Botany Intern

Located at the head of Lake Ontario and within the municipalities of Burlington and Hamilton, Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is the largest botanical garden in Canada and one of the nation's earliest nature sanctuaries.

Comprising some 2700 acres of protected wetlands, botanical collections, parkland and display gardens, and within easy access of millions of nature-starved urban citizens, RBG dedicates its expertise in horticulture, conservation, science and education to connect people, plants and place for the purpose of nurturing and preserving healthy growing life on our planet.

RBG directs its efforts, and seeks the support of individuals and organizations, to realize its vision of a world in which everyone is awake to the beauty, diversity and necessity of plants, and from that consciousness more actively works together to protect and preserve plant species and habitats and, by extension, our planet.

RBG has committed to becoming a fully sustainable and ecologically restorative organization.

This is an integral part of our culture and we require all our employees to assist us with this goal by committing to make the best ecological decisions possible in the execution of their responsibilities, keeping in mind the possible effects these decisions may have on the human and natural environments both now, and into the future.

Working as part of the Science Department's team, the Botany Intern will work closely with the Field Botanist and Herbarium Curator to 1) conduct botanical and ecological surveys and research on RBG's natural areas; 2) preserve and develop the herbarium and improve global access to our specimen data; 3) assist with developing and delivering botany-focused workshops and other educational programs; and 4) participate in the development and implementation of an invasive species strategy.

The Botany Intern will work with various teams to conduct botanical/ecological inventories and research on the flora of RBG, including in forest, grassland, marsh and aquatic habitats, and will also assist with the collection, identification, and curation of wild and cultivated plant specimens.

The Botany Intern will advance the herbarium's digitization project, train and manage volunteers and co-op students to assist with specimen digitisation, help with setting up and managing a public participation project for specimen label transcription, troubleshoot and maintain the herbarium's database and assist with verifying and updating nomenclature.

The Botany Intern's work will help to advance RBG's understanding of its natural areas, providing knowledge necessary to make scientifically informed management decisions.

The Intern's work will also contribute to making our botanical and ecological research, as well as the scientific data contained within our collections, accessible to the worldwide scientific community, supporting local, Canadian and global efforts to understand and preserve biodiversity.

This is a contract position starting on April 11, 2023 and ending on March 31, 2024 and requires a 35-hour work week.

Responsibilities

• Assist with floristic surveys of RBG's natural areas.
• Assist with plant identification services.
• Record and summarize field data.
• Write reports and protocols.
• Participate in invasive species strategy development.
• Assist with the curation of RBG's herbarium, an important natural history collection.
• Enter, update and refine specimen data and maintain accurate records in the herbarium's collection management system.

Troubleshoot database and digitisation issues.

• Assist in training and supervising herbarium volunteers and students

Assist in the development and delivery of workshops, events and communications for both career and general audiences.

• Other duties as required

Knowledge and Skills

• Applicants must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred.
• Legally entitled to work in Canada.
• Postsecondary degree in a field relevant to botany.
• Demonstrated experience with plant inventories and identification.
• Extensive knowledge of southern Ontario flora.

Experience using taxonomic keys with technical terminology.

• An understanding of plant nomenclature and taxonomy.

Strong computer skills, particularly with spreadsheets (for example, writing formulas and macros).

• Experience carrying out statistical analyses independently.
• Experience using ArcMap would be an asset.
• A valid G class driver's license.

Upon request, suitable accommodations are available under the Accessibility for Ontarians Act.

We thank all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

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