Mt. Cuba Center is seeking highly qualified instructors to teach classes at our botanical garden in Hockessin, DE. Classes can fall under one or more of the following categories: gardening, horticulture, landscape design, plant conservation, art, or wellness. Instructors with expertise in one of these specific fields and who teach with an ecological perspective are invited to apply online. These are contract positions.

Internships are Mt. Cuba Center’s greatest investment in the future. Our goal is to inspire students who have an appreciation for the beauty and value of native plants and a desire to protect the environments that sustain them to become future public garden leaders. Mt. Cuba Center offers 12-week summer internships and one-year internships.

The Seasonal Horticulturists’ Assistant is responsible for a broad range of garden maintenance activities in support of the Horticultural Team for the continued development and refinement of the gardens at Mt. Cuba Center. This position will assist the Horticultural Team in maintaining the health and care of living plant collections by performing a variety of horticultural tasks including, but not limited to: site/soil preparation, planting, transplanting, mulching, weeding, watering, fertilizing, herbicide/pesticide application, and pruning. Additionally, they will assist other divisions with horticultural projects and activities.

The Seasonal Grounds Maintenance Assistant supports the Grounds team in the overall maintenance of Mt. Cuba Center’s landscape, including woody and herbaceous plantings, lawns, woods, garden features, paths and roadways. This position will assist in maintaining the health and look of turf through mowing, fertilizing, watering, weed-eating, aerating, and applying compost and compost tea. Additionally, he/she will maintain roads, pathways, and parking areas through surface maintenance, renovations, and leaf, debris, and snow removal. The position supports horticultural activities such as planting, weeding, pruning, mulching, and other general maintenance activities for the care of plants, shrubs, and small trees. Preferred candidates will hold previous experience in basic landscaping duties such as lawn mowing, mulching, weeding, etc.

Mt. Cuba Center seeks a Plant Records Assistant to support the Plant Recorder in all Plant Records activities. This will include entering and maintaining computer-based plant records, production of accession tags and identification labels, conducting periodic inventories, and assisting staff with Mt. Cuba Center’s living collection information. The Plant Records Assistant operates under the daily supervision of the Plant Recorder.

What you’ll do:

• Assist the Plant Recorder in completing mapping activities and operate mapping equipment
• Conduct periodic inventories of Mt Cuba Center’s living collection
• Assist in the production of accession tags and identification labels
• Enter and maintain computer-based plant records into database system
• Provides assistance to the Collections and Curatorial staff

Qualifications:

• 1 year of experience in plant records, curatorial, or horticulture-related field
• Experience with plant records databases and plant mapping is highly desirable, but not required
• General knowledge of plant identification, plant growth and cultural characteristics
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and current knowledge-sharing technologies
• Must possess a strong interest in native plants, shrubs, and trees, and naturalistic landscaping
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with the staff and the public
• Ability to learn and adapt to various software and technology programs to complete work duties
• Self-motivated, organized, attentive to details, and the ability to manage time and effectively function without close supervision
• Ability and willingness to work outdoors in a variety of weather conditions
• Ability and willingness to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends, holidays and special events as needed
• Requires moderate physical work; Frequent standing, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, reaching, carrying, lifting, pushing, or pulling of objects up to 30 pounds