Gardener I or II - Sections

About Central Park and the Central Park Conservancy

Central Park is one of the most famous and beloved urban public spaces in the world. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1857, the 843-acre park was the first purpose-built public park in the country and is an Historic Landmark. The Central Park Conservancy, a private not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1980 to rescue the Park which had fallen into serious disrepair.

Since that time, the Conservancy has overseen the investment of approximately $2 billion in the restoration of the Park, and now hosts over 40 million visitors a year.

The Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and celebrate Central Park as a sanctuary from the pace and pressures of city life, enhancing the enjoyment and wellbeing of all. The City of New York has formally entrusted the care of the Park to the Conservancy which is responsible for every aspect of the Park’s care, including landscape maintenance, capital improvements, and the visitor experience.

Committed to sharing the best practices in urban park management, the Conservancy also serves as a resource for other NYC parks and for public-private partnerships around the world. The Conservancy employs approximately 400 people and has an operating budget of $120 million.

The Gardener in the Landscape Management Department of the Central Park Conservancy provides all manner of care to the landscape and planting areas within the park. The Gardener supports the care and maintenance of hardscape areas within an assigned Section. The Gardener works under the guidance of the Section Manager, Assistant Manager and Foreperson. It is expected that the Gardener will work within and across their Section and with other staff in Landscape Management to perform their primary tasks.

• Care for and maintain all plant beds and their surrounding landscapes in an assigned Section according to an established schedule to organizational standards. Monitor landscape plants for insects and diseases.
• Perform pruning, weeding, planting, mulching, irrigation, raking, leaf-blowing, sweeping, basic irrigation system maintenance, and other related tasks.
• Prepare landscape beds for planting. Plant annuals, perennials, bulbs, woody plants and trees in compliance with approved design. Perform all manner of horticultural care, routine and seasonal maintenance, cultivation, transplanting, and pruning as necessary.
• Install and repair fence as needed and as directed
• Support waste management operation by picking up and performing proper disposal of trash in landscapes, paths, playgrounds, and perimeter; empties trash cans as necessary; sweep around benches, stairs and entryways
• Perform snow removal and ice mitigation on paths, entrances, playgrounds, perimeter, and other hard surfaces with machines and hand labor to provide appropriate levels of access as per established organizational standards
• Maintain surface drainage by keeping catch basins free of debris during heavy rainstorms and snow and ice in the winter months
• Work closely with volunteers and seasonal interns
• Cooperate with other staff within the department and other department personnel in completing assigned tasks
• Display the necessary initiative and dependability to work alone or in a team
• Ensure supervision is informed on important developments concerning assigned landscape management tasks
• Keep records and makes simple written reports
• Ability to use Microsoft Office and other software applications
• Interact with Park patrons and colleagues in a professional manner and answer plant identification questions
• Support general landscape maintenance of the overall Section and assist in the preparation of special events as needed

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