By UW Sustainability | Dec 7, 2018
Society for Ecological Restoration

The Society for Ecological Restoration-UW Chapter is seeking student interns for the Winter quarter. Interns are expected to devote an average of 9 hours a week to nursery projects. In conjunction with the manager, interns will develop learning objectives based on individual interests and strengths, receiving credit for ESRM 399 or their school’s equivalent. The interns' time will be split between routine plant maintenance, integrated pest management, nursery infrastructure projects, helping with weekly volunteer work parties, and individual projects. Each intern will have a different focus to help tackle the many and diverse needs of a native plant nursery. Past internship projects include irrigation design for the hoophouse, design of beneficial insectaries, and a nursery sustainability assessment.

Applications are due by Tuesday, December 11th. To apply send a resume and a 300-500 word description of why you are interested. Please indicate why you would like to be considered, what you want to learn, and how your previous work experience and/or coursework apply to this position. To apply or request more information, email the nursery manager, Sarah Shank, at sernursery@gmail.com.

SER-UW is a student chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration, an international organization that works to “promote ecological restoration as a means of sustaining the diversity of life on Earth and re-establishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture.” SER-UW manages several restoration sites on campus, as well as a native plant nursery located at the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH). The nursery is a fully student run operation that houses several thousand individual plants and over seventy-five different species native to the Puget Sound. Our mission is to provide a local source of native plants for student projects and our on-campus restoration sites, to educate students on best nursery practices for sustainable native plant production, and to continue to improve those practices through research and collaboration with students and community partners.

Potential future projects include:

  • propagation assistant - researching seed germination and updating the nursery's propagation protocols and records.
  • communications and outreach - continuing to develop the nursery’s social media presence and increasing our visibility to the UW student body.

Interns are expected to:

  • be willing to get dirty, get wet, and work in all weather conditions
  • be on time and follow directions closely
  • work well with fellow interns and managers, and be comfortable working independently
  • problem solve and know when to ask for help
  • work well with volunteers- be available for weekly volunteer work parties
  • be able to lift 40 lbs and walk on uneven terrain
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