Botanic Garden Work Study Positions
Work study positions at the Botanic Garden are popular and tend to fill quickly. Any open positions are posted on Workday.
Positions include:
- Conservatory assistant
- Outdoor gardens assistant
- Curatorial assistant
- Label engraver
- Office assistant/receptionist
Hours:
We ask that students work a minimum of two hours per time block. Indoor position hours are Mondays through Fridays between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm. Outdoor positions hours are between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm.
Supervisors:
Botanic Garden Staff, including Manager of Education, Business Operations Coordinator, Conservatory Curator, Landscape Curator, and Manager of Living Collections, provide supervision for student workers.
Position Descriptions:
Label Engraver
Trained by Manager of Living Collections to use our engraving machine, this student works on producing metal accession labels for our outdoor plant collection and plastic display labels. Good computer skills and attention to detail is needed. Some knowledge of plant taxonomy is helpful.
Curatorial Assistant
Trained by Manager of Living Collections, this student works on documenting our plant collections: research on plant accessions, database data entry, and analyzing data for accuracy. Also involves mapping and measuring specimens, as well as assessing specimen health. Coursework in plant systematics and excellent computer skills needed.
Conservatory Assistant
This student works with the Lyman Conservatory staff and assists with various projects as assigned in the greenhouses. Gardening experience and familiarity with plants is needed as well as a willingness to get dirty.
Office Assistant/Receptionist
This student works at the Reception Desk at the Lyman Plant House greeting visitors, answering the phone, merchandise sales, and helping with a variety of other tasks as assigned. This position requires good interpersonal skills.
Outdoor Garden Assistant
Trained by the garden staff, this student is assigned to various tasks in the outdoor gardens and campus arboretum. Gardening experience and familiarity with plants is needed as well as a willingness to get dirty.
I never formally interviewed at Smith but did visit campus with my Pop. The thing I remember was climbing the three steps to Lyman Plant House. No plants, just the door and entrance. Little did I know where that world in a garden would take me over a lifetime of botanical learning.
