2026 Arboriculture, Conservation & Landscape Internship

The Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation based on a 700-acre estate in Upperville, Virginia with a mission to perpetuate and share Rachel Lambert Mellon’s home, garden, estate and Library to serve the public interest. The Foundation is dedicated to inspiring and facilitating scholarship and public dialogue on the history and future of plants, including the culture of gardens and landscapes and the importance of plants for human well-being. For additional information, please visit www.osgf.org.

OSGF is seeking one (1) Arboriculture, Conservation and Landscape (ACL) Intern. This is a full-time, temporary position of approximately three (3) months, requiring 40 hours per week, including some evenings and weekends. The position is mostly outdoor with occasional indoor time needed for communications, service work for equipment and may involve close liaison with the Arboriculture Landscapes GIS Technician and GIS Data Systems Manager.

Schedule: Full-time, temporary position – Monday through Friday (40 hours a week), with some flexibility in hours to facilitate participating in programmatic activities during evenings and weekends.

Compensation: $20/hour and paid holidays.

Start Date: May/early June 2026 through August/early September 2026 – depending on the availability of the successful applicant.

Location: Upperville, VA; The Oak Spring Garden estate is located in rural northern Virginia, 15 minutes from the nearest town. Having access to a car is desirable, but not essential.

To Apply: To be considered for this internship, please email a resume, cover letter and three professional references (name and contact details) to hr@osgf.org with the subject line “2026 ACL Internship”. We will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will continue until the position is filled.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with invasive plant species control, landscape maintenance, arboriculture, and/or turf grass management is preferred.
• Undergraduate degree completed or in progress from an accredited academic institution or minimum of two-years’ relevant Local high school students with a driver’s license and reliable transportation are also encouraged to apply.
• Ability to meet the physical requirements of bending, standing for long periods of time, lifting at least 50 pounds, handling wildlife, stretching, working with sharp objects, and undertake monitoring and surveys outdoors year-round.
• Must be able to legally work in the United States.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.  Position may require operation of an OSGF vehicle or farm machinery.
• Must have reliable transportation to and from OSGF daily.

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Must be able to work independently and also as a part of a team.
• Good time-management and organizational skills.
• Strong oral communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively, and with empathy, with staff, residents, guests and the public.
• Strong commitment to fostering a respectful, culturally-diverse and inclusive work environment.
• Strong commitment to sustainability and ethical environmental stewadship.
• Strong commitment to the obligations of a private operating foundation to deliver public benefits, to make a positive public contribution and to work for a better society.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is required. Familiarity with GIS software (preferably ESRI ArcGIS Pro and Field Maps app) and the use of GPS devices, and natural history applications like iNaturalist would be an advantage.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The ACL Intern must be comfortable working both indoors and outdoors, in extreme temperatures of Virginia’s ecological environment, and more. Days can sometimes feel long, even though we keep to an 8-hour day, and the work can be strenuous. For the right individual this work is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling!