Biodiversity Conservation Team 2025-2026 Plant Conservation Apprenticeship

POSITION DESCRIPTION
Oak Spring Garden Foundation is now accepting applications for one full-time seasonal conservation apprentice to work on with our Biodiversity Conservation Team (BCT). The position will begin early March 2025 and will go until December 2026. The selected individual will work across the Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s 700 acres to assist with the day-to-day land management, plant monitoring, ecological restoration and inventory, and education and outreach operations conducted by the Biodiversity Conservation Team. Much of this work takes place in the Foundation’s natural areas, where the BCT monitors plant and animal community responses to invasive species management and ecosystem restoration. The Plant Conservation Apprentice will assist primarily with our plant conservation efforts which include: native seed collection and storage, plant propagation, plant community inventories, iNaturalist and taxa list data management, vegetation surveys and data collection, herbarium specimen collection and preparation, database management and documentation, native plant garden maintenance, native meadow establishment and management, invasive species management, educational content creation, and outreach program and workshop organization. This position will also provide opportunities for hands-on conservation land management training in all areas of our program including: the planting, restoring, pruning, weeding, and watering of native plants, removing, invasive species, monitoring bird boxes and other applicable flora and fauna, participating in ecological research and data collection, outreach and education to the local community, and career counseling appropriate for the career goals of the applicant, including support for both academic and non-academic career paths. This position is ideally suited to a recent college graduate (not required) interested in pursuing a career in ecological conservation, restoration land management or applied research work with a focus on botany and ecology.

Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week); beginning in March or April 2025 through December 2026

Pay Rate: $20/hour, paid holidays and up to 10 days of PTO are also provided.
Please note – preference will be given to local candidates who do not require onsite accommodation, however, if housing is available at the time, it may be an option for non-local candidates.

Location: Upperville, VA; The Oak Spring estate is located in rural northern Virginia, 15 minutes from the nearest town and approximately 1 hour west of DC.

To Apply: To apply, please email a resume and cover letter to hr@osgf.org with the subject line “BCT 2025/26 Plant Conservation Apprenticeship”.

ABOUT THE OAK SPRING GARDEN FOUNDATION + BCT
The 700-acre Oak Spring Garden estate is located in Upperville, VA, which is nestled in the Virginia Piedmont between the Blue Ridge and Bull Run mountains. The foundation’s mission is to support fresh thinking and bold action on the history and future of plants, including the culture of gardens, landscapes, and the importance of plants for human well-being. Our Biodiversity Conservation Team (BCT) plays an important role in fulfilling this mission. Established in 2021, the BCT’s current objectives are rooted in natural area restoration, conservation, ecological monitoring, and education. The BCT works closely with the Arboriculture, Conservation, and Landscape (ACL) Team for many of the conservation and restoration projects conducted on site.

Comprised of biodiversity specialists, the BCT monitors the plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate communities on the property and assesses how these communities change over time. Ongoing projects include forest and meadow restorations, raptor nesting boxes, and insect monitoring across habitat types. Additionally, we maintain a native wildlife garden as an engagement area to educate on home gardening practices to benefit insects, birds, and other animals, and an arboretum where we showcase trees of specific regional and biogeographic interests. The BCT also provides monthly programs such as workshops and guided walks for the benefit of the public and our visiting artists and scholars in residence.

The combination of our unique geographical location and the land use history of the region, the BCT has the privilege of surveying and stewarding a variety of ecosystems on the property, including grasslands, meadows, young and old growth woodlots, ponds, and streams. In addition to the conservation management interventions conducted across much of the landscape, we also have several areas dedicated to ongoing, active restoration efforts, including reforestation plots, native meadow seeding experiments, and controlled burns. The BCT is tasked with documenting the biodiversity of the landscape and, both in house and with collaborators, conducting observational and experimental studies to assess the optimal stewardship practices to promote resilient and diverse biotic communities. Much of the work week is focused on specific conservation projects and tasks, however, applicants should expect to spend a portion of their time participating in public programs, engaging visitors with interpretation of the landscape and BCT activities, and providing images and short written summaries for website, publications, and social media.

Apprentices will work approximately 40 hours/week Monday-Friday and may occasionally work Saturdays for public programs, which would be followed by time off later that week to compensate for the hours worked over the weekend.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Work closely with the Biodiversity Conservation Team in all conservation-related responsibilities, to include:

● Assist with our native seed collection, saving and propagation projects.
● Assist with herbarium specimen collection, mounting and data processing.
● Assist with native meadow management and restoration projects as well as other planting projects across the site (including the Rokeby Wildlife Garden).
● Actively participate in all facets of biodiversity monitoring including: plant surveys, tree measurements, insect surveys, bird surveys, small mammal surveys, water quality monitoring, remote and active photography, specimen handling, and preparing specimens for collections.
● Contribute to GIS data collection, data management, documentation, and protocol creation for ongoing and novel research projects spanning all biota, with current foci on grasslands, meadows, tree conservation, birds of prey, and insect communities.
● Assist in data analyses, preparation of reports and presentations for in-house records, collaborators, and OSGF publications for the public and the OSGF Board of Directors.
● Assist in processing images collected from an agricultural drone, points and polygons collected through ArcGIS FieldMaps, and other data using ArcGIS Pro.
● Assist in BCT and general OSGF outreach and education events.
● Contribute photography and written documentation of BCT and individual activities to the OSGF Communications Team.
● Contribute written descriptions of various plants for Fantastic Flora series.
● Conduct proper stewardship and ongoing management of landscape restoration plots, fields, forests, waterbodies, Wildlife Garden, Arboretum, experimental plots, and nursery fields and spaces, to include: soil preparation, planting, watering, weeding, pruning, mulching, seed spreading, seed saving, and plant propagation.
● Use the iNaturalist platform for casual documentation of wild biota.
● Assist with maintenance of monitoring and management equipment, including: camera trap maintenance, insect trap repair, deer stand maintenance, cleaning weeding bins and tools, cleaning bird boxes, repairing insect traps, etc.
● Other projects as assigned by the Head of Biodiversity Conservation.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
● A Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, wildlife science, entomology, botany, or related field preferred, but exceptional candidates are encouraged to apply.
● Strong working knowledge of the flora of Virginia and/or Eastern US
● Experience using a dichotomous key and other resources for species identification
● Experience with seed collection and herbarium management
● Familiarity with field survey methods and protocols, particularly vegetation monitoring methods
● Demonstrated interest and passion for biodiversity conservation and restoration. Experience working outdoors in uncultivated environments with plants and/or animals of the Mid-Atlantic is a plus, but not required.
● Understanding of morphological differences and phenology of plants.
● Ability to meet physical requirements of working outside, in varied weather conditions (including extreme heat and cold, rain/snow/humidity).
● Must have physical stamina to participate in occasionally rigorous outdoor activities.
● Proficient use of Microsoft 365 and Chromium products; experience with Adobe, Esri software, and R is a plus, but not required.
● Ability to do repetitive tasks for long periods of time (e.g., survey measures, data entry, weeding, etc) while maintaining attention to detail.
● Excellent time-management, communication and organizational skills.
● Ability to work thoroughly in every assigned task.
● Ability to work independently and proactively while also a dependable, collaborative and supportive team player.
● Ability and willingness to operate machinery.
● Ability to exhibit safe and responsible conduct in outdoor environments
● Willingness to learn the use of light and heavy equipment and exercise safety precautions when in use. Equipment may include: pick-up trucks, all-terrain vehicles, weed-eaters, mowers, deer fencing etc.
● Willingness to learn and exercise the proper handling and safety precautions when handling substances such as gasoline, ethanol, ethyl acetate, antifreeze, pesticides, and herbicides.
● Valid driver's license;
● Must have reliable transportation to and from OSGF daily.

TO APPLY
To be considered for this apprenticeship, please email a resume and cover letter to hr@osgf.org with the subject line “BCT 2025/26 Plant Conservation Apprenticeship”.
 

Oak Spring Garden Foundation is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ancestry, disability, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, race, religious belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, political belief, or veteran status.