College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Horticulture

How to Apply

Applications are welcomed and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. A one-page cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in this position and outline experience that directly relates to it.

Summary

The University of Michigan, MBGNA is looking for a full-time temporary (9 month, term limited) Anderson Glades Fellow. You will report to the Woody Plants and Trails Manager to support the installation, development, maintenance, and management of the Anderson Glades Collection located at the Nichols Arboretum. Employment is March - November, 2023. This position is 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, with occasional weekend and evening work.

Who We Are

University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA) stewards over 840 acres of land and water across 4 properties in and around Ann Arbor, with Nichols Arboretum and Matthaei Botanical Gardens serving as its two anchor locations. With more than 500,000 annual visitors, MBGNA is committed to becoming a transformative force for social and ecological resilience through the lands and waters we steward. We put that commitment into action by:

• Enfranchising the university community and our publics to fundamentally understand humanity as part of the natural world, and to negotiate the full complexity that entails
• Advancing partnerships, programs, user experience, and all that we steward to catalyze equity and justice in a radically changing world
• Emerging as the premier living-learning lab for sustainability, climate-forward practices, and biocultural diversity on campus and beyond
• Promoting healthier communities, cultures, and ecosystems through active care and cultivation of the gardens, natural habitats, and dynamic systems that sustain our world

Responsibilities*

• Installation, establishment and maintenance of woody and herbaceous plantings, installing plant protection, trails, hardscape and other elements described in the project plan
• Work alone and as part of team with staff, individual volunteers and volunteer groups
• Coordinate work with private contractors hired to help with various project elements
• Cutting, clearing and chipping brush, fallen branches and trees
• Applying herbicides to help control exotic invasive plants
• Surveying and mapping plantings using ArcGIS
• Installation/replacement of plant labels
• Apply herbicides
• Assisting with other Woody Plants and Trails work on all four of our properties when needed

Required Qualifications*

• Associate's degree or higher in a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Some experience or ability to operate a variety of vehicles, including pickup truck, dump truck, tractors, and utility vehicles; power equipment including mowers, trimmers, brush cutters, chainsaws, and wood chipper; hand tools including drills, power saws, shovels, rakes, or hoes
• Have or willing to obtain a State of Michigan Commercial Pesticide Applicator's License (MBGNA provides study materials and may cover certification expenses)
• A valid driver’s license and a good driving record
• Experience with any of the following: Trail installation and maintenance, arboriculture, woody plant installation and maintenance, landscape maintenance, hardscape installation, ecological restoration, carpentry, chainsaw operation
• Previous leadership experience working with private contractors, coworkers and/or volunteers

Additional Information

• Compensation: $18.50 per hour
• Physical Demands: Exposure to work in a variety of weather conditions, tolerate biting insects, poison ivy and other challenges of outdoor work.  Employee may on occasion be required to move items up to 40lbs.
• This temporary position may meet eligibility requirements for health care benefits. For more information, please see the eligibility section for temporary employees here
• For more information about Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, please visit mbgna.umich.edu

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.