Join a Great Team, Work for a Great Cause
Passionate about native plant conservation, horticulture, or botanical education?
Native Plant Trust welcomes your skills and enthusiasm! We provide a collaborative, congenial atmosphere for our employees at our headquarters and botanic garden, Garden in the Woods, in Framingham, MA, and at our native plant nursery, Nasami Farm, in Whately, MA. See the green boxes below for descriptions of open positions.
We also provide rewarding internships in our Conservation, Horticulture, and Public Programs departments. Our internships offer opportunities to get your hands dirty (literally) while gaining valuable experience. Scroll down the page to learn about the internships available for the next year.
Want to volunteer with us? Volunteers fill crucial roles in all aspects of our work. Read about our Plant Conservation Volunteer program and our other volunteer opportunities.
About Native Plant Trust
Native Plant Trust leads the movement to conserve native plants in the wild and use them in designed spaces. We do this to increase the beauty and resilience of New England and the planet. From our base in Massachusetts, staff and trained volunteers work throughout New England to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect and control invasive species, conduct research, and offer a range of educational programs.
We welcome visitors from all over the world to Garden in the Woods, our renowned native plant botanic garden in Framingham. We also operate a nursery at Nasami Farm in western Massachusetts and manage six plant sanctuaries in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont that are open to the public. Native Plant Trust is the nation’s first plant conservation organization, the only one solely focused on New England’s native plants, and among the first organizations worldwide to receive Advanced Conservation Practitioner accreditation by London-based Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), which included an endorsement by an International Advisory Council representing six continents.
Native Plant Trust is entering an exciting time of transition and expansion. As we celebrate our 125th anniversary, the board and staff seek to elevate the visibility and impact of the organization with an anticipated doubling of staff in the next five years. Doing so requires strategically investing in staff, systems, and programs that facilitate organizational growth and growth in the movement to protect native plants in the wild and use them in the built environment.
Native Plant Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access and to being a welcoming and safe place for all who engage with us. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business need.
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Public Programs Assistant
Position Summary
The Public Programs assistant serves as a member of the Public Programs department, which comprises three full-time staff members, including this position, in addition to dozens of educators, experts, and artists who are engaged throughout the year. The department currently offers approximately 130 programs online and throughout New England each year via top-notch educators and experts, who lead courses, workshops, field trips, and online programs in botany, plant conservation, ecological horticulture, and gardening. The staff also recruits, trains, and fosters a sense of community among the volunteer guides at Garden in the Woods and the paid teacher-naturalists who lead school tours at the Garden.
The Public Programs assistant provides primary logistical and administrative support for these activities, with a particular emphasis on customer service, data entry and reporting, project coordination, and event support. This position reports to the director of Public Programs and works collaboratively with the department’s manager and other Native Plant Trust departments.
This is a non-exempt, hourly, full-time, year-round, benefit-eligible position based at our botanical garden, Garden in the Woods, in Framingham, MA. Starting compensation is $46,000 - $49,000 (annualized, based on hourly rate). The work schedule is 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Tuesday–Saturday, occasional nights/Sun-Mon.
Primary Responsibilities
Program Support (50%)
- Serve as primary customer service representative for student/attendee and rental inquiries and communication; manage the Education department email; assist customers with registering for classes and programs; apply for and track Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and CEU process; maintain and manage waitlist.
- Provide logistical support for department programs, including tech set up and support for both online and in-person offerings; Zoom/Moodle administration; set/up breakdown for in-person courses and events; day-of production coordination; communication with customers, students, instructors, vendors, and volunteers; supply coordination; distribute and collect evaluations; etc.
- Administer rental program; respond to and book inquiries; oversee logistics and day-of needs for rentals at Garden in the Woods and Nasami Farm, including set up/breakdown of technical equipment and general infrastructure.
- Administer seasonal tours; maintain volunteer database and communication with volunteer tour leaders.
- Assist with the planning and coordination for courses and public events on- and off-site.
Data Organization, Entry & Reporting (35%)
- Serve as technology lead for the department, including Altru/Blackbaud, Google Drive, Zoom/Moodle, QuoteMachine, Volgistics, LightSpeed, project management software, etc; maintain department file organization on Google Drive; work with colleagues across departments to ensure file accessibility.
- Set up courses, tours, events, and rentals in Altru/Blackbaud database; manage registration processes for classes and events; ensure seamless registration and payment experiences; troubleshoot and provide support to customers purchasing online or via telephone.
