Natural Resources Intern at Columbia’s Agricultural Park

Internship description

The Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (CCUA) intends to host a Natural Resources Intern for the 2026 growing season at Columbia’s Agriculture Park. This intern will work to maintain the variety of the Agriculture Park’s perennial demonstration landscapes, where conservation of native species is a large focus. These diversified ecosystems include our one-acre stormwater retention basin, populated with aquatic plants, a forest edge garden, and a food forest which integrates native, edible trees and shrubs, native wildflowers, and various edible non-natives. This intern will learn to identify many species of plants, including native pollinator plants and non- native edible plants, and ultimately make these urban conservation practices and plantings more accessible to the public through leading volunteers in hands-on work in these areas, working on their own using landscaping tools, propagating native plants for these spaces, taking photos documenting conservation practices for social media and recording observations for a future phenological calendar.

Duties

• Conservation work involved in maintaining native plant plantings at the Park, including:
  • Plant propagation: On-site seed collecting, potting up and transplanting self-seeded plants, dividing plants, propagating cuttings.
  • Transplanting, weeding, pruning, and mulching
  • Landscape care using mowers and two-cycle engine attachments like string-trimmers and brush cutters
  • Watering and maintenance of irrigation systems
  • Removal of invasive species
  • Identifying insect pests and plant diseases and using holistic care techniques to mitigate these including applying health-boosting microbial and nutrient sprays with a backpack sprayer
• Stormwater detention basin maintenance, including:
  • Cattail maintenance in basin with brush cutter and scythe.
  • Plant life cycle observation and photo documentation of wildlife and plant life stages
  • Brush cutting and bank stabilization of our “boulder hop”, which Park visitors and school field trips use for direct interaction with this area of the Park
  • Establishment of wetland native plant species
• Community engagement, including:
  • Lead weekly volunteers in Park maintenance, with a particular emphasis on native plant plantings’ maintenance.
  • Learn and proceed to teach the public about urban conservation strategies utilized at the Park through these weekly work shifts
  • Taking photos to create social media content around the conservation work happening at the Park

Qualifications

• At the undergraduate level, the emphasis is on recruitment, career exploration, and introducing top performing students to career paths in fisheries and aquatic systems research and management.
• Students are eligible for the program when they meet the following criteria:
  • Undergraduate student at an accredited university/college in good standing. Students who will be graduating before the internship begins are not eligible.
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher is desirable (on a 4.0 scale).
  • Preference will be given to students who have completed at least 45 credit hours.
  • Pursuing a degree in fisheries and wildlife, biology, environmental science, or related natural resources or science.

Special Ability Requirements

• Develop and sustain cooperative working relationships.
• Work outside in adverse weather conditions and perform tasks requiring strenuous physical activity.
• Remain in a stationary position up to 50% of the time.
• Move about grounds, both inside and outside of buildings.
• Constantly operate a computer and other office productivity machinery.
• Demonstrate regular and predictable attendance.
• Obtain a current, valid driver license by the date of employment.
• Work Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays when needed.
• Keep an accurate record of supplies, services, and time reports.