How to Apply
Applications are welcomed and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. A one-page cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume in a single pdf file. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experiences that directly relate to it.
Job Summary
This internship provides care and maintenance of the MBGNA conservatory, botanical collections, and research plants under the supervision and guidance of the Conservatory and Collections Horticulturist. The MBGNA summer internship takes place from Monday, May 4 to Thursday, August 20, 2026. To fully participate in team collaboration and project work, selected candidates are expected to complete all dates of the internship, which includes occasional evening and weekend hours.
Who We Are
Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA) is a transformative force for social and ecological resilience through the waters and lands we steward. We turn this commitment into action by:
- Positioning humans as active participants within the natural world and compelling the university community and our public to negotiate the full complexity that entails
- Advancing partnerships, programs, user experience, and all that we steward to catalyze access and impact in a radically changing world
- Emerging as The University of Michigan's premier partner for research, teaching, and public impact in sustainability, climate-forward practices, and biocultural diversity
- Promoting healthier communities, cultures, and ecosystems through active care and cultivation of the gardens, fields, natural habitats, and dynamic systems that sustain our world.
For more information about MBGNA and the summer internship program, please visit: https://mbgna.umich.edu/summer-internships
For questions about the internship application, please contact:[email protected]
Responsibilities*
As a member of the Horticulture Team, this position will regularly interact with visitors, volunteers, and other MBGNA departments during a workday to support the goals of the Horticulture Team through the following:
- Preparing the conservatory for daily visitation by the public.
- Performing a variety of horticultural tasks including weeding, watering, pruning, transplanting, and similar under the training and supervision of the Conservatory and Collections Horticulturist.
- Providing collections management support, conducting plant inventories, preparing accession tags and display labels, and mapping collections.
- Planning and implementing specific tasks and projects in coordination with the supervisor and in alignment with MBGNA's mission and Horticulture Team goals.
- Engaging with and leading volunteers and peers to implement tasks, complete projects, and attain individual and organizational goals.
Required Qualifications*
- Applicants must have one year of experience enrolled in a college or university by the internship start date. Recent college graduates who earned a degree in December 2025 or are planning to earn a degree by May 2026 are eligible to apply.
- Interest in and/or experience in horticulture, botany, landscape architecture, or related fields.
- This position may require a valid driver's license and a motor vehicle record check to operate MBGNA vehicles.
- This position may require a background check to work with minors according to Children on Campus policy.
- This position may require frequent travel between MBGNA site locations.
- Willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions doing physical work.
- Must have a flexible schedule with occasional weekend and evening availability.
How You'll Grow
The MBGNA summer internship provides university-level students with opportunities to:
- Participate in experiential learning in a nature-based organization
- Directly contribute to strategic operations of a mission-driven organization
- Help unify and catalyze access and impact across lands, waters, and dynamic systems
As part of a learning community, interns will be expected to:
- Attend a group orientation at the beginning of the summer
- Participate in professional development sessions offered throughout the summer
- Engage in opportunities for assessment and reflection
- Attend a final celebration at the end of the summer
Work Schedule
40 hours per week including occasional evening and weekend work
Work Locations
MBGNA comprises 841 total acres, spanning four sites, including the gardens, arboretum, a bog, and natural areas. This internship takes place mainly at Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, with opportunities to work at various MBGNA sites and locations.
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.