Horticulture Fellowship

Summary:

This twelve-month position will provide an opportunity to learn about horticulture and living collections curation through working practically alongside MBG's horticulturists. Fellows will rotate through grounds, nursery, and conservatory areas of the Garden on a four-month basis giving an opportunity to work with a wide diversity of plants, growing environments, and specialist staff. Assessment of work and feedback will be provided in the same manner all MBG staff are evaluated, apprentices will be expected to participate in tours and lectures and complete a final project with a presentation component.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

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  Gain an understanding of collections development and curatorial practices necessary to build and maintain living plant collections for research, conservation and education.
• Learns and gains an understanding of how Index Seminum, as well as, the Garden's Targeting Database is used to build collections.
• As requested conducts research on plant cultivation and enters data into databases.
• Become familiar with and utilize internal data sources such as the Living Collections Management System, Targeting Database and external data sources to aid in individual plant cultivation and landscape maintenance decisions.
• Learns and performs plant record keeping at the highest level ensuring that all plants in the collection have accession labels at all times and all maintenance information regarding the collection (i.e. new plantings, divisions, moves, deaths, etc.) is up to date at all times.
• Learns and performs a wide range of landscape/maintenance tasks important to the cultivation, preservation, protection and transplanting of existing plants; including but not limited to soil preparation, planting, staking, mulching, weeding, watering, fertilization, irrigation, pruning, training, IPM and pesticide application as needed.
• Becomes familiar with the greenhouse and conservatory environments and plant cultivation under glass.
• Becomes practiced at a variety of plant propagation and nursery cultivation techniques.
• Understands, appropriate irrigation requirements for a variety of plant material and how to utilize technology to tailor irrigation schedules to assigned collections.
• Learns and applies methods to plant and maintain displays in a manner that enables plant genetics and accessions data to be preserved and allows the public to easily distinguish plants when reading plant labels.
• Become familiar with propagation of plants in the collections to ensure survival, paying particular attention to rare and threatened species and those of wild origin.
• Become practiced in the operation and maintenance of a wide range of horticulture tools and equipment include but not limited to: vehicles, forklifts, pallet trucks, carts, mowers, lifts, Cushmans, tractors, cultivators, mechanical sprayers, and a variety of hand tools.
• Ensures that all tool storage areas and work areas are kept clean and tidy.
• Join and complete educational tours and talks as assigned.
• Compile written final project report and present finding to an audience of MBG staff.
• Reports all accidents, injuries and near-miss accidents immediately to supervisor.
• Ensures that all applicable safety standards are followed and adapts or modifies work methods to reduce hazards.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None.

Core Competencies

• Communication: Combines listening skills, verbal and written communication skills and visitor relation skills.
• Collaboration: Incorporates teamwork, mutual respect, active engagement, cooperation and visitor focus.
• Accountability: Initiative to take ownership of responsibilities, the ability to prioritize and the working knowledge and skills to take action.
• Problem Solving: Blends problem solving skills, judgement and decision making skills along with creativity and resourcefulness.
• Stewardship: Merges the practical application of the Garden values and support for a positive organizational climate.

Qualifications/Experience:

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  Minimum of (1-2) years hands-on, relevant experience in Horticulture or an aligned scientific field.
• Evidence of interest in science, gardening or the environment.
• Demonstrates ability to communicate effectively at all levels; must enjoy and feel comfortable interacting and working in close proximity to general public, in a safe and friendly manner answering questions about the living collections.
• Must have received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by date of hire to be considered. Proof of vaccination will be required.
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  The requirements and duties listed are representative and not exhaustive of the knowledge, skill, and/or abilities required.

Education:

• Either gained or studying towards an Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degree in Horticulture, Biology, Botany and/or related field required.
• An equivalent combination of skills, education and experience may be considered.

Computer Skills:

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  Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (i.e., Word, Excel and Outlook Email).
• Ability to enter data into spreadsheets and databases.
• Solid internet research skills required.

Mathematical Skills:

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  Requires ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and to calculate percentages and decimals.

Reasoning Ability:

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  Requires ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

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  Ability to possess and maintain valid driver's license.

Physical Demands:

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  Ability to lift and carry up to 80 lbs. (i.e., load, unload and move gardening supplies, medium to heavy weight tools and equipment).
• Must be able to work in bright sunshine with probable high UV levels and must be able to work outdoors year-round.
• May be required to perform tasks at varying heights (i.e., climb ladders, lift operation, etc.).
• Requires standing, walking, bending, stooping and reaching for extended periods of time-- 80% or more of the workday is standing on feet.
• Ability to wear Garden issued Personal Protective Equipment.
• Ability to utilize computer keyboard (typing).

Work Environment:

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  Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions (i.e., in temperatures over 100F as well as temperatures below 0F, in rain, snow and other inclement weather conditions as needed).
• Up to 80% of the time standing.
• Actively works hands-on to complete landscape maintenance tasks.
• Comfortable working in immediate proximity to general public, in a safe and friendly manner, answering questions.

• Missouri Botanical Garden, 2345 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America