Botanical Gardens Internship: A Guide to Requirements and Opportunities
An internship in a botanical garden offers invaluable experience for students and aspiring professionals interested in horticulture, botany, environmental science, and related fields. While not always mandatory, an internship is highly recommended to gain practical skills, professional development, and a deeper understanding of the field. This article explores the various aspects of botanical garden internships, including requirements, opportunities, and benefits.
The Value of a Botanical Garden Internship
Horticulture is a field practiced nationwide, offering students a wide array of internship locations. These opportunities can be found in diverse settings, from rural wilderness areas to bustling urban centers, allowing students to explore different living environments while gaining professional experience. Many horticulture internships provide a fair wage or, if the wage is lower, offer room and board to ensure interns can complete their requirements without incurring debt.
For students unable to relocate for an entire summer, local options abound. Nurseries, greenhouses, and farms in the vicinity, such as the student-run organic farm UGArden, provide valuable hands-on experience.
Internship Opportunities and Requirements
Botanical gardens across the country offer a variety of internships tailored to different interests and career goals. These internships can be paid or unpaid, and may be arranged for academic credit, apprenticeship requirements, or professional development.
Specific Internship Examples
School Programs Intern: Some botanical gardens seek interns to assist with onsite field trip programs and offsite outreach programs, providing opportunities to instruct students and practice hands-on teaching, inquiry, and onsite interpretation strategies. These positions are often unpaid but may be arranged for college credit.
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Litzsinger Road Ecology Center (LREC) Intern: LREC helps teachers engage their students in place-based education, utilizing local ecology as a framework for studying various subjects while interacting with the community. They are often willing to work with students to meet any requirements necessary to earn credit for the internship, with part-time positions available for 8-20 hours per week.
Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum Intern: The Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum at the Missouri Botanical Garden offers internships for research and installations of future and ongoing exhibition projects, as well as the development of museum programs. These internships may be remote.
Atlanta Botanical Garden High School Internships: The Atlanta Botanical Garden seeks enthusiastic high school students, 16 years and older, interested in science and plant careers. Interns work alongside expert Garden staff to cultivate, conserve, and teach others about plant collections. The program emphasizes college and career readiness skills, with students committing to a regular schedule of 18 hours per week. The Atlanta Botanical Garden also offers the Students Promoting Environmental Awareness & Knowledge program (SPEAK) for high school students looking for a volunteer opportunity.
Santa Fe Botanical Garden: The Linda Milbourn College Internship: This internship, honoring the legacy of former executive director Linda Milbourn, is open to students enrolled in an accredited college, university, or technical school. Preference is given to applicants interested in horticulture, garden design and management, environmental studies, science education, or community outreach. The internship provides exposure to multiple aspects of Garden operations, with responsibilities including researching, developing, and implementing a focused special project. The intern earns a stipend for eight weeks of employment and must complete at least 320 hours of work.
Santa Fe Botanical Garden: Science and Conservation Internship: This internship focuses on conserving and protecting biodiversity. The intern will assist with the summer field season, conservation horticulture in the living collection, the horticulture and botanical library, and the herbarium. Work includes botanical field trips throughout natural areas of New Mexico to monitor and document native plants and managing data and collections on-site at the Garden. The intern will receive a stipend for eight weeks of work and is expected to be based in the Santa Fe area, with the possibility of applying for a housing stipend.
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General Requirements and Preferences
While specific requirements vary depending on the institution and the nature of the internship, some general guidelines apply:
Educational Background: Many internships are geared towards students pursuing a degree in horticulture, botany, environmental science, or a related field. Some opportunities are also available for high school students.
GPA: Some internships may require a minimum GPA. For example, the Santa Fe Botanical Garden's Science and Conservation Internship requires a 3.0 GPA in the major.
Coursework: Completion of a certain number of semester hours of coursework may be required. The Santa Fe Botanical Garden's Science and Conservation Internship requires completion of 60 semester hours.
Physical Requirements: Internships involving field work may require the ability to work outdoors and hike on uneven terrain.
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Commitment: Internships typically require a specific time commitment, ranging from a few hours per week to full-time work for several weeks or months.
Benefits of a Botanical Garden Internship
A botanical garden internship offers numerous benefits, including:
Hands-on Experience: Interns gain practical experience in various aspects of horticulture, botany, conservation, and education.
Professional Development: Internships provide opportunities to develop professional skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Networking: Interns can network with professionals in the field, building valuable connections for future career opportunities.
Career Exploration: Internships allow students to explore different career paths within horticulture and related fields.
Personal Growth: Interns often report increased confidence, a deeper understanding of their interests, and a clearer vision for their future.
Academic Credit: Many internships can be arranged for academic credit, fulfilling college requirements.
Financial Assistance: Some internships offer a fair wage, room and board, or stipends to help offset expenses.
Finding and Applying for Internships
Botanical Garden Websites: Check the websites of botanical gardens in your area or in locations where you would like to live. Many gardens have dedicated internship pages with detailed information about available opportunities.
University Career Services: Your university's career services department can provide information about internships and help you prepare your application materials.
Online Job Boards: Websites such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and Handshake often list botanical garden internships.
Professional Organizations: Organizations such as the American Horticultural Society may offer internship listings or resources.
The Missouri Botanical Garden: A Case Study
Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the nation’s oldest botanical gardens in continuous operation and a National Historic Landmark. The Garden serves as a center for botanical research and science education, as well as a tranquil escape within the city of St. Louis. Spanning 79 acres, it boasts stunning horticultural displays, including a 14-acre Japanese strolling garden, historic architecture, and one of the world’s largest collections of rare and endangered flora.
For over 163 years, the Garden has been a cherished oasis in the city, offering beauty and family fun while serving as a hub for education, science, and conservation. Driven by the crucial need to protect and conserve plants and their ecosystems, the Missouri Botanical Garden offers a variety of internship opportunities, including those at the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum.
The Garden is committed to the safety and wellbeing of its employees, volunteers, and guests. All staff are strongly encouraged to receive all vaccinations as recommended by their healthcare provider prior to their hire date. The Garden reserves the right to require future proof of current vaccination status, based on local health department guidelines.
Voices from the Field: Intern Experiences
The experiences of past interns highlight the transformative power of these opportunities:
One intern praised the mentorship they received: "The best part about working in my placement was my mentors."
Another emphasized the passion and hands-on learning: "The best part about working in conservation was actually talking with everyone and learning from them. Everyone is so passionate about what they do and it’s something you can just feel and realize. Also, working hands on was super fun. One day I’d be working with DNA and genetics, the next day with seeds, and the next with bees!"
One intern highlighted the impact on their career trajectory: "…this experience has helped to shape me, especially as a woman in science. Being able to work one on one with a woman who works in this field and is passionate about what she does has been incredible. Being able to get advice from her and begin to map out my future college/ career opportunities. I’ve grown more confident in my placement, and learned the ropes a little bit."
An intern who participated in the Washington Park Arboretum internship noted: “It was great to learn about all the careers in the environmental field. It showed me new jobs that i didn’t even know existed and kind of opened up a new perspective for me."
Another intern at the Washington Park Arboretum found the resume building activity helpful: “I thought the resume building activity and just getting questions about my resume answered was really helpful."
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