Plant Collections Management Internship — Hybrid, Paid

Penn State University; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 23,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

The Arboretum at Penn State, part of Penn State University, offers a paid internship in plant collections management for students and recent graduates. The role centers on maintaining plant records with IrisBG, supporting the Arboretum Explorer tool, and collecting GIS data, with field inventories and label fabrication.

The position is hybrid with some remote work, predominately on-site, up to 9 months. Hours up to 40/week with flexible start dates, and opportunities for professional development

Qualifications

• Undergraduates, graduates or recent grads with interest in plant science, horticulture, biology, GIS, or library science.
• Working knowledge of plant ID/taxonomy or desire to learn.
• Strong organizational ability and attention to detail.
• Familiarity with large data sets and Microsoft Office; ArcGIS desired.

Responsibilities

• Assist in managing the Arboretum’s plant records using IrisBG (verify nomenclature, ID, accession/deaccession, export/import reports).
• Assist with maintenance/improvements to Arboretum Explorer public plant finder tool.
• Collect GPS field data using mobile mapping apps and GIS tech for plant records and mapping projects.
• Conduct seasonal plant inventories in botanic gardens and greenhouse facilities.
• Create and fabricate public-facing plant display labels and accession tags.
• Assist with interpretive signage and special project requests (educational programming, events).
• Assist with seasonal plant lists and web/print/social media content for plant collections.
• Assist with plant specimen collection and distribution for research/education/testing.
• Collect and archive images of Arboretum plants and commemorative items.
• Participate in meetings, projects and field trips to foster donor relationships.
• Assist in developing collections management resources and procedural docs.
• Assist with supply inventories and other operations/visitor services tasks.

Skills

Plant ID/Taxonomy

GIS basics

Data management

Microsoft Office

Attention to detail

Tools

IrisBG

ArcGIS

GPS data collection

Job description

The Arboretum at Penn State, part of Penn State University, offers a paid internship in plant collections management for students and recent graduates. The role centers on maintaining plant records with IrisBG, supporting the Arboretum Explorer tool, and collecting GIS data, with field inventories and label fabrication.

The position is hybrid with some remote work, predominately on-site, up to 9 months. Hours up to 40/week with flexible start dates, and opportunities for professional development