If you’re looking for a way to really immerse yourself in the field of public horticulture and live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, this internship is for you! During my time in Vail I was able to expand and define my skillset in general garden maintenance (planting, watering, pruning etc.), volunteer management, visitor services, seed collection, and plant records- working alongside our plant records intern to record species inventory and phenology data. Though technically I was considered the “Horticulture Intern” the other interns playfully referred to me as the bosses “Right Hand Man,” a title I was honored to have.
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is unique not only in its location and plant collection but also in its size. It is a very small garden, approximately 4 acres of cultivated space, but still requires a great deal of attention. As such our Senior Horticulturist, Nick Courtens, really relied on my fellow interns and I to go beyond our assigned responsibilities in order to make the entire operation run smoothly and provide guests with an unforgettable experience. If you’re looking for a chance to see what it takes to run a public garden for the summer and form important bonds with peers you’ll have for a lifetime I highly suggest the BFAG Horticulture Summer Internship!
-Montana Williams (Horticulture Intern 2014)