date with academic scheduling needs ​
• 12-week internship
• 40 hours per week
• Pay $14.00/hour
• Low-cost housing may be available
• Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents
• Open to undergraduate or recent graduates

Key Responsibilities:   

Key responsibilities of the Logsdon Horticulture Intern include, but are not limited to:  

• Understand how to sustainably care for and maintain a living collection with focus   on plant health, garden aesthetic and ecological diversity
• Enhance skills in proper planting techniques of herbaceous and woody plant  material
• Learn about guest engagement in person and online at a public garden
• Work with full-time horticulturists and gardeners on garden design
• Collect data for entry and analysis
• Complete OSHA certified equipment trainings
• Work with supervisor to develop and complete an independent project which will be presented at the SEARCH symposium at the end of the internship
• Other relevant duties as assigned

Qualifications and Skills:  

• Support Holden Forests & Gardens’ mission, vision, and values
• Demonstrate a passion for people and nature
• Pursuing or recently completed an undergraduate degree in Biological Science, Botany, Forestry, Environmental Science, Horticulture or related field, preferred
• Passion for connecting people with the wonder, beauty and values of trees and plants to inspire action for healthy communities along with a strong interest in natural resource management and conservation education
• Effective communication, organizational skills, adaptability, and critical thinking skills, highly desired
• Able to work well in a diverse team
• Able to work independently when needed
• Must be able to follow multistep directions and work independently
• An interest in working outdoors performing manual labor in all weather conditions
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365 products, specifically Teams, Outlook (email and calendar), Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or the ability to learn
• A valid Driver’s License with acceptable driving record

Physical Requirements:  

Must be able to perform with or without reasonable accommodation:  

• Perform required tasks in all weather conditions
• Ability to safely operate small-engine machinery e.g., brush cutter or weed-whip or a desire to learn
• Effective vision and hearing
• Hand and arm dexterity
• Walking and working on wet, uneven, slippery terrain
• Occasionally lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs.
• Kneeling, bending, stooping, grabbing, and reaching
• Ability to hike up to 3-5 miles per day in variable terrain
• Willingness to work in and around poison ivy, poison sumac, stinging insects, ticks and in the sun