The Polly Hill Arboretum is offering internship opportunities to students interested in pursuing careers in ornamental horticulture, public horticulture, and related fields.
According to a press release, summer horticulture interns participate in all aspects of maintaining the arboretum’s diverse collection and expansive grounds. Interns are exposed to a wide range of experiences through hands-on training and demonstrations, attending Arboretum sponsored classes and workshops, and going on field trips to other public and private gardens, according to the release.
Summer internships are 12-week positions and are flexible in regards to start date, although mid-late May is ideal. Interns work 35 hours per week and are paid $15 per hour. Housing is provided at the nearby Hoft Farm (owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy) where interns from other organizations also live in the restored farmhouse.
Interns participate in and are trained in a wide array of skills including pruning, planting, weeding, mulching, mowing, watering, propagation, greenhouse and nursery management, safe use and handling of small landscape equipment, plant identification, and basic arboricultural techniques. Interns may also have the opportunity to lead tours, and help out in visitor services and education.
The arboretum is also offering a greenhouse internship for 2022. The person in this role works primarily in the greenhouse and is provided a unique opportunity to improve knowledge and skills of woody and herbaceous plant propagation. The greenhouse intern learns and participates in regular plant propagation tasks such as watering, weeding, up-potting, transplanting, fertilizing, taking vegetative cuttings, seed collection and cleaning, label-making, and plant identification.
This internship has the same housing benefits, pay, and educational opportunities as the Summer Horticulture Internships, but has the option of being extended for up to six months.
The Polly Hill Arboretum is accepting applications for 2022 horticulture and greenhouse internships until March 4. To apply, send a cover letter, resume, and a list of three professional references in a single PDF file to Ian Jochems at ian@pollyhillarboretum.org.