At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.
Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.
Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond. Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies.
At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.
Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.
Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.
Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.
Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.
Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.
About the Role:
The Collections Nursery Intern is a botanically focused individual that will be primarily working on the propagation, organization, and database management, of specified plants in The Huntington’s’ Collection Nursery and Gardens. This role provides an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to learn more about how plants work and get hands-on-experience with the practices and techniques necessary to skillfully accomplish all aspects of nursery operations.
This position reports to the Nursery and Propagation Coordinator and works closely with the Nursery Horticulturists to support the propagation, maintenance, and enhancement of the living collections, ensuring that they meet the highest standards of plant health and conservation. This is a 9-week, full-time opportunity from June 1 – July 31.
S/he/they will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach.
Essential Duties
Asexual and sexual propagation of Huntington collection plant materials
Utilization of specialized propagation techniques, including grafting, air layering, and unique seed germination methodology
Assisting in the digital updating of the Collection Nursery inventory
Seed and propagule collection and viability assessment
Organization and maintenance of rare and unique plant taxa
Nursery related tasks including fertilization, staking, labeling, and moving of plants and related materials
Researching the habitat and propagation methods related to the plants in the Huntington Collections
May perform other related duties as assigned
Candidate Requirements and Experience
Knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Enrolled in an educational program with an emphasis on horticulture, agriculture, botany, or related environmental science, or recent graduate. (max 1 year)
Ability to maintain analog labels and digital plant records accurately
Strong communication, observational, and organizational skills
Ability to prioritize tasks, manage workflow, and maintain consistency across routine and specialized work
Ability to work both collaboratively and independently in a dynamic and team-oriented environment
Must have familiarity with Microsoft Office programs including Word and Excel.
Preferred:
Strong interest and curiosity about horticulture, botanical gardens management, nursery operations, plant propagation, botany, or related career path.
Some experience working with plants
Some understanding of plant science related concepts
Familiarity with computerized systems and databases to maintain and organize information (Excel/Google Sheets)
Working Conditions
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Required to work outdoors and in inclement weather conditions
Must be able to access and traverse across a large campus on paved and unpaved roads
Must be able to bend, twist, reach, and lift up to 30 pounds
Some prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer may be required
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees in this job.
Internship Eligibility
Applicants must be undergraduate or graduate students (minimum age 18) whose field of study aligns with the internship opportunity.
This internship is available to Los Angeles area residents.
The Huntington will not sponsor J-1 visas for internship participants at this time.
Compensation & Benefits
We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including:
Pay Rate: $17.50/hr.
Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants
Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions
Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds
The Application Process
Please submit a cover letter and CV/resume as a single PDF attachment.
You will have the opportunity to submit additional documents on the “My Experience” section of the application.