Wild Gardens of Acadia Intern
About The Position
Friends of Acadia is accepting applications for the Wild Gardens of Acadia Intern for the 2026 season. Located at Sieur de Monts in Acadia National Park, the Wild Gardens of Acadia is an important park destination with thirteen habitats displaying native plants in habitats that are similar to those found in the park. Habitats range from deciduous and coniferous woods to a beach, bog, pond, roadside, and mountain. A committee of volunteers, the Supervisory Gardener, and the Wild Gardens of Acadia Intern manage the Wild Gardens in partnership with the National Park Service and Friends of Acadia. Friends of Acadia also provides financial and administrative support. Friends of Acadia is committed to providing an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming environment for visitors, volunteers and staff from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.
Requirements
- Applicants must be over 18 and demonstrate that they are:
- capable of working hard at a physical job which may involve lifting 50 pounds, bending, kneeling, raking, and digging.
- capable of communicating with people of different backgrounds and levels of knowledge.
- willing to follow directions and pay attention to detail.
- dedicated to completing repetitive, routine tasks, such as weeding, raking, digging, and turning compost.
- capable of working independently.
- willing to work in inclement weather (hot, cold, wet, buggy).
- curious and interested in learning about Acadia National Park, native plants, and gardening.
- flexible, prepared, and willing to adapt to quickly changing work demands.
- The position will require some evening and weekend hours.
Nice To Haves
- Demonstrated interest in native plants.
- Botany, plant biology, or forestry classes and/or gardening, greenhouse, landscaping, or invasive plant removal experience are helpful.
- Applicant has worked with volunteers before.
Responsibilities
- Perform regular maintenance activities, such as weeding, watering, transplanting, raking paths, turning compost, and setting up informational materials.
- Complete daily log of work activities. Record observations of visitor use and impacts, maintenance needs, and visitor comments, compliments, and complaints.
- Greet visitors to the Wild Gardens and answer their questions with patience and politeness.
- Share with visitors the importance of native plants.
- Respectfully inform visitors of Wild Gardens’ policies (e.g., no pets allowed, no picnicking, etc.) if visitors are observed ignoring them.
- Learn about the habitats in the Wild Gardens, the native plants in those habitats, and the importance of conserving native plants.
- Learn about Acadia National Park, particularly the Sieur de Monts area.
- Assist with special projects, such as developing information for the Wild Gardens’ bulletin boards or new children’s activities.
- Work with the Supervisory Gardener and volunteers to plan and implement special events, such as garden tours and the Wild Gardens of Acadia Plant Sale.
- Work with FOA staff on special events, such as the FOA Benefit Auction.
- Evaluate work experience with FOA and ANP at the end of the season.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
No Education Listed
