Wild Gardens of Acadia Fall Intern

LOCATION: Wild Gardens of Acadia, Sieur de Monts, Acadia National Park – Bar Harbor, Maine

REPORTING TO: Wild Gardens of Acadia Supervisory Gardener

JOB STATUS: Seasonal, non-exempt, 40 hours a week, not to exceed 320 hours total, including paid hours off.

EMPLOYMENT PERIODS: August 24, 2026 – October 15, 2026

 COMPENSATION: $18.83/hr. paid every two weeks

JOB SUMMARY:  

Friends of Acadia is accepting applications for the Wild Gardens of Acadia Fall Intern for the 2026 season. Located at Sieur de Monts in Acadia National Park, the Wild Gardens of Acadia is an important park destination with thirteen habitats displaying native plants in habitats that are similar to those found in the park. Habitats range from deciduous and coniferous woods to a beach, bog, pond, roadside, and mountain. A committee of volunteers, the Supervisory Gardener, and the Wild Gardens of Acadia Fall Intern manage the Wild Gardens in partnership with the National Park Service and Friends of Acadia. Friends of Acadia also provides financial and administrative support.

Friends of Acadia is committed to providing an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming environment for visitors, volunteers and staff from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Maintenance (50%): 

• Perform regular maintenance activities, such as weeding, watering, transplanting, raking paths, turning compost, and setting up informational materials.


• Complete daily log of work activities. Record observations of visitor use and impacts, maintenance needs, and visitor comments, compliments, and complaints.

 Visitor Interaction (35%):

• Greet visitors to the Wild Gardens and answer their questions with patience and politeness.


• Share with visitors the importance of native plants.


• Respectfully inform visitors of Wild Gardens’ policies (e.g., no pets allowed, no picnicking, etc.) if visitors are observed ignoring them.

Knowledge Enhancement (10%):

• Learn about the habitats in the Wild Gardens, the native plants in those habitats, and the importance of conserving native plants.


• Learn about Acadia National Park, particularly the Sieur de Monts area.


• Assist with special projects, such as developing information for the Wild Gardens’ bulletin boards or new children’s activities.

Events and Other Duties (5%): 

• Work with the Supervisory Gardener and volunteers to plan and implement special events, such as garden tours and the Wild Gardens of Acadia Plant Sale.


• Evaluate work experience with FOA and ANP at the end of the season.


• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Applicants must be over 18 and demonstrate that they are:
  
  
  
  • capable of working hard at a physical job which may involve lifting 50 pounds, bending, kneeling, raking, and digging.
  
  
  • capable of communicating with people of different backgrounds and levels of knowledge.
  
  
  • willing to follow directions and pay attention to detail.
  
  
  • dedicated to completing repetitive, routine tasks, such as weeding, raking, digging, and turning compost.
  
  
  • capable of working independently.
  
  
  • willing to work in inclement weather (hot, cold, wet, buggy).
  
  
  • curious and interested in learning about Acadia National Park, native plants, and gardening.
  
  
  • flexible, prepared, and willing to adapt to quickly changing work demands.
  
  
  
  


• The position will require some evening and weekend hours.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Demonstrated interest in native plants.

• Botany, plant biology, or forestry classes and/or gardening, greenhouse, landscaping, or invasive plant removal experience are helpful.


• Applicant has worked with volunteers before.

Uniforms/Equipment: Uniform shirts, rain jacket, fleece, puffy jacket, and hat(s) are provided. Purchase of appropriate footwear for the gardens will be reimbursed up to $240. Friends of Acadia will also reimburse up to $180 for the purchase of appropriate pants to be worn in the gardens.

Hours: 40 hrs./wk. including holidays. Shifts are to be determined by the Supervisory Gardener, but will likely be from 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., with one regularly scheduled weekend day. Special events may require different hours. Most weeks, employees will have 2 consecutive days off per week. Unpaid days off can be taken with permission of the Supervisory Gardener. Employees earn one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours they work.

Housing: Not provided. Applicants will be expected to find their own housing; however, we support your search by providing leads and sources.

Work Environment: Most work is performed outside in all weather conditions.

Friends of Acadia is an equal opportunity employer. Founded in 1986, the organization’s mission is to preserve, protect, and promote stewardship of the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality, and distinctive cultural resources of Acadia National Park and the surrounding community for the inspiration and enjoyment of current and future generations.

FOA does not discriminate on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, reproductive health decision-making, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law, in connection with any aspect of employment at FOA.