Bedford Audubon Society is pleased to announce the availability of a ten-week paid internship opportunity in the Leon Levy Native Garden, located at Bylane Farm, our center of operations in Katonah, New York, for college students pursuing a degree in landscape architecture, landscape design, horticulture, natural resources, or similar environmental fields.
For more than a century, Bedford Audubon has studied, protected, and celebrated nature in the lower Hudson Valley. Today, we invite you to join our journey to protect birds and wildlife from habitat loss, climate change, and other threats, and to experience and share the wonder of nature.
About the Leon Levy Native Garden
Located at the historic Bylane Farm, the Leon Levy Native Garden is the cornerstone of our Bird Friendly Communities efforts. The Garden and associated programs educate, empower, and engage landowners to utilize native plants and natural landscaping practices to create backyard wildlife oases and inspire neighborhood-level conservation. A garden expansion and renovation plan was designed by the award-winning Larry Weaner Landscape Associates.
Required Skills & Qualities
The ideal candidate for the Leon Levy Native Garden Intern Opportunity is an enthusiastic individual with a passion for and pursuing a degree related to horticulture, natural resources, or a similar field. The candidate should possess native plant identification skills, experience with horticultural practices, and excellent written and verbal skills. Experience in nature interpretation is desired, a cheerful eagerness to work in a public setting is required.
The candidate should be self-motivated and able to work successfully independently and in a supportive team atmosphere. Further, the candidate should be in good physical condition and willing to work outside for extended periods and in a casual yet professional office environment. Candidates should hold a valid driver’s license and have personal transportation.
Core Intern Responsibilities
Identify sources of plants prescribed in the plan and select individual specimens.
Nurture and develop new relationships with local nurseries.
Care for the Native Garden, including transplanting and invasive species management.
Help launch our Habitat Demonstration Garden.
Integrate what’s emerging and flowering in the Native Garden with the nature interpretation in The Perch, Bedford Audubon’s social media platforms, and other communications outlets. Supervise Native Garden volunteers of all abilities.
Draft website content related to plants’ availability, including plant sources and how to request local nurseries carry more native plants, cultural requirements, and wildlife value. This content will ultimately be available to Garden visitors using Quick-Response (QR) codes embedded in botanical markers and signs.
Additional Intern Responsibilities
All employees and interns are expected to contribute to the smooth operation of Bedford Audubon Society.
A final report is required before the culmination of the internship opportunity, for publication on Bedford Audubon’s website, and funding and partnering organizations. The report can take the form of a written summary, series of blog postings or photo blogs, video, PowerPoint presentation, or some combination.
Additional opportunities for research (e.g., native plant propagation techniques, invasive species management, etc.), program activities (e.g., lectures, workshops, and field trips), and non-profit management (e.g., communications and marketing, development and fundraising, etc.) are available, depending on the candidate’s experience and personal goals.
Internship Opportunity Summary
Dates: mid-May through mid-August (see note) Time Commitment: 30 hours per week, 10 weeks, Hourly Pay: $13.00 Lodging: A housing credit of $150/week is available for Interns that would like to lodge at Bylane Farm Location: Bylane Farm (35 Todd Road, Katonah, New York)
Note: Start and end dates are flexible depending on academic and personal schedules: please include any date restrictions in the cover letter.
To apply, submit a cover letter describing interests and personal goals for a Bedford Audubon Society Summer Internship Opportunity, a résumé and two references to Suzanne Cahill, Executive Director, at executivedirector@bedfordaudubon.org by no later than March 31, 2020. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
