Lyon Arboretum Internships 2023

Aloha! This summer, Lyon Arboretum will host two internship programs: the Lyon Arboretum/Friends of Lyon (FLA) Summer Internship Program and the Trail Building Internship Program.

Because we have multiple internship programs, it is important to carefully read this document to be sure you follow the application instructions for the right internship. In addition, the responsibilities and experience offered by each internship position vary, so be sure you apply to the program that interests you!

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Lyon Arboretum Summer Internship Program: Overview

The 2023 Summer Internship Program at Lyon Arboretum is co-sponsored by the Friends of Lyon Arboretum (FLA) and through a private donation. The Education Department, Grounds Department, and Micropropagation Lab will host one intern each sponsored by FLA. In addition, the Arboretum’s Grounds Department will also host a trails internship sponsored by a long-time supporter, volunteer, and donor to the Arboretum. All interns will gain experience with five participating departments: Education Department, Grounds Department, Horticulture Department, and the Hawaiian Rare Plant Program’s Micropropagation- and Seed Lab.

Interns will each have an assigned host department and participate in group activities weekly. As such, interns will assist in various tasks detailed by their respective departments and gain valuable in-depth experience there. During group rotations, they will also develop an appreciation for the other units at Lyon and receive insight into what their colleagues are doing during the internship timeframe.

Interns will work independently within their host department on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Thursdays will be group activity days. On group activity days, all interns will do a group activity that benefits the day’s host department. Some group activity days will be replaced with field trips for the interns to visit other organizations and sites and learn behind the scenes.

Schedule: June 6, 2023, through August 11, 2023. (4 days a week, Monday-Thursday; the last week of the internship will be a full week; state and federal holidays observed.) The workday will start around 8:00 am.

Award: $3,125

Lyon landscape on a sunny day

Available Positions

Positions are available with the following departments for the 2023 FLA Summer Internship Program:

  • Education Department
  • Grounds and Collections Department (Grounds and Trails Internships)
  • Micropropagation Lab

Interns will also spend time with the Horticulture Department and Seed Conservation Lab during the scheduled rotations.

Update (4/3/23): We are pleased to announce that the deadline for the following internship opportunities has been extended
1. Education Department
2. Trails Internship (Sponsored by a private donor)
3. Grounds Internship (Lyon/FLA sponsored) 
The deadline for these positions will be extended until Sunday, April 9, 2023. The deadline for the Micropropagation Lab remains unchanged (3/31/23).


Education Department

Participants of the Lyon Summer Intern program will experience a range of activities that highlight an education program in a botanical garden setting.

Responsibilities of the Lyon Education Department include running the K-12 school tours program, coordinating community classes, training volunteers for guided tours, and leading tours for visitors. The Education Department also develops place-based activities for school groups and nature camps, participates in and develops outreach materials, recruits volunteers for other departments and Arboretum events, and maintains the Children’s Garden. Maintenance of the Arboretum website and social media accounts is also a responsibility of the Education Department. The Education Intern is expected to help with these duties during their tenure at the Arboretum.

Interns for the Education Department must complete a project focusing on a specific area of interest within the education department’s responsibilities.

Examples of possible projects:

  • Develop curricula for the school group tours by designing a standards-based activity for the school tours that feature resources available at the Arboretum.
  • A garden project to be used as a resource for educational activities in the Children’s Garden.
  • Interpreting the Children’s Garden plant collections and cultural resources by researching and writing copy for displays, signage, events, and brochures can also be a designated project.

Other projects that are relevant to the missions of the Arboretum and the Education Department can be discussed.


Grounds and Collections Department

The Grounds Department is fortunate to offer two internship opportunities:

  • The Grounds Internship (Lyon/FLA sponsored) focuses on the skills needed to maintain and inventory the living collections in an arboretum. 
  • The Trails Internship (Sponsored by a private donor) provides the opportunity to learn practical skills in the design and building of trails.

GROUNDS INTERN (Lyon/FLA sponsored)

With any internship, we hope the experience mutually benefits both the intern and the host site. We hope to provide an experience that will give our intern a well-rounded introduction to the role of arboreta in conservation and best practices for the maintenance and inventory of native and exotic species. In return, we will establish a connection with the intern whose experience here will last a lifetime and some well-needed assistance in maintaining the living collection in our ongoing fieldwork.

The Grounds & Collection Intern will learn the skills required for general maintenance/monitoring of this collection, including plant identification, invasive species removal, pruning techniques, accession inventory/health monitoring, out-plant site preparation, and subsequent out-planting. Interns will also focus on trail-building, interpretation of wayside plants, and learn how to document accessions using herbarium vouchers and properly store information collected during an inventory.

During the individual’s time in this program, they will work with professionals who will instruct the intern in the aforementioned skill sets, safety, and best practices.

The intern’s work will be evaluated in the following ways

  • Plant ID practical exam
  • Weekly Field notebook check
  • Project and presentation

In addition to the above, the intern will also receive the following training and benefits.

  • Introduction to plant systematics and major plant family identification
  • Invasive species identification and techniques for invasive species management/eradication
  • Proper tool maintenance, use, and safety
  • Trail building techniques and best practices
  • How to keep a field notebook and make herbarium vouchers

TRAILS INTERNSHIP (Sponsored by a private donor)

The 197-acre Arboretum has over 8 miles of trails that showcase its rare and unique plant collections. This position would be an introduction to trail building and would provide practical skills in constructing walkways to enhance the visitor experience of the living collection. Interns will also participate in group department visit days and field trips to other sites!

