Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden seeks applicants for a paid summer internship. The goal of this internship is to provide real world conservation experience to early career scientists. The Rare Plant Conservation Intern assists with laboratory and nursery work aimed at advancing the conservation and recovery of rare plants in California. Limited opportunities for field work may be available, depending on the interest and availability of the intern. The intern will work collaboratively with the Rare Plant Conservation Scientist and Rare Plant Technicians to complete tasks related to seed cleaning, seed bank curation, seed germination, and plant propagation.

This temporary position is being offered at 20 hours per week, for 10 weeks, between June and September 2025. Schedule is Monday through Friday or Sunday through Thursday. There is no opportunity for remote work. This position reports to the Rare Plant Conservation Scientist.

Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae and a cover letter detailing their interest in plant conservation, what they hope to get out of the internship, and how it fits into their long-term education and/or career goals. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

What You’ll Do:

• Clean and curate seeds for conservation, research and restoration
• Conduct seed viability tests for multiple rare plant taxa
• Review game camera videos to collect data about plant-animal interactions
• Assist with herbarium specimen label data entry
• Assist with conservation seed bank data entry and management
• Interact with volunteers, as needed

You Will Definitely Need:

• Previous coursework or experience with botany or a related field, and/or demonstrated enthusiasm for the Garden’s mission and native plant conservation
• Manual dexterity and acute attention to detail
• Basic computer skills
• A reliable means of transportation to and from the Garden

You Must Be Able To:

• Follow instructions, work successfully with others, and seek guidance as needed
• Sit for up to 2 hours at a time and use a computer for lengthy periods
• Stand/walk for extended periods of time

More About Us

The Garden is a beautiful place to work! And in this role, you are often outdoors. In addition to beautiful views, outdoor work environments also include exposure to extreme temperature fluctuations, rain, dust, allergens, poison oak, insects, small wild animals, and sun exposure.

Disclaimer:

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily, and if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

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