PLANTING FIELDS ARBORETUM
STATE HISTORIC PARK
Post Office Box 58,
Oyster Bay, New York 11771
Planting Fields is a spectacular 409-acre public garden located on the north shore of Long Island. This former Gold Coast estate features specimen trees, ornamental shrubs, herbaceous plantings, 2 1/2 acres of display and production greenhouses, historic buildings and a 65 room Tudor revival mansion. The arboretum features one of the most comprehensive woody plant collections in the Northeast.
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Grounds Maintenance/Horticultural
Application Deadline: April 1, 2024
Duration: 10-12 weeks
Compensation: $17.95/hr
Housing: If students qualify, housing is available. Each student is assigned a room in our dormitory complex, which now includes heating and air conditioning, common kitchen, lounge, and a laundry.
Contact: Michael Ahern, Assistant Director
Telephone: 516-922-8602
Fax: 516-922-8610
Email: michael.ahern@parks.ny.gov
Website: www.plantingfields.org, www.nysparks.org
Qualifications: Interns should be currently enrolled or a recent graduate of; Horticulture, landscape design, botany, environmental science, or similar field.
Horticultural Interns need a passion for working in a public garden setting. They will receive practical, hands-on experience in all phases of maintenance, landscape design and enhancement of a diverse collection of horticultural plant collections within the 409-acre arboretum. Planting Fields is an intact historic estate designed by the Olmsted Brothers as well as an active arboretum with many unusual greenhouse and hardy plant collections. General duties will include planting, pruning, and watering, weeding, mulching and garden renovation.
Other Information: The interns will also help to maintain and enhance many special gardens such as the Dwarf Conifer Garden, Hydrangea Garden, Woodland Garden, Synoptic Garden, Rhododendron Collection and Formal Gardens. All interns are invited to participate in near-weekly educational field trips to private and public gardens, nurseries and growers on Long Island and the surrounding areas.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What are the hours of operation?
- Interns work a forty-hour week, Monday through Friday. Hours of operation vary from department to department. Occasionally earlier and later hours may be required
- Grounds Maintenance department – 7:00am to 3:30pm
- Main Greenhouse department – 8:00am to 4:30pm
- Interns work a forty-hour week, Monday through Friday. Hours of operation vary from department to department. Occasionally earlier and later hours may be required
- Do all interns start and end their appointment at the same time?
- No. Interns can start early as May 1 and can remain for as many as 12 weeks
- Preference will be given to those who can work through Labor Day
- International candidates?
- We do accept qualified international students. Acquiring visas, payment of fees and all required documentation are the responsibilities of the student.
- Notification of acceptance.
- Interns will be notified by mid-April, if not earlier.
