Student Job Opportunity: Habitat Horticulture Internship Co-coordinator

Help lead community engagement and landscape management projects with a dynamic team of expert staff, student employees, and interns as an Internship Co-Coordinator for the Arboretum and Public Garden's Learning by Leading™ Habitat Horticulture team.

Position Overview

The Internship Co-Coordinator is a part-time, paid, student staff member of the Arboretum and Public Garden. This position has two primary responsibilities: 

1. hands-on stewardship of the Arboretum Habitat Gardens, and 
2. coordination and leadership of the Habitat Horticulture Learning by Leading™ Internship, which involves up to 10 unpaid interns during the academic year. 

Read more about the Habitat Horticulture internship.

 As part of the Learning by Leading program, co-coordinators are responsible for leading interns through lecture series, fieldwork, and public outreach events throughout the year.

Summer 2026: Build the knowledge, content, and skills needed for leading the internship during the academic year. Get to know your Co-Coordinator and strategize on how to lead your team together. Start date is negotiable depending on summer availability.

Fall 2026 to Spring 2027: Develop, implement and lead the Habitat Horticulture Internship using the Learning by Leading framework, in collaboration with the Habitat Horticulture mentor and a fellow internship co-coordinator. Continue to maintain and enhance the Habitat Gardens.

Position Description

• With the mentorship of the Habitat Horticulture mentor and with a fellow co-coordinator, develop, implement and lead the Habitat Horticulture Internship using the Learning by Leading framework.
• Lead collaborative planning and decision-making regarding development of Habitat Horticulture Internship curriculum, activities, events, projects, and program evaluation.
• Create appropriate activities that build leadership while meeting the goals of the project site.
• Learn appropriate natural history of plants and wildlife that interact in the urban environment.
• Establish and grow wildlife habitat gardening skills by working in the habitat gardens.
• Organize student internship outreach, recruitment, selection, and community building activities.
• Mentor, guide, teach and supervise students in advancing their knowledge and skills in applied ecological horticulture.
• Support students’ academic and professional growth.
• Manage administrative duties such as email communications, material and supply maintenance, and recordkeeping.
• Maintain communication between Habitat Horticulture interns, other community service organizations, and Arboretum staff.
• Document and organize program activities, timelines, schedules, action plans, and educational materials.
• Support volunteer workdays in the habitat gardens and Climate-Ready landscapes

Position Details

• Estimated Start Date (negotiable): June 22 to August 3, 2026
• Salary: $17.40 an hour

Time commitment

• August to mid September, 2026: Approximately 6 to 15 hours per week from between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Fall 2026, winter 2027 and spring 2027 quarters: 5 to 15 hours per week
• Academic year-long commitment required.

Apply via Google Forms by May 6, 2026

Desired Qualifications

• Leadership skills to recruit, manage, teach and motivate student interns and volunteers. 
• Verbal/written communication and interpersonal skills to communicate and interact with people from diverse backgrounds.  
• Communication, decision making and problem-solving skills to provide accurate and timely feedback, identify and resolve conflicts, determine appropriate methods of communication for diverse groups, and to build an effective team environment. 
• Organizational skills to establish priorities, and handle multiple tasks and deadlines.  
• Organizational ability necessary to organize projects into tasks that students can successfully undertake. 
• Experience with applied best practices in ecological horticulture.  
• Experience in project management. 
• Ability to effectively serve as both a member and leader of work teams.  
• Ability to work independently without direct supervision to follow through on assignments and complex projects and events. 
• Experience with environmental programs, environmental science, environmental education, and/or ecological landscaping. 
• Knowledge of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. 
• Knowledge of ecological horticulture and its application locally.

Job Expectations

• Exhibit strong professional ethics, communication, and accountability. 
• Lead by example and foster leadership and teamwork. 
• Support and enhance fundraising activities and community relations.
• Willingness to go the extra mile to ensure program success
• Be sensitive with/and understand complex relationships between individuals and organizations and the University and use good judgment in resolving misunderstandings on issues impacting the Public Garden and the University.
• Understand the importance of cultivating relationships within and outside of the organization to represent the Public Garden with a high degree of professionalism and integrity; seek to accomplish goals with measurable results and empower others to do the same; create a vision of achievement.

To Apply

Send cover letter and resume by Tuesday, May 6th

In your cover letter, be sure to include:  

1. One to three of the qualifications, experiences and/or skills that you currently possess and  anticipate applying in this position. How will you apply them?
2. Experiences or skills you hope to gain or develop while you are in this position. 

Apply via Google Forms by May 6, 2026