Summer 2019 Internships: Coastal Maine Botanical Garden (Apply by 2/28)

Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in Boothbay, Maine has various internships available for Summer 2019. These will be posted on their webpage soon. CMBG Mission: The mission of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants and nature through horticulture, education and research.

 Position: Education Programs Intern :Youth Education at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Internship Mission: This internship prepares students to enter the field of environmental or museum education by providing hands-on experience with informal youth and family educational programming and interpretation. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is regarded as among the foremost public gardens in the country. This internship allows students to participate directly in a wide variety of educational programs for school/youth groups, children and families as well as general guests. The intern will learn how an Education Department works to deliver programming to a diverse range of audiences in a public garden setting.

Academic/Experiential-Learning Nexus:  Youth, family and school group programming in relation to horticulture, botany and natural history

Position Summary: The Youth Education Programs Internship provides hands-on experience supporting and implementing a wide variety of youth and family programming at the Gardens. Under the supervision and mentorship of the Youth and Family Program Coordinator, the Youth Education Programs Intern will have the opportunity to:

  • Carry out daily informal educational activities in the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden such as     storytime, puppet shows and chicken feeding.
  • Learn the art and science of live interpretation as you help to facilitate Discovery Carts and Nature/Garden Investigations in the Native Butterfly House and Alfond Children’s Garden.
  • Assist with the implementation of gardening and nature themed camps and day programs for children.
  • Increase gardening knowledge while helping to care for the Learning Garden and greenhouse.
  • Plan and carry out Fairy Friday activities in the Alfond Children’s Garden every Friday during July and August.
  • Learn what it takes to maintain a children’s garden by assisting with the daily upkeep of the Alfond Children’s Garden play areas and structures.
  • Welcome and orient visiting student field trip groups and participate in curriculum delivery.
  • Learn best practices in customer service.

Qualifications: The successful candidate must be comfortable with and enjoy interacting with the public and with students of all ages.  They should have good organizational skills, an interest in plants, gardening and nature, and a desire to learn more about the role of education in a public garden setting. Some coursework/experience in the field of education or the natural sciences is required.
Schedule: 40 hours/week, including weekend days from approximately mid-May to late August.  Flexible start and end date. The hourly wage for this internship is $12/hr. Assistance finding housing is available. The successful candidate must provide his/her own transportation to/from the workplace.

 Apply by February 28, 2019 e-mail resume, cover letter and three references to: Erika Huber, Youth and Family Program Coordinator at [email protected]

Position: Education Programs Intern: Adult Education and Interpretive Exhibits at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Academic/Experiential-Learning Nexus:  Public programming in relation to horticulture, botany, and natural history.

Position Summary: The Education Programs Internship provides hands-on experience managing and implementing a wide variety of adult education programming at the Gardens, including supporting Adult Education classes, written and live interpretive exhibits in the Gardens and assisting with our Therapeutic Horticulture program, Under the supervision and mentorship of the Interpretation and Exhibits Coordinator, the Education Programs Intern will have the opportunity to:

  • Support our Adult Education programming, including our Certificate in Native Plants and Ecological Horticulture and Certificate in the Botanical Arts, by assisting with course registration and student management; corresponding with students and instructors; and supporting the evaluation of our programs.
  • Learn the art and science of live interpretation while supporting the development of our Native Butterfly and Moth House.
  • Develop and maintain interpretive exhibits throughout the gardens.
  • Interact with visitors by providing informal educational experiences.
  • Learn best practices in customer service.
  • Gain experience in all aspects of coordinating a busy Education Center.
  • Support CMBG’s Therapeutic Horticulture program by providing direct assistance with specialized programming for the elderly, visually impaired, and developmentally disabled.
    See the webpage above for more information. By February 28, 2019, e-mail resume, cover letter and three references to: Vanessa Nesvig, Interpretation and Exhibits Coordinator.  Email: [email protected]
    Position: Butterfly House & Gardens Intern at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

    Academic/Experiential-Learning Nexus:  Public programming and horticulture in relation to horticulture, botany, and natural history.

    Position Summary: Under the supervision and mentorship of the Director of Horticulture and working closely with the Education department, the Butterfly House Intern will play a major role in providing horticulture assistance in the Butterfly Gardens and staffing the Gardens’ new Butterfly House exhibit. Playing a key role helping to rear the butterflies and moths in all stages of their life cycle, including maintaining their food and environment will be half of this position. The other half will be working with the Education department and volunteers providing live interpretation for visitors and managing the volunteer schedule in the house for this fun and vibrant exhibit.

    Butterfly House & Gardens

    • Assist in rearing of the butterflies and moths from caterpillar to adult
    • Assist in maintaining the gardens around the Butterfly House and other gardens as needed
    • Learn the art and science of live interpretation while supporting the development of the Butterfly House interpretation
    • Support volunteer docents in the Butterfly House by assisting with schedule management, volunteer training and development

    Horticulture

    • Ornamental gardening, including planting, mulching, weeding, staking, dead-heading, pruning, watering, pest identification and integrated pest management, plant identification, and developing knowledge of plant, design, and material needs
    • General maintenance of gardens, horticulture buildings, and equipment, including raking, sweeping, cleaning, sharpening, and repairs as needed
    • Propagation/Production, may include collection, storage, and sowing of seed, cuttings, transplanting, watering, additional plant care, and greenhouse management
    • Plant curation, may include labeling, record-keeping, mapping, plant photography, and phenology
    • Other departmental and/or organizational duties as needed (e.g., special events, etc.)

    See the CMBG webpage for more details. By February 28, 2019, e-mail resume and cover letter to: Sharmon Provan, Director of Horticulture at [email protected].

    Position Title:              Public Horticulture Intern

    Company Mission:      The mission of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants, and nature through horticulture, education and research.

    Internship Mission:    Beyond the primary focus of providing a beautiful garden experience for every Guest, this internship will present the intern with many opportunities to broaden their experience within the horticulture field and to learn about different careers in Public Horticulture.

    Academic/Experiential-Learning Nexus: Horticulture, Public Gardening

     Position Summary: The intern will immerse themselves in the following areas:

    • Ornamental gardening, including planting, mulching, weeding, staking, dead-heading, pruning, watering, pest identification and integrated pest management, plant identification, and developing knowledge of plant, design, and material needs
    • General maintenance of gardens, horticulture buildings, and equipment, including raking, sweeping, cleaning, sharpening, and repairs as needed
    • Propagation/Production, may include collection, storage, and sowing of seed, cuttings, transplanting, watering, additional plant care, and greenhouse management
    • Plant curation, may include labeling, record-keeping, mapping, plant photography, and phenology
    • Other departmental and/or organizational duties as needed (e.g., special events, etc.)

    Qualifications: The successful candidate must be comfortable interacting with Guests, Staff, and Board members. The candidate must have some educational and/or practical experience in horticulture, botany, and/or landscape design/maintenance.  They must be enthusiastic about plants, conscientious of the environment, and be willing to participate in all horticulture practices.

    Schedule: This is a five-day/week on-site internship from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. This position begins in May 2019 and continues through August of 2019, with some flexibility around start and finish dates, due to candidate’s availability (e.g., school schedule, etc.).

    Send resume to: Sharmon Provan, Director of Horticulture, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, P.O. Box 234, Boothbay, Maine 04537; email at [email protected]; telephone at (207) 380-4402 or (207) 633-8053.