- Provide primary data entry and reporting for the department, including entering and maintaining registration information, budget tracking, expense and revenue reports, enrollment tracking, etc.
- Perform weekly tasks like preparing invoices, purchase orders, contracts, payments, refunds, and speakers’ bureau payments, etc.
Administration (15%)
- Oversee general office operational functions, including office management and overseeing the purchase and maintenance of all office, classroom, and programming supplies.
- Ensure that current information for all courses and programs is available on the web and other electronic platforms. Monitor and update the departmental FAQ as needed.
- Support department communications production, including e-news, web, social media, and print projects etc.
- Other duties as assigned.
Skills, Experience, Attributes, Education, and Certifications
This position requires a responsive and customer-oriented approach to education's role in nonprofit organizations and to adult learners, paired with strong technical and organizational skills. The ideal candidate should have:
- 1–2 years of related experience
- Experience with customer service, database entry, and reporting
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to prioritize and multitask in a changing, varied, fast-paced workload
- Collaborative, team-oriented, willing to learn new skills, sense of humor
- Exemplary verbal and written communication skills and the ability to interact effectively with staff, volunteers, instructors, and partners with a nimble understanding of professional confidentiality and courtesy.
- Technology skills; familiarity with Altru/Blackbaud (or similar), Google Suite, Canva, MS Office, and web development tools
- Commitment to the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles
Additional Desired Experience:
- Experience with online learning and programs delivered by contract faculty
- Demonstrated passion for hands-on teaching and learning
- Experience working with volunteers
Physical Demands and Work Environment Factors
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
- Sit or stand at a desk for long periods of time while engaging in computer work including typing, utilizing a computer mouse or touch screen, engaging in virtual meetings, listening to audio through speakers, and reading text and images in a digital format;
- Use a phone for audio calls and texting; and
- Engage with a computer screen, speakers, and video camera.
- Lift boxes and materials weighing at least 20 pounds.
Employment at Native Plant Trust is on an “Employment-at-Will” basis. An employee or the organization may terminate employment for any reason, at any time, with or without notice.
To Apply
Please submit a letter of interest and resume (MS Word or PDF format, with your last name as the first word of the file name) to Sara O’Brien sobrien@NativePlantTrust.org, using the subject line “Public Programs Assistant Application.” Applications are due by JUNE 30, 2025.
Annual Internships
Native Plant Trust offers the following annual internships in conservation, horticulture, and marketing (Public Programs).
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Marylee Everett Internship
Two of Native Plant Trust’s core initiatives – the New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) and the Plant Conservation Volunteer (PCV) program – engage professional and community volunteers in rare species monitoring, habitat management, reintroduction and augmentation projects, and long-term conservation planning. We work closely with Natural Heritage programs and with conservation organizations in all six New England states.
Description
Native Plant Trust is offering one 13-week conservation internship for the 2025 field season. The internship offers a range of learning opportunities in areas that are integral to the NEPCoP and the PCV programs, from coordinating with landowners and volunteers to conducting botanical surveys and processing data. The intern will work with conservation staff to outline internship goals, have the opportunity to take Native Plant Trust’s educational programs and courses at no cost, and participate in seminars and an informal reading and discussion group in the conservation department.
In addition, the intern will complete an independent project on a topic of interest in botany, ecology, and/or conservation. Interns will also have the option of participating in botanically interesting field trips and our seasonal field work, which may include the implementation of management activities, invasive species initiatives, and seed collection.
Desired Skills
Candidates should be passionate about plant conservation, have some familiarity with the flora of New England and associated ecological systems, excellent speaking and writing skills, a willingness to call landowners to secure access to their property, and a sense of humor. Experience with volunteers and data management is preferred. Interns must respect and maintain the confidentiality of rare species locations and sensitive data. Access to a personal vehicle is strongly recommended.
Details
Starting date: April 7, 2025, but can be flexible
Location: Based at our headquarters in Wayland, MA (~15 min drive from Garden in the Woods in Framingham), but can be flexible.
Hours and Compensation: 40 hours/week at $15.00/hour
To Apply
We are no longer accepting applications for 2025. Please visit us again in 2026.
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Herbert J. and Esther M. Atkinson Conservation Internship; Lovejoy Conservation Internship
Two of Native Plant Trust’s core initiatives—the New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) and the Plant Conservation Volunteer (PCV) program—engage professional and community volunteers in rare species monitoring, habitat management, reintroduction and augmentation projects, and long-term conservation planning. We work closely with Natural Heritage programs and with conservation organizations in all six New England states.
