Internship Program

Applications are closed.

The Social Media intern will work creatively with the Marketing team to create content for social media, assist and/or lead marketing campaigns for events, and contribute to strategic content for advertising, to help grow Reiman Gardens’ attendance and reach. Regular responsibilities include developing a social media content calendar, content creation (photos, videos, reels, stories, and posts), analyzing social media metrics, and copy writing. The intern may also do some light graphic design work. This internship requires some weekend and evening hours.  Compensation is $15.00/hour. 

Applications are closed. 

The Spring Event Management intern will assist with the planning and implementation of special events and rentals at Reiman Gardens throughout the spring such as Spring Enchantment, Rovers at Reiman, Plant Sale Extravaganza, Orchid Fest, and the summer Garden Art Fair. The intern will also on occasion be responsible for moving tables and chairs to prepare indoor or outdoor spaces for various events, classes, and programs. Additionally, the event management intern will be trained and may be asked to serve as a tour guide for prospective rental clients. Other duties for public events include communicating with vendors and other contacts, creating event plans and related documents, and providing top-notch customer service for event participants, visitors, staff, and volunteers.

Event management for private events includes assisting with the planning and implementation of private rentals such as weddings, conferences, birthday parties, and banquets throughout the summer. This includes planning, organizing, managing vendor arrival times and set-ups, as well as the possibility of special projects. Compensation is $15.00/hour. 

Applications are closed. 

Reiman Gardens is a unique growing operation, especially for central Iowa, offering experience with small batches of hundreds of varieties of regional and tropical plants for a range of horticultural operations. Duties of the Greenhouse Production & Glasshouse Display intern include planning and scheduling summer crop production, ordering, transplanting, pest management, and all associated greenhouse tasks such as watering, weeding, fertilizing, cleaning/sanitizing, deadheading, pinching, and soil/water testing, etc. The intern will be required to study and test for an Iowa Pesticide Applicator’s license and will also be expected to engage with and answer questions from visitors, in addition to completing several other educational projects. The intern will also assist with Conservatory installations. The intern may also assist with projects related to strategic goals for indoor horticulture. This is an intensive learning and work experience in a fast-paced setting. Compensation is $13.75-14.75/hour depending on experience.  

Applications are closed.

The Horticulture: Conservation Research intern will work with professional horticulture staff to research and develop recommendations for an exciting new conservation initiative at Reiman Gardens. Developing an ex-situ conservation program is a new project with many opportunities for funding and partnerships both local and national. The Conservation Research intern will study other conservation programs, focusing on those housed at botanic gardens and/or supported by university departments, gather data and research already available on plants identified as potential conservation targets, and work alongside horticulture staff to make recommendations on a 5-year conservation program development plan to be presented to Reiman Gardens’ director and staff. This position may involve research both online and across ISU campus, as well as the potential for some field work with ISU faculty. Creating and developing contacts and working partnerships will be a large part of this internship. Successful candidates are passionate about research, networking, and plants; candidates with plant science, ecology, or conservation backgrounds or fields of study are encouraged to apply.  Compensation is $13.75-14.75/hr. depending on experience. 

Applications are closed. 

The Entomology intern will assist the Director of Entomology in the processing and maintenance of butterfly cultures for release in the Butterfly Wing. Such work will involve maintenance of a variety of invertebrate colonies, processing and handling tropical chrysalis shipments, as well as light research on maintained colonies. This internship provides the opportunity to work directly with all life stages throughout the rearing process for a variety of invertebrates. The intern will be working in a USDA regulated lab and must be comfortable working with live insects  The intern will also serve as a Butterfly Wing docent, giving information to Gardens’ visitors. There may be hours available after the internship if you are interested. Compensation is $13/hr.

Applications are closed. 

The summer Event Management intern will assist with the creation and implementation of special events and rentals at Reiman Gardens throughout the summer such as Pollinator Fest, Rose Fest, Independence Day Celebration, Garden Art Fair, and others. This includes planning, organizing, developing activities, managing catering, and completing setups. The intern will also on occasion be responsible for moving tables and chairs to prepare indoor or outdoor spaces for various events, classes, and programs. Additionally, the event management intern will be trained and may be asked to serve as a tour guide for prospective rental clients. Event management for private events includes assisting with the planning and implementation of private rentals such as weddings, conferences, birthday parties, and banquets throughout the summer. This includes planning, organizing, managing vendor arrival times and set-ups, as well as the possibility of special projects. Compensation is $15/hr.  

Applications are closed. 

The Education intern develops lesson plans, preps and leads youth & family summer programming, including on site programs, virtual content, and mobile engagement. This intern also assists with the coordination and implementation of written garden and exhibit interpretation, large group tours for youth and adults, and interdepartmental educational projects.  May also develop, teach, and/or support adult continuing education programs. Emphasis is on aligning informal programming with Reiman Gardens’ mission and annual theme, as well as connecting youth programs strongly to Next Generation Science Standards. Compensation is $15/hr. There are openings for 2 summer Education interns.  

Applications are closed. 

This unique internship begins on March 24, 2025 and ends on October 17, 2025, averaging 20 hours per week. 

Applications are closed. 

The Horticulture: Landscape & Ornamental Gardening intern will maintain permanent and annual plant collections in all areas of the outdoor gardens. Emphasis is on developing horticulture skills in planting, weeding, watering, mulching, edging, pruning, fertilizing, and maintaining outdoor displays and water features. The intern will work with the rose collection, woody plants, Iowa native plants, water plants, perennials, annuals, turf grass, fruits, and vegetables. Compensation is $13.75-14.75/hr. depending on experience. There are openings for 1-2 summer Ornamental Gardening interns.  

Applications are closed. 

The Plant Collections & Records intern will assist with maintaining the plant collection records at Reiman Gardens. Responsibilities include inputting data into the plant database, researching plant nomenclature and characteristics for educational displays, contributing to national research projects, creating accurate display labels and accession tags for plant materials, updating maps of installed plant materials, and photographing certain plant collections. The intern will work with several computer software programs like AutoCAD. Compensation is $13.75-14.75/hr. depending on experience.  

This position opens in March 2025.

The Volunteer Engagement Intern will work directly with the Manager of Volunteer Engagement to support volunteers with a variety of activities this fall. The Volunteer Engagement Intern will assist with recruitment, scheduling, and staffing for the annual pumpkin carving event. The intern will also assist with recruitment, scheduling, and training for the holiday light show, Winter Wonderscape. The intern will identify new opportunities to expand student volunteer engagement and satisfaction. Other responsibilities will include creating a schedule of events and suggested entertainment for this year's annual Volunteer Appreciation Reception. The Volunteer Engagement Intern will learn best practices for volunteer engagement and how a university program differs from other non-profits. Compensation is $15/hr.