Seasonal Horticulture Internship

Madison Square Park Conservancy (MSPC) is the nonprofit entrusted by the City of New York to operate Madison Square Park, a 6.2-acre public space in the heart of Manhattan. Our mission is to conserve, maintain, and program this ever-evolving historic green space, including raising 100% of the park’s operating budget. Our dedicated team takes great pride in caring for and shaping an urban oasis for all to enjoy.

Anchoring a diverse and vibrant live-work community, Madison Square Park is both an intimate neighborhood park and an international destination for 60,000 daily visitors. A public space since 1686, the park has long been a gathering place for people from all walks of life. Today, it is also a public garden, urban forest, wildlife habitat, public art exhibition space, a haven for children and pets to play, and one of New York City’s most transcendent and welcoming places.

Our curated, public green space connects our city neighborhood to nature. Madison Square Park is proud to be a world-class garden that houses a vibrant horticultural program. Our dedicated gardeners curate seasonal exhibitions, take meticulous care of our trees and lawns, and keep our collections of plants and flowers thriving year-round. The seasonal Horticulture Intern will report to the Horticulture Manager and assist the horticulture team.

Join us for the summer season providing support to the horticulture team as we install and maintain Gardens of Renewal, a temporary art installation curated and designed by Studio Lily Kwong and care for our Madison Square Park Conservancy summer annual display. Gain unique, valuable experience integrating art and horticulture, and working in a prolific NYC public park. This part-time position will allow prospective horticulture or park professionals to become familiar with public horticulture.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Horticulture:
  • Perform horticultural maintenance including, but not limited to: mulching, woody and herbaceous pruning, weed identification and removal, and application of fertilizer, soil amendments, or other supplements to world-class standards.
  • Reporting pest issues or damage to the horticulture manager.
  • Desire to learn about plant nomenclature and identification, specifically with plants native to the Northeast.
  • Plant temporary and perennial plantings. Remove and transplant material as needed.
  • Maintain garden beds, borders, and plant displays to ensure they are visually appealing and healthy.
  • Address the watering needs of all areas including annual beds, perennials, lawns, perimeter trees, and Worth Square.
  • Aerate, mow, edge, rake, seed, and observe lawn areas following organic and sustainable practices.

• Operations:
  • Remove litter and natural debris from garden beds, lawns, and containers, ensuring pathways are clear and safe.
  • Record and report potential hazards to parkgoers.
  • Operation of, or a desire to learn how to operate, a variety of power tools, hand tools, and landscape machinery including lawn mowers, string trimmers, blowers, edgers, mulchers, etc.
  • Assist with set up and breakdowns for programs, tabling, and public events.
• Administration:
  • Act as an ambassador to park patrons and be a park steward.
  • Collaborate inter-departmentally with the communications team; taking pictures, videos, creating blog posts, social media content, etc.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team, collaborate with other interns, volunteers, and staff, and contractors in completing tasks and supporting park-wide initiatives.
  • Respond to emails, phone inquiries, and requests in a timely and appropriate fashion.
  • Keep detailed records of plant varieties, installation changes, and maintenance work, as well as compiling information for reports or assessments of the project.
• Programming:
  • Collaborate with Studio Lily Kwong and the horticulture team with running programs that educate the public about plant selection, cultural significance, and sustainable horticulture.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must have a high school diploma/GED, and at least 200 hours of relevant experience in gardening work. Applicants should be enthusiastic about nature and sustainability efforts. This position is best suited for someone intending to apply to, already enrolled in, or recently graduated from a professional certificate or degree-granting program in horticulture, agriculture, forestry, botany, or landscape maintenance.

• Excellent written and oral skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office and Google Suite
• Detail-oriented and organized
• Ability to lift at least 40 pounds and work in a variety of weather conditions. This opportunity does require lifting, bending, and some tasks that may be considered physically strenuous.
• Ability to work effectively on multiple projects and to meet deadlines
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and new projects

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, AND SCHEDULE

• Compensation is $22.00/hr.
• 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard included / 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard reimbursement provided.
• Projected Duration: April 1, 2025 – September 15, 2025
• 24 Hours per week

The Horticulture Intern will work two days per week from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with the flexibility to work days, evenings, and weekends to accommodate programming. The applicant must be able to commit to the entire season.

TO APPLY

To apply, please email the following as one attachment in one document to jobs@madisonsquarepark.org with the subject line “Seasonal Horticulture Internship:”

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Description of relevant experience

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Interviews will be held on Zoom and in person. We encourage applications from people with BIPOC identities. Applications will be accepted until March 4th, 2025.

Please be aware that Madison Square Park Conservancy has required COVID-19 vaccination for all employees. The organization will consider accommodations for disability, medical, and religious-based reasons.

Madison Square Park Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) laws. The Conservancy prohibits discrimination against applicants for employment because of the individual’s race or color, religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, domestic partnership status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record or any other characteristic protected by law.