The Bower is a 36-acre native plant garden & sculpture park founded by alumni Jane (’73) and Bill (’75) Allis, located 25 minutes north of Carlisle in Shermans Dale, PA. Multiple internships are available and are perfect of students interested in native plant horticulture, biodiversity monitoring, land stewardship, forest conservation, arts, education, and business! Gain hands-on experience identifying and cultivating native plants in a botanic garden, as well as in wilder areas, while also controlling the growth or presence of non-desirable plants that hinder biodiversity. Interns will be mentored by the founders/owners, Jane and Bill Allis, and may also work alongside Bower’s retained native plant landscape firm, Feather and Fern Wildscapes, and/or other contractors. Ideal candidates are passionate about ecology and eager to learn more about the native plants of the Kittatinny Ridge landscape.
Activities may include:
- Activities associated with setting the garden up for season opening and closing.
- Land forming (hand excavation and placement) activities in pond/pools area and for land art creation
- Creating pathway enhancements and sculptural elements with biomass
- Nurturing seeded and potted native nursery plants
- Planting media prep and compost production
- Planting into gardens, meadow, forest, and wetland landscape areas
- Garden maintenance as initially guided by staff (cutback, edging, pruning, support, editing)
- Managing removal of non-desirable plants that can reduce biodiversity that are in various parts of the property and will be specifically designated by staff. All removal shall be according to organic, non-chemical means, mostly pulling and cutting.
- Trail and path maintenance
- Sculpture maintenance
- Noting insect-plant interactions, potentially as part of research
- Helping with small plot research on non-desirable plant control through establishment of highly competitive native plants
- Monitoring, record keeping, journaling, plant collection recordation
- Answering incidental questions from public visitors
- Other activities that add to the visitor experience as needed
- Management of own personal safety (safety equipment provided)
Compensation and Work Expectations:
Paid monthly at the minimum, experience dependent, rate of $15/hr, plus a gas travel stipend. Interns will be provided lunch and an unpaid lunch break. Tools and safety equipment provided. Strenuous manual labor and labor in all weather types expected. Depending on intern’s availability, the internship can provide 8-16 hours per week on-site. Certain activities may be conducted remotely, if appropriate. Begins in May and extends through the summer months or into the fall through October. An intern may be extended into the school year with more flexible on/off site work opportunities (e.g. GIS, web research, writing, digital content).
Apply before March 6th, 2026. Submit a letter of interest with contact information and a resume or a brief description of relevant education and experience to gardenbower@gmail.com. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Potential applicants will have virtual interviews set up.
See the Handshake posting here.