Employment Opportunities

MOFGA Landscape Intern

(Academic Credit Project)

Title: MOFGA Landscape Intern
Primary Responsibilities: assisting MOFGA’s Landscape Coordinator with landscape operations; completion of approved academic project
Supervisor: MOFGA’s Landscape Coordinator
Work Schedule: 12 - 16 hours/week from mid-May through mid-August

Desired Abilities and Knowledge:

Deep interest in organic landscaping/gardening practices
Experience with landscaping and/or gardening work
Ability to work well independently on projects, specifically with academic project
Effective written and verbal communication skills
Interest in working within a non-profit organizational structure
Solid understanding of MOFGA’s mission statement and operating principles

Responsibilities:

Assisting MOFGA’s Landscape Coordinator with maintenance of perennial gardens, shade trees, fruit trees, shrubs, and grassland
Initiation and completion of approved academic project related to organic landscaping topics/issues specific to MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center
Participation in Landscape Committee and Buildings & Grounds Committee meetings
Edging, weeding, transplanting, and deadheading of perennial gardens
Weeding, mulching, and pest management of shade trees and orchard trees
Helping to maintain grassland, through mowing, trimming, and haying
Assisting with site-specific integrated pest management (IPM) issues/concerns

Academic Project: The MOFGA Landscape Intern will be required to initiate and complete an academic project specific to organic landscaping issues at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center in Unity, Maine. The Landscape Intern will work closely with MOFGA’s Landscape Coordinator to select a site-appropriate project, establish goals for the project, and produce a high quality plan of action addressing the chosen topic/issue.

Potential academic project ideas:

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan identifying common pests at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, researching life cycles, determining host species, and developing a plan to manage these pests in accordance with the USDA’s National Organic Program.
Investigate possible alternatives to latex paint as a deterrent to round-headed apple borer larva, a common pest of apple trees, and conduct trials of these alternatives to determine effectiveness.
Re-design an existing perennial garden at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, focusing on thematic elements such as season-round color, pollinator attraction, or the incorporation of native plants into the landscape.

To apply, send cover letter and resume to C.J. Walke, MOFGA's Landscape Coordinator, at MOFGA, PO Box 170, Unity, ME 04988.