Internships

• Filoli Center Garden--Intern and Apprenticeship Program
• Skinner Nurseries--Student Internships
• Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens--Student Internships
  

• Summary:  Filoli Center Garden, a magnificent 654-acre historic site owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and operated today as a cultural and horticultural center located in Woodside, CA, is announcing an Intern and Apprenticeship program to students of horticulture and related fields.  Ten-week internships and six-month apprenticeships are offered year-round, with programs in the winter (January 7-March 14, 2008), spring (March 24-May 30, 2008), summer (June 9-August 15, 2008), and fall (September 22-November 28, 2008).  Up to five trainees are accepted for each session and international students are welcome to apply.
              Internships are offered in the following areas:  a) Formalized training in practical horticulture, landscape preservation and public garden management; b) Rotate through the five garden areas and work under the direct supervision of a staff of over 12 horticulturists; c) Specialized workshops are scheduled in water management, soil testing, plant identification, shear sharpening, hand tools, power equipment, pests and diseases, garden design and history, and scheduling; and d) Tours of the House, gardens and libraries are also offered and trainees are invited to attend educational programs and lectures.  Trainees are expected to keep records and maintain a journal, and apprentices work two days a week on independent projects.
  
  
• Duties:
  
  
  1. Planting annuals and bulbs;
     
     
  2. Shearing formal hedges;
     
     
  3. Pruning woody ornamentals and fruit trees;
     
     
  4. Thinning and harvesting fruit;
     
     
  5. Maintaining perennial borders;
     
     
  6. Weeding, mowing and edging turf;
     
     
  7. Fertilizing and watering;
     
     
  8. Using hand tools and operating power equipment;
     
     
  9. Managing greenhouses and container stock;
     
     
  10. Monitoring pests and propagating plants.
      
      
• Qualifications:
  
  
  1. Applicant must be a student majoring in horticulture, public garden management, landscape maintenance or landscape architecture at a 2-year or 4-year college or university. 
     
     
• Salary/Housing/Benefits:  $8.00 per hour with college credits.  Free housing offered with families in the local community in exchange for eight hours per week of gardening or other work.
  
  
• Application Packet must consist of the following:  1) Completed application (download an application (PDF) here); 2) résumé with cover letter, 3) three letters of recommendation and 4) transcripts.
  
  
• Deadline:  Summer internship—May 9, 2008; Fall internship—August 27, 2008. 
  
  
• Contact:   Send application packet to:  Lucy Tolmach, Director of Horticulture, Filoli Center, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside, CA 94062.  Phone:  (650) 364-8300, x214; E-mail:  ltolmach@filoli.org.
  
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• Summary:  Skinner Nurseries, one of the largest distributors and growers of green goods in the United States located in Jacksonville, FL, is looking for students who are interested to sign up for the Intern-N-Learn Program in Summer 2008.  Work hours:  Hours vary by location. 
  
  
• Duties:  Interns will be involved the following areas: 

  1.  General Orientation (History, Mission, Core Values; Skinner Nurseries Policies; Marketing objectives & center target market; Business plan required to make center profitable)

  2.  Distribution Center Overview (Inventory Management; Establishing Pricing Guidelines; Delivery Standards and Procedures; Purchasing and Receiving)

  3.  Office Management (Reporting; Processing Purchase Orders)

  4.  Yard Management (Operation of Equipment; Knowledge of Irrigation System; Pruning and Spraying; Yard Maintenance)

  5.  Inside Sales (Labeling, Pricing and Display of Material; How Inside Sales Handles Customers; Daily Reporting)

  6.  Outside Sales (How Outside Sales Makes and Processes Sales; Delivery of Plant Material)
  
  

• Qualifications:
  
  
  1. Must be an Environmental Horticulture or Business major;
     
     
  2. Must have the desire to apply themselves and become an active part of the Distribution Team;
     
     
  3. Must have the desire to work in a fast paced environment;
     
     
  4. Must have the passion to learn from one of Jacksonville’s fastest growing companies.
  
  
  
• Salary and Benefits:  $10.00 - $12.00 per hour, depending on location.  Interns must furnish their own housing.
  
  
• Application packet must consist of the following:   1) resume; 2) a statement by the student explaining reasons for applying; 3) official school transcripts from all institutions attended; 4) three (3) letters of recommendation.
  
  
• Deadline:  Until position is filled.
  
  
• Contact:  Send application packet to:  Sue Raffensperger, HR Manager--Employment, T&D, Skinner Nurseries, Inc., 2970 Hartley Rd - Ste 302, Jacksonville, FL  32257.  Phone:  904-880-4344 ext. 246 (office)/1-888-884-4344 ext. 246 (toll-free); FAX:  904-899-0259; E-mail:  sue@skinnernurseries.com.
  
  
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• Summary:  Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, located in Fort Bragg, CA, three hours North of San Francisco, offers internships throughout the year.  Internships run from three to six months and can be extended for up to one year.  The size and intimacy of the Gardens offers a unique, full-spectrum view of the public garden field.  Internships start on a rotational basis to give an overall experience in how a public garden functions.
  
  
• Duties:  Interns can gain experience in the following areas:  gardening, garden maintenance, propagation, mapping, volunteer coordination, construction, retail nursery work, education/interpretation, restoration, and plant records.
  
  
• Qualifications:  Applicants should have some formal education in a related field, plus at least one year's experience in the horticulture industry (public or private gardens, greenhouses, arboreta, nurseries, etc.).
  
  
• Salary and Benefits:  Although Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens cannot provide a stipend, they do offer on-site housing for interns in their historic farmhouse, just a short walk from the ocean bluffs.
  
  
• Application Packet:
  
  
  1. A one-page cover letter stating how a Gardens internship would support your professional growth, and how you can aid the Gardens in achieving its mission
     
     
  2. A résumé
     
     
  3. Three professional references.
  
  
• Contact:  Send application packet to:  Sierra Smith, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, 18220 North Highway One, Fort Bragg, CA 95437.  Phone:  (707) 964-4352 ext. 12; E-mail:  sierras@gardenbythesea.org  Visit their website at http://www.gardenbythesea.org/
  
  
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