Description
Native Plant Trust is offering two 25-week internships for the 2025 field season. The two conservation internships offer a range of learning opportunities in areas that are integral to NEPCoP and the PCV programs, from coordinating with landowners and volunteers to conducting botanical surveys and processing data. Interns will work with Conservation staff to create a personal education plan, have the opportunity to take Native Plant Trust’s educational programs and courses at no cost, and participate in seminars and an informal reading and discussion group in the Conservation department.
In addition, the intern will complete an independent project on a topic of interest in botany, ecology, and/or conservation. Interns based in New England will also have the option of participating in botanically interesting field trips and our seasonal contract work, which may include the planning and implementation of habitat restoration and management activities, invasive species initiatives, and seed collection.Desired Skills
Candidates should be passionate about plant conservation, have some familiarity with the flora of New England and associated ecological systems, excellent speaking and writing skills, a willingness to call landowners to secure access to their property, and a sense of humor. Experience with volunteers and data management is preferred. Interns must respect and maintain the confidentiality of rare species locations and sensitive data. Access to a personal vehicle is strongly recommended.
Details
Starting date: April 7, 2025, but can be flexible.
Location: Based at our headquarters in Wayland, MA (~15-min drive from Garden in the Woods in Framingham). Interns have the option of renting a room for the duration of the internship in a house steps away from Garden in the Woods, both as needed and as available.
Hours and Compensation: 40 hours/week at $15.00/hour.
To Apply
We are no longer accepting applications for 2025. Please visit us again in 2026.
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Chester B. Allen, Jr., Native Plant Propagation and Horticulture Internship
Description
Native Plant Trust is offering a 6-month propagation internship at our nursery at Nasami Farm, which produces plants for habitat restoration, wildlife landscapes, garden displays, and sale to the public at both the nursery and Garden in the Woods.
The intern will gain hands-on experience identifying, propagating, and cultivating New England native plants. As a member of our small, dedicated nursery team, the intern assists in many facets of nursery operations, including propagation and care of numerous species, retail plant sales, seed collection and processing, record keeping, and public information duties. This is an opportunity to gain valuable skills by learning from staff, coordinating volunteers, leading projects, and participating in the development of an expanding nursery. The intern will also complete a special project of their interest, participate in educational activities, network with professionals, and attend field trips. The internship provides entry into both native plant studies and nursery management.
Desired Skills
Candidates should possess some botanical understanding, familiarity with horticultural practices, an interest in native plants of New England, excellent communication skills, and a strong desire to learn.
Details
Location: Nasami Farm, Whately, MA, no housing available
Application Deadline: Jan. 27, 2025
Duration and Start Date: 6 months (28 weeks), starting late March/early April, start/end dates flexible
Hours and Compensation: 40 hours/week (some flexibility available) at $15.00/hour. One weekend day is required; schedule is typically Tuesday-Saturday.
To Apply
We are no longer accepting applications for 2025. Please visit us again in 2026.
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Elizabeth Farnsworth Native Plant Internship, Garden in the Woods
Number available: 2 Horticulture
Application deadline: February 1, 2025
Duration: 6 months (26 weeks), starting in March or April (flexibility in start date available on case-by-case basis)
Hours and compensation: 40 hours/week at $15.00/hour
Contact: Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture
Telephone: 508-877-7630 ext 3401
Fax: 508-877-3658
Email: ulorimer@NatvePlantTrust.org
Interns assist in all aspects of botanic garden operations for Garden in the Woods, including instruction on ecological horticulture practices (such as planting, pruning, weed management, propagation, and seed collection), renovation and construction of new gardens, inventory and plant record keeping, and public education. They will gain hands-on experience identifying and cultivating native plants in a botanical garden. Interns are expected to undertake a 3-month independent study project and present the results to staff and garden members. There will be opportunities to go on field trips and take classes at Native Plant Trust. This is an exceptional learning opportunity aimed at gaining valuable career experience caring for gardens and natural areas, planning and leading projects, and managing volunteers.
Horticulture interns working at Garden in the Woods can rent a room for the internship in a shared house, a 5-minute walk away from the Garden, for $300/month. This includes all utilities except the internet and phone.
Worker’s compensation covers interns, who will receive paid sick time per Massachusetts law. Native Plant Trust does not provide seasonal interns health insurance or vacation benefits.
The ideal candidate is passionate about ecology and eager to learn about ecological horticulture and native plants. Strenuous manual labor, consistent with outdoor work in all types of weather, is expected.
We are no longer accepting applications for 2025. Please visit us again in 2026.