Plant Records Intern

Role: The Plant Records Intern supports the documentation, stewardship, and management of Wellfield Botanic Gardens’ living plant collections. Working alongside the Horticulture Manager, the intern assists with accessioning, mapping, inventorying, labeling, and maintaining accurate plant records while gaining hands-on experience in public garden collections management. This internship provides practical experience in botanical nomenclature, plant identification, collections management, and the professional standards used by leading botanic gardens.

• Assist with accessioning newly acquired plants into the Gardens’ collection database.
• Maintain accurate records for plant additions, removals, relocations, and losses.
• Support annual plant inventories and verification of living collections.
• Update botanical nomenclature and cultivar information using accepted taxonomic standards.
• Assist with maintaining accession files, collection histories, and supporting documentation.
• Help evaluate data quality and improve the accuracy of plant records.

• Assist with mapping plant locations using GPS or digital mapping software.
• Create, install, and maintain botanical and interpretive plant labels.
• Photograph plants and organize digital records.
• Update garden maps following installations, removals, and renovations.
• Research plant provenance and collection history as assigned.

• Assist horticulture staff with planting, transplanting, and evaluating plant collections.
• Help identify plants and verify plant locations.
• Participate in seasonal garden maintenance and collection improvement projects.
• Support preparation for tours, educational programs, and special events.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills: Self-motivated; able to work effectively and communicate in a team environment; customer service experience; ability to engage with diverse audiences and volunteers; ability to work independently and collaboratively.

• Current undergraduate or graduate student in horticulture, botany, biology, environmental science, landscape architecture, or a related field preferred.
• Strong interest in public horticulture and plant collections.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Drive; experience with spreadsheets or databases preferred.
• Experience with GIS, GPS, Hortis, or other plant records software is desirable but not required.
• Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions.