The Plant Biology Internships Program:

2014 Offerings

Harvey Ballard, Chair of the Internships Committee ballardh@ohio.edu

Department of Environmental & Plant Biology

Ohio University

www.ohio.edu/plantbio/internships

What is, and is not, an internship?

Dictionary.com definition of internship: • “Any official or formal program to provide

practical experience for beginners in an occupation or profession.”

What is not an internship? • Intermittent task, or a job, with narrow function

not aimed toward a career path • A position of predominately menial work (lab

glassware cleaning, lawn mowing), unless these tasks are part of your chosen career

Why is an internship essential?

• Majors with an internship on their resume dramatically increase their marketability (several host institutions were insistent on this!)

• An internship involves different activities and duties in a career—gives breadth of experience , from many different angles

internships critical for “terminal degree” majors going directly into careers, also valuable and rewarding for others going to grad school

The Plant Biology Internships Program

• Participants must be actively enrolled PBIO majors or minors throughout the application process and internship

• Internships aimed primarily at juniors and 5th-year seniors (sophomores may have sufficient background and skills for a few internships)

• To apply, students should have completed these: – Core and other PBIO courses relevant to the internship

– Junior comp course

– At least one semester Undergrad Research, or PACE

• Priority for positions: (1) JR & SR “Terminal degree” majors who have not done an internship yet, (2) other JR & SR majors, and (3) all others

The Plant Biology Internships Program

• Most are unpaid summer internships, but: – 1 type in Hawaii, 2 at organic farms, 1 at Vinton Furnace

State Forest pay a weekly wage – Nat’l Arboretum positions have $4,000 PBIO scholarships

to cover living costs

• Most are 10-14 weeks, full-time at 40 hrs/week, but a few are negotiable part-time (= “commuter” positions in Athens area) you can maintain a part-time job if needed

• All internships except outside of Athens area except Lake Metroparks provide free or nearly free on-site housing; Wayne Nat’l Forest provides a vehicle; 2 organic farms provide room and board (incl. food you grow)

Types of Internships

• Internships grouped into 2 categories related to “Applied Plant Biology” and “Field Ecology” (most are also applicable to a BS major or minor) – APB—agriculture/horticulture, landscaping/exhibits,

plant propagation and breeding, food or medicinal gardens

– FE—land management, field surveys, biomonitoring, conservation, restoration, nature/environmental ed

• Many internships include special projects or applied research as part of the experience

• Some institutions have multiple internships in different areas, some have multiple positions for one internship

Formalized Process

• Early October—information/recruitment • 30 October—application deadline; subsequent face-to-face

or skype interviews by a few host institutions • 1 November—PBIO emails application packets • 15 November—deadline for host institutions to make

selections; students notified of placement in first round • 15-30 November—second round of selections as needed • January-March—orientations, travel and housing arranged • March-April—students register for fall Internship (PBIO

4910) • Summer—students do internships; final performance

evaluations sent to Internships Committee Chair • September/October—interns present at Internship

Symposium; Internship grades posted in late fall

The PBIO Department’s Role The Internships Committee in the Department of Environmental & Plant Biology: • Establishes & maintains informal partnerships with host

institutions, and solicits yearly internship positions • Guides formation of internships to serve PBIO undergrads • Informs, advises and assists participants in placement of

internships relevant to students’ career goals and interests • Administers application process and facilitates

communication between students and host institutions • Helps participants with travel and housing as needed,

assists with finding funding where possible • Maintains periodic contact with interns, mentors and host

institutions throughout the internship • Organizes early fall Internships Symposium • Submits final Internship grades in late fall

Financial Issues

• Students generally cover their own travel and living costs of internships, BUT…

• Modest scholarships may be available from the PBIO Department

– Existence of funds is uncertain from year to year, but some small scholarships will probably be available for 2014

– Scholarship disbursement policy gives priority to (1) interns with less in-kind compensation than others, and (2) those with “remote” internships

