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 unique 6-month MBGNA internship takes place Monday, May 4 to Friday, November 6, 2026.  This position will complete rotations with members of the Horticulture Team and assist in seasonally appropriate garden maintenance, support project development and implementation, and may provide horticulturally relevant content for programs and events. Rotations include but are not limited to the peony garden, thematic display gardens, bonsai care, native plant gardens, and greenhouse and conservatory support. In order to fully participate in team collaboration and project work, selected candidates are expected to complete all dates of the internship, which may include 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 publics 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 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 the course of a workday to support the goals of the Horticulture Team through the following:

• Assisting members of the Horticulture Team in garden and landscape maintenance, greenhouse production, conservatory and collections management, bonsai care and related activities on a rotational basis throughout the internship. 
• Performing a variety of horticultural tasks including greenhouse crop production, weeding, watering, pruning, transplanting, and similar under the training and supervision of MBGNA's Horticulturists.
• 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 supervisor and in alignment with MBGNA's mission and Horticulture Teams goals.
• Engaging with and leading volunteers and peers to implement tasks, complete projects, and attain individual and organizational goals.

Required Qualifications*

• Applicants must have two years experience enrolled in a college or university studying horticulture, botany, landscape architecture, or a related field 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. Applicants enrolled in or recently completing a professional gardener training program are eligible.
• This position requires a valid driver's license and a motor vehicle record check in order to operate MBGNA vehicles.
• This position may require frequent travel between MBGNA site locations. 
• Willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Willingness to do physical work.
• Must have a flexible schedule with 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 across four sites, including the gardens, arboretum, a bog, and natural areas.

This internship will take place at rotating 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

The MBGNA internship application will be open Wednesday, January 6 - Sunday, March 1, 2026.  Applications will be reviewed after the internship application closes.  Selected candidates will be contacted for interviews beginning Monday, March 9, 2026.  Final candidates will be notified by March 27, 2026.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.

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