Responsibility: The Trail Building Interns will work with Lyon staff to identify deteriorating trails throughout the garden and revitalize them. These interns will learn to evaluate appropriate trail design that are safe for visitors and durable in a high rainfall environment. In addition, interns will utilize skills to install new trails and improve existing trails throughout the Arboretum. Activities include clearing vegetation, leveling, grading, constructing, installing, and graveling in accordance with Lyon’s trail-building procedures.

Interns will also recommend and install appropriate directional signage throughout Lyon’s trail system.

Requirements: Recently graduated high school/ college students interested in landscape design, engineering, urban planning, or related field. Proficient in MS programs; able to work in inclement weather and carry 50 lbs. Must be over +18 and have a Hawaii State Driver’s License. Some construction background is preferred.

Interns must do a final presentation for Lyon staff and guests.

Impact the Grounds and Trails internship will have on the Arboretum as a whole:

The impacts of these internships are the relationships or pilina built between Lyon staff and interns. Over time, many of these interns, whom we mentor, often become positive contributors to the protection and conservation of Hawaii’s natural resources.


Hawaiian Rare Plant Program: Micropropagation Lab

Goals for this internship

Through our participation, the Hawaiian Rare Plant Program (HRPP) Micropropagation Lab hopes to gain much-needed assistance in maintaining its large germplasm storage of endangered native Hawaiian taxa. In addition, we hope the participant will gain hands-on laboratory experience that includes maintaining the in vitro living plant collections and associated tasks such as 1) media preparation, 2) sterile techniques, and 3) general laboratory maintenance.

Both the participant and our organization will ultimately help to complete our mission and conservation goal of conserving those species that are on the precipice of becoming extinct without some human intervention.

Activities of the intern

Work activities to be conducted at the micropropagation laboratory include:

  • Plant maintenance of the living plant germplasm stored as in vitro cultures with minimal supervision.
  • Preparation of newly created and various existing plant growth nutrient media formulations and chemical stock solutions specifically used to grow plants as in vitro cultures within the laboratory.

Other activities include plant micropropagation, lab maintenance and cleaning, washing of labware, and possibly some computer and greenhouse work.

How the intern’s work will be evaluated

Intern activities will primarily be performed in the HRPP micropropagation lab, and due to the technicality of the tasks to be completed, constant supervision, monitoring, and evaluation by lab staff will be conducted. The intern will be expected to present a final presentation to the Lyon staff.

Training or other benefits the intern will receive

We will actively mentor the participant by teaching them the skills and protocols necessary to work with plants in the micropropagation laboratory setting and provide insight into the role of micropropagation (and HRPP as a whole) in conserving native Hawaiian endangered species.

We are currently developing the protocols necessary to provide cryopreservation storage for these endangered plants. The participant will be able to participate and learn about the crucial role of this new technology in conserving plant material in the laboratory setting. There may also be opportunities to work in the HRPP’s Seed Lab and Greenhouse and to participate in the out planting of propagules in the field with the State of Hawaiʻi DLNR-DOFAW’s Plant Extinction Prevention program collaborators.

Impact on the Arboretum

This position will assist the Lyon Arboretum Hawaiian Rare Plant Program and Hawaiʻi’s conservation community in its ongoing efforts to bring interest and awareness to the role of ex-situ conservation in the ongoing efforts to capture, stabilize and restore the critically endangered and threatened native plants of Hawaiʻi. We must continue conserving and maintaining our natural environment and resources to preserve Hawaiʻi’s unique beauty for future generations.


How to apply (instructions for Lyon Arboretum Summer Internship)

To apply, fill out our Google Form: https://forms.gle/qsptaNxii2A8Q2UK7

You will need to indicate your top 3 choices of department

You are required to upload the following documents using the UH File Drop service.

Information about UH File Drop can be found here: File Drop Instructions

  1. Cover letter
  2. Resume, including three references
  3. Transcript (unofficial is fine)

Questions may be emailed to Ms. Raedelle Van Fossen, Education Manager, at raedelle@hawaii.edu.

Use proper, professional formatting on your cover letter and resume. Failure to do so will reflect poorly on the applicant. See the last section (“Additional resources for applicants”) for tips and guides for creating your cover letter and resume.

Deadline: March 31st, 2023

Update (4/3/23): We are pleased to announce that the deadline for the following internship opportunities has been extended
1. Education Department
2. Trails Internship (Sponsored by a private donor)
3. Grounds Internship (Lyon/FLA sponsored) 
The deadline for these positions will be extended until Sunday, April 9, 2023. The deadline for the Micropropagation Lab remains unchanged (3/31/23).

Other requirements:

  • Applicants must be at least 18 years of age on the first day of the program.
  • High school graduates, current and recent college students, and other individuals interested in gaining experience working in conservation are all welcome to apply.

We look forward to receiving your application!


Questions

If you have questions, please call Raedelle Van Fossen at (808) 988-0461 or email at raedelle@hawaii.edu.


Additional resources for applicants

Need help getting started with your resume and cover letter? There are many guides and resources available online, including several by the Mānoa Career Center.

We strongly recommend that applicants new to the workforce refer to some sort of Cover Letter Guide. Resume-building resources are also available. This document (also included in the preceding link) includes resume format examples.

Here are two guides for listing your professional references, too, one from the Balance Careers and one from Indeed.

Mahalo for your interest in the Lyon Arboretum Summer Internship program!


This page was last updated 3/1/23.