Financial Issues

• Two institutions (Nat’l Tropical Bot Garden in Hawaii, Missouri Bot Garden’s Conservation Sci Center) offer spring or fall internships: – Students with flexibility can take off an academic

semester

– Student registers for up to 15 Internship (4910) credits, and other courses as needed (could potentially do online courses, or “skype in” to regular on campus courses if that works)

– Will receive all typical financial aid during internship

– If scholarship funds are available, PBIO Dept will give you scholarship $$ to help with expenses (previous slide)

PBIO Internships vs. Other Opportunities

• PBIO’s Plant Biology internships are “pre-packaged”, set aside specifically for PBIO majors and minors, but with an application/selection process like other internships

• Some host institutions have no other internships like these, while others have set aside one of their “competitive application” internship positions for our students

• Many other paid and unpaid internships and research experiences are available outside of PBIO’s Internships Program; we will help you identify and apply for these, if none of the PBIO internships suit your needs

• Give us feedback on your ideas! Contact Harvey Ballard, Chair of the Internships Committee, ballardh@ohio.edu, Porter 406.

2014 Plant Biology Internships in summary

• 27 different types of internship • 44 positions at 21 host institutions • 9 positions in Athens area (commuter), 14 elsewhere in

Ohio, 21 outside of Ohio • Positions in Ohio: Athens area, Amesville, Cumberland

[SW of Cambridge], Dundas [NE of Jackson], Huron [E of Sandusky], Newark, Rockbridge, Toledo, West Union [W of Portsmouth]

• Positions outside Ohio: DC area, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia

• Term: 32 summer, 1 spring (MO Bot Garden), 5 fall (Nat’l Trop Bot Garden, HI), 6 any time (Athens area)

• # positions roughly equal in covering “Applied Plant Bio” and “Field Ecology” careers and disciplinary areas

Internships Available for 2014 Institution Internship Term Wages Compensation #

Athens Conservancy Natural Areas Management

Anytime unpaid none 1

Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest

Horticulture Summer unpaid on-site housing 2

Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest

Natural Resources Summer unpaid on-site housing 2

Bertrand Farm Small-scale Farming Summer $100/wk room & board 2

Community Food Initiatives Community Garden Anytime unpaid none 1

Community Food Initiatives School Garden Anytime unpaid none 1

Companion Plants Horticulture/Greenhouse Mgmt

Summer unpaid none 1

Crane Hollow Preserve, Inc. Land Management Summer unpaid on-site housing 1

Dawes Arboretum Curatorial Assistant Summer unpaid on-site housing 1

Dawes Arboretum Garden Conservation Summer unpaid on-site housing 1

Dawes Arboretum Seasonal Conservation Summer unpaid on-site housing 1

Edge of Appalachia Preserve Plant Survey/Monitoring Summer unpaid on-site housing 1

Internships Available for 2014

Institution Internship Term Wages Compensation #

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Conservation & Horticulture

Summer unpaid on-site housing 1

Green Edge Organic Gardens Organic Farm Apprenticeship

Summer $150-200 room & board 1

Lake Metroparks Natural Resources Summer unpaid none 1

Missouri Botanical Garden Horticulture Summer unpaid on-site housing ($100/mo)

2

Missouri Botanical Garden, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development

Conservation Biology Spring unpaid on-site housing ($100/mo)

1

Missouri Botanical Garden, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development

Conservation Biology Summer unpaid on-site housing ($100/mo)

1

Mountain Lake Biological Station

Herbarium/floristics Summer Unpaid [COST]

on-site housing 1

National Tropical Botanical Garden

Horticulture [fall] Fall min wage possible

on-site housing 5

Internships Available for 2014

Institution Internship Term Wages Compensation #

Old Woman Creek Nat’l Estuarine Research Reserve

Coastal Wetland Sci Summer Unpaid on-site housing 2

Rural Action Environmental Ed Summer unpaid none 2

The Wilds Conservation Science Summer Unpaid [COST]

on-site housing 2

United Plant Savers Medicinal Plant Conservation

Summer unpaid on-site housing 2

US National Arboretum Ornamental Horticulture Research

Summer unpaid $4000 PBIO scholarship

3

Vinton Furnace State Forest Summer Field Crew Outreach

Summer $12/hr on-site housing 2

Wayne National Forest Natural Resource Management

Anytime unpaid none 3

Athens Conservancy

• Athens, OH • Conservancy protects and

manages natural areas around Athens County

• Natural Areas Management Intern: 1

• Duties: Helping manage Baker Preserve, including trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, biological inventory, volunteer coordination, other stewardship activities

