Horticulture Intern

Horticulture internships at the Brandywine Zoo are designed for students who seek valuable learning experience working in a public garden with a diverse workforce. Interns will work closely with zoo professionals to acquire hands-on experience and complete meaningful projects with lasting value to the zoo. They will also get a chance to develop skills in public engagement. All interns will be required to complete a demonstration of learning project and present it in a poster session at the end of program event. Interns will learn about maintaining ecologically balanced habitats by performing regular horticulture maintenance duties including planting, watering, weeding, pruning, and fertilizing. These duties involve manual labor, exposure to adverse weather conditions (particularly heat and humidity), dirt, dust, and possibly some horticultural chemicals. Interns will be instructed in and exercise safe working practices. Special projects are typically added to an intern’s regular duties so that they can practice project management skills needed to see a project through from start to finish. Projects vary greatly and are determined on an individual basis. They may include everything from record-keeping, analyzing ecosystems, aiding with managing horticulture database (Hortis), and public programming.