Curatorial Assistant II

Job Description

Join a dynamic team of curators committed to the collections at Harvard University’s tree museum. Steeped in history, 152 years of records and objects are ready for discovery, stewardship, and development.

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is the oldest public arboretum in North America and one of the world’s leading centers for the study of plants. Founded in 1872 and designed by America’s first landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, and the Arboretum’s first director, Charles Sprague Sargent, the 281-acre Arboretum is a historic landmark and one of the best preserved of Olmsted’s landscapes.

A unique blend of beloved public landscape and respected research institution, the Arboretum provides and supports world‑class research, horticulture, and education programs that foster the understanding, appreciation, and preservation of woody plants. Along with a horticultural library and herbarium encompassing some 1.5 million dried plant specimens, the Arboretum comprises one of the largest and best documented woody plant collections in the world, with over 16,000 living plants.

To learn more about the Arnold Arboretum, visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

The Curatorial Assistant conducts curatorial tasks in the Herbarium of Cultivated Plants, inventories plants in the living collections, and supports other plant records and curatorial initiatives under the supervision of the Manager of Plant Records.

• Herbarium of Cultivated Plants – Supports in the care and maintenance of specimens (over 120,000) in the Herbarium of Cultivated Plants and Dried Emerging Leaves Collection located in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Duties include gathering and mounting new vouchers; label preparation; databasing, barcoding, digitization; insertion. Scout for and repair damaged specimens; maintain organization and order of all specimens; maintain pest‑free environment using hygienic practices;
  
  monitor for pest infestations; maintain rotational freezing and silica refresh schedules of specimens. Assist visitors and scholars in use of the collection, including digitization and loans of specimens. Transport and/or ship specimens and supplies to and from the Harvard University Herbaria in Cambridge, Massachusetts as needed.
• Living Collections Inventory – Assists with the annual inventory of plants in permanent collections and Dana Greenhouse and nursery. Helps produce accurate plant inventories through frequent review and maintains records in the institutional plant collections database, BG‑BASE. Also aids in production/maintenance of records and display labels, and at peak times may assist with accessioning and related tasks.
• Other Duties as Assigned – Performs data entry, records review/audits, and conducts special curatorial projects related to the Arnold Arboretum’s living collections and plant records archives. Serves as a key informational resource to other staff, visiting scholars, students, and the public.

This is a 100% on‑site position, 35 hours per week, Monday‑through‑Friday schedule.

• Must be able to conduct work outdoors in a variety of weather scenarios and plant collections.
• Must not be squeamish around insects.
• Must be able to drive an Arboretum vehicle from site to site when necessary.

• Must be able to bend, reach, stoop, kneel, and lift up to 25 pounds.
• Must be able to walk and stand for up to three hours at a time indoors and outdoors.

• Minimum of one (1) year of experience in a related field.
• Ability to drive Arboretum vehicles in the landscape.
• Must be able to conduct inventories of outdoor/indoor plant collections and collect herbarium vouchers during all months of the year.

• Bachelor’s degree with coursework in botany, horticulture, or a related field preferred.
• Work experience in plant records/curation at a public garden, as well as an herbarium, preferred.
• Preferred candidate is self‑motivated, communicates effectively, can multitask, works independently as well as collaboratively, and applies critical thinking and curiosity to solve problems.

• Stan…