• Anytime, 12 wks min, hours negotiable

• “Commuter” internship (no housing provided)

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest

• Clermont, KY [S of Louisville] • Arboretum has extensive

horticultural plantings, creating a new “sustainable home gardening” program

• Horticulture Intern: 2 • Duties: planting, weeding, string

trimming, pruning, mulching, watering, propagating plants, assisting in invasive exotic species removal, and participating in plant evaluations and other research projects

• Summer, 12 wks, 40 hrs/wk • Free on-site housing in beautiful

old house in research forest

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest

• Clermont, KY [S of Louisville] • Huge tract of diverse forest types,

limestone cedar glades • Natural Areas Intern: 2 • Duties: assisting in wildlife

restoration and monitoring projects, invasive exotic species removal projects, water quality research projects, maintenance and monitoring of restoration projects, threatened and endangered species monitoring and management, GPS/GIS mapping, and collecting native plant seeds

• Summer, 12 wks, 40 hrs/wk • Free on-site housing in beautiful

old house in research forest

Bertrand Farm

• Niles, MI • Highly successful, well

integrated, sustainable organic farm

• Small-scale Farming Intern: 2 • Duties: All activities involved in

running a small farm, including plant production and meat production. Education units with kids ages 7-13 and one research project on a farm topic.

• Summer, 12 wks min, 40+ hrs/wk

• Free room & board, $100/wk stipend

Community Food Initiatives

• Athens, OH • Diverse organization helping get

sustainable/organic foods to people

• Community Gardens Intern: 1 • Assist in maintenance, planning of

CFI community gardens. Duties: tool maintenance, weeding, turning compost and meeting with gardeners to design garden plans and problem solve pest/infection issues. Opportunities to assist with workshops and seed saving projects.

• Anytime, 12 wks min, 2-8 hrs/wk • “Commuter” internship (no

housing provided)

Community Food Initiatives

• Athens, OH • Diverse organization helping get

sustainable/organic foods to people

• School Gardens Intern: 1 • Assists CFI School Garden

Coordinator in support of Athens County school gardens. Duties: garden maintenance, collection of garden resources, working with teachers and after-school on integrating garden into classroom curriculum and activities.

• Anytime, 12 wks min, 2-8 hrs/wk • “Commuter” internship (no

housing provided)

Companion Plants

• Athens

• Peter Borchard, owner & operator

• Horticulture/greenhouse Intern: 1

• Duties: propagating, potting up, planting, weeding, mulching, pulling orders, shipping, and more

• Summer, 15 wks (neg), 20 hrs/wk (neg)

• “Commuter” internship (no housing provided, but he’ll give you plants and seeds)

Crane Hollow Preserve

• Near Logan, OH • Huge state nature preserve

with diverse forests, gorges with sandstone cliffs, many rare spp.

• Land Management Intern: 1 • Duties: floristic studies,

databasing, an All Taxa Biodiversity Index, invasive species removal, assist with interpretive hikes and public programs

• Summer, 14-16 wks, 30-40 wks (neg)

• Free housing near preserve

Dawes Arboretum

• Newark • Extensive woody and

herbaceous plantings, education programs, habitat restoration programs

• Curatorial Asst. Intern: 1 • Duties: living collection

inventory, voucher prep, herbarium curation, databasing, plant identification, possible newsletter articles

• Summer, 12-16 wks, 40 hrs/wk

• Free on-site housing

Dawes Arboretum

• Newark • Extensive woody and

herbaceous plantings, education programs, habitat restoration programs

• Garden Conservation Intern: 1 • Duties: greenhouse operation,

seed collecting & cleaning, plant propagation, sustainable landscape design & installation/maintenance, habitat restoration, invasive plant control

