Seasonal Education Horticulture Assistant

Position Title: Seasonal Education Horticulture Assistant

Department: Education

Reports to: Children’s Garden Co-coordinators

FLSA Status: Part-time Seasonal, Non-Exempt

Compensation: $26 per hour

Position

Description:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Children’s Education programs are renowned for teaching hands‑on gardening and plant science to young people. The Education horticulture assistant performs gardening, watering, mowing, pest management, and related work to support programs and gardens for BBG’s Education department. The Assistant primarily works in two education spaces: the Children’s Garden and the Education Greenhouse.

Schedule:

• March 10–November 4, 2026
• Saturdays through Wednesdays, 35 hours per week; 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m., 7 hours per day (some flexibility during certain seasons/days)

Children’s Garden:

• Assist Children’s Garden coordinators with various gardening tasks including sowing seeds, planting, fertilizing, weeding, mulching, bed preparation, pruning, composting, deadheading, maintaining perennial beds, etc.
• Mow and maintain grass pathways and lawns in Children’s Garden.
• Water field, planters, and seedlings as needed.
• Assist with Integrated Pest Management as needed.
• Work alongside horticulture volunteers and advise/answer questions when needed.
• On occasion, help with horticulture‑related tasks (greenhouse & tool room organization, tool cleaning, glove washing, plant research etc.).

Education Greenhouse:

• Water on weekends.
• Assist with seedling starting and stepping up for education programs as needed.
• Perform occasional horticultural tasks, assist with IPM in Education Greenhouse as needed.

Qualifications:

• Experience and/or education in horticulture or gardening
• Pest identification skills and knowledge of control methods
• Ability to perform physical labor and work outdoors in various weather conditions
• Ability to work both unsupervised and in tandem with colleagues
• Effective oral communication skills
• Must be able to lift and carry potted plants and equipment

Work Environment:

• The Children’s Garden is a space where children 2 to 17 years old can plant their own crops and flowers and harvest them under the guidance of garden instructors. The space is a large outdoor field with garden beds, raised beds, and compost bins surrounded by grass paths.
• The Education Greenhouse space consists of three sections representing and containing desert, temperate, and tropical plant collections. Although it is an indoor collection, during the year the space may be quite chilly or hot.
• Some weekend days will be worked independently.

Benefits:

• BBG offers certain benefits to part‑time employees including:
  • Up to 56 hours of sick leave
  • Short‑term disability/New York Paid Family Leave
• As a 501(c)3, BBG is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Eligible Employer
• Museum Pass, which provides employees the opportunity to enter many museums in New York City for free

To be considered for this position, please submit an application by clicking Apply below. Applications submitted without a résumé and cover letter will not be considered.

No telephone calls for position inquiries, please. Applicants with disabilities who need assistance with the online system, or who may require a reasonable accommodation during the application process, should contact Human Resources at hr.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.