What are the responsibilities and job description for the Gardens and Grounds Intern position at Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc.?
About the Thomas Jefferson Foundation
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation has a twofold mission of preservation and education, and was incorporated in 1923 to preserve Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Today, the Foundation seeks to bring history forward into national and global dialogues by engaging audiences with Jefferson's world and ideas, and sharing the history of everyone, enslaved and free, who lived and labored at Monticello. Monticello is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a United Nations World Heritage Site and a Site of Conscience.
Gardens and Grounds Intern
Purpose:
The purpose of this position is to assist staff in Monticello’s gardens, trails, and nursery operations while developing necessary horticultural and related skills that prepare the intern for the workforce.
We will look to you to:
- Assists with the maintenance of the flower, vegetable, fruit, and native gardens, as well as the Saunders-Monticello Trail and Center for Historic Plants on a rotating schedule.
- Supports staff by helping with planting, watering, weeding, staking, edging, transplanting, harvesting seed and produce, fertilizing, sowing seeds, amending soil, labeling, mulching, pruning, moving potted plants cleaning and packaging seeds, assisting with garden tours and events, cleaning and organizing workspaces, etc.
- Performs occasional ground maintenance activities, such as raking leaves, collecting branches, mowing turf grass, weed-eating, spreading mulch, removing trees, clearing out woodlands, maintaining shrubberies, operating power equipment, such as lawn mowers, rototillers, weed-eaters, etc.
- Assists with public programming, including summer camps and the Historic Landscape Institute.
- Assists with general maintenance, landscaping, Gardens and Grounds projects, and interdepartmental projects as assigned.
Skills and Abilities:
- Basic understanding of horticultural and grounds maintenance principles, including plant identification and knowledge of garden plants, soils and fertilizers, weeds and their control, watering techniques, vegetable, fruit, and flower production, plant propagation, operating garden tools, etc.
- Manual dexterity to safely and efficiently perform horticultural tasks such as seed sowing, seed collection, pruning and training plants, transplanting, watering, fertilizing, and spraying.
- Ability to safely operate vehicles, hand tools and power equipment.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to provide information to visitors and engage positively with colleagues.
- Flexibility in adapting to changing or adverse circumstances.
- Active learning capabilities, including asking questions, offering suggestions, seeking clarification, problem solving, etc.
- Position requires reliability and commitment to a set schedule.
Physical Demands and Work Considerations:
- Position requires working for long periods in very sunny, hot, humid, windy, and rainy conditions performing manual tasks that require kneeling, bending, reaching, stretching, and lifting up to 50 pounds.
- Position requires a driver’s license and reliable transportation to and from work.
Education
- High school diploma
We provide:
- Discount in the Monticello Café, gift shop, and Monticello online catalog.
- Supervision by a professional subject matter expert in the field.
- Networking opportunities with colleagues and interns in all departments.
- 401(k) retirement savings plan.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – five free sessions.
If you believe this opportunity is the right fit for you, we encourage you to apply! Please include a letter of interest, a resume, and contact information for two professional references.