• Summer, 12-16 wks, 40 hrs/wk • Free on-site housing

Dawes Arboretum

• Newark

• Extensive woody and herbaceous plantings, education programs, habitat restoration programs

• Seasonal Conservation Intern: 1

• Duties: ecosystem mgmt., habitat restoration plantings & monitoring, invasive species control, wildlife surveys & mgmt., pest control

• Summer, 12-16 wks, 40 hrs/wk

• Free on-site housing

Edge of Appalachia Preserve

• Lynx [near West Union], OH • Huge preserve with forests,

prairies & glades, cliffs, watershed

• Plant Survey/ Monitoring Intern: 1

• Duties: Plant surveys, monitoring of rare plants, Heritage database record updating, land management, transect establishment for long-term community change studies

• Summer, 10 wks, 40 hrs/wk • On-site housing (cabin on stilts!)

for cost of utilities (ca. $100/mo)

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

• Miami, FL • Western hemisphere’s most

famous tropical botanical garden, extensive plantings, many visitor programs

• Conservation & Horticulture Intern: 1

• Duties: all aspects of tropical plant propagation, care, identification, will assist with endangered species conservation, invasive species removal

• 6/2-8/22 (12 wks max), 40 hrs/wk

• Free on-site housing

Green Edge Organic Gardens

• Amesville, OH • Successful sustainable farm • Organic Farm Apprenticeship: 1 • Works side by side with our field

crew on all daily tasks of vegetable production. Will learn all aspects of farm production, from bed preparation and planting to harvesting, irrigation, pest and weed management, composting, processing and packing farm produce, selling at market, use of some farm equipment.

• Summer, 12 wks min, 45 hrs/wk • Free room & board, $150-200/wk

stipend

Lake Metroparks

• Cleveland, OH • Extensive varied network of parks

and natural areas • Natural Resources Intern: 1 • Duties: various, depending on

metroparks needs and intern skills; may include invasive plant mgmt, plant community mapping & GIS, prescribed burn mgmt research, field/meadow mgmt, deer impact study, plant pest impact research, forest mgmt

• Summer, 12-16 wks (neg), 40 hrs/wk

• “Commuter” internship (no housing provided)

Missouri Botanical Garden

• St. Louis, MO

• Western hemisphere’s most well known botanical institution, extensive plantings, recreated habitats from around the world, urban gardening

• Horticulture Intern: 2

• Duties: all aspects of horticulture while rotating through production greenhouses, display gardens, home gardening center, conservatories

• Summer, 12 wks, 40 hrs/wk

• On-site housing (in apartment) for $100/mo

Missouri Botanical Garden

• St. Louis, MO • Western hemisphere’s most well

known botanical institution, has world famous “Conservation Science Center”

• Conservation Biology Intern: 1 each for spring, summer

• Duties: assist with seed germination research on rare spp., ex situ conservation of rare spp., habitat restoration and invasive species removal, rare plant monitoring, literature research and writeups of rare species

• Spring or Summer, 12 wks, 40 hrs/wk

• On-site housing (in apartment) for $100/mo

Mountain Lake Biological Station

• Near Pembroke, VA • Famous field station high in

the western Virginia mountains

• Herbarium/floristics Intern: 1 • Duties: Expand & curate

herbarium, assist with floristic inventory of station grounds and surrounding region

• Summer, 12+ wks, 40+ hrs/wk

• Free on-site housing; cost: $ 26/day meal plan ($2,352 for 12 wks) required

National Tropical Botanical Garden

• Kalaheo, HI • Part of world famous horticultural

garden and research facility network, this one on southern Kauai

• Horticulture Intern: 5 • Duties: caring for and learning

about plant collections, including native Hawaiian species, breadfruit, and other tropical species. Schedule includes on-the-ground introduction and training, lectures, or workshops on plant propagation, plant records/mapping, botany, ethnobotany, restoration ecology, conservation, and other topics

• Fall, 9/8-11/28, 40 hrs/wk • Free on-site housing, possible min.

wage stipend

Old Woman Creek Nat’l Estuarine Research Reserve

• Huron, OH

• Major northern estuary of Lake Erie, run by ODNR Division of Wildlife

• Coastal Wetland Science Intern: 1-2

• Duties: assist with vegetative monitoring, management, restoration of aquatic or upland habitats, lit reviews on related topics, monitoring for invasive species management and restoration sites; open to project proposals that contribute to reserve’s research and management priorities

• Summer, 10-12 wks, 20-40 hrs (neg)

• Free on-site housing

Rural Action

• Trimble [near Athens], OH

• Diverse programs for outreach, education and training to Appalachian people, on how to live sustainably

• Environmental Ed Intern: 1

• Duties: work with EE Coordinator and Americorp staff on environmental ed for summer camps etc; focus on natural history, getting kids interacting with natural world

• Summer, 12-16 wks, 40 hrs/wk

• “Commuter” internship (no housing provided)

The Wilds

• Cumberland, OH • Huge reserve, mosaic of reclaimed

mine lands, forests, restored prairies and wetlands; ed programs and conservation research

• Conservation Science Intern: 2 • Team-taught intensive training

program in all aspects of conservation, terrestrial & wetland habitat restoration, endangered species management & reintroduction, with 12-15 interns from around the U.S.

• Summer, Mid-May-end of July (10 wks), 40 hrs/wk

• Cost: $1,700 (includes on-site housing)

United Plant Savers

• Rutland [Meigs County], OH • Education center, plant propagation

unit, research center, ecotourism facility; part of national consortium of gardens and refuges for native medicinal plants

• Medicinal Plant Conservation Intern: 1

• Duties: green house propagation of medicinal plants, research on at-risk native medicinal plants, conservation and regulations, making herbarium collection of certain species at Goldenseal Sanctuary. Opportunities for making botanicals at nearby apothecary

• Summer, 8-10 wks, 30-40 hrs/wk • Free on-site housing (in yurt)

US National Arboretum

• Beltsville, MD • Main horticultural research

campus of USNA facility, with labs for molecular biology, genetics, systematics

• Ornamental Horticulture Research Intern: 3

• Project-oriented, focusing on molecular aspects of ornamental plants (might include virus detection/characterization, fungal pathogens & control, genetic markers, genetic engineering of ornamental crops, plant breeding, propagation trials, taxonomy)

• Summer, 3-6 mos, 40 hrs/wk • $4,000 scholarship through PBIO

to help cover travel & living costs

USNA Spring Research Position

• USNA contracted Ballard to identify microsatellite genetic markers for the ornamental shrub genus Corylopsis

• One of the 3 summer interns will have a paid research position in Ballard lab during next spring semester, working with the microsatellite markers—10 hrs/wk, 15 wks, $10/hr

• In summer, same student will work as an intern with a USNA researcher to apply the microsatellite markers to extensive Corylopsis collections, to assess their genetic diversity and relationships

• Student will co-author a microsatellite marker journal article submitted in 2014

Vinton Furnace State Forest

• Dundas, OH • Research-oriented USFS tract, with

management plots, active biotic inventory and restoration program

• Summer Field Crew Outreach Intern: 1-2

• Technical duties in support of professional scientists conducting research projects in timber, recreation, wildlife, watershed, forest management, or forest fire research. May include setting up laboratory equipment for studies, locating study plots, gathering environmental & community data, analyzing data.

• Summer, May-Aug, 40 hrs/wk • Free on-site housing, $12/hr wage

Wayne National Forest

• Nelsonville, OH • Internship offered jointly by

Wayne NF and Appalachian Ohio Weed Control Partnership

• Natural Resource Management Intern: 1-several

• Duties: invasive species mapping & control, biological surveys, native plant seed collection, propagation, planting, wetland restoration, monitoring transect establishment & survey; crew leader for intern groups

• Anytime, hrs/wk negotiable • Vehicle plus gas provided for

business use