Horticulturist Internship

The Living Rainforest
South East Closing date for applications is: 30th Apr 2025Contact: | Robyn Daniels ([email protected]) |
Sector: | Horticulture |
Type: | Work Experience |
Contract type: | Full-time |
Salary: | N/A |
We have an exciting opportunity for a work placement within our Horticulture Team at The Living Rainforest, designed to gain some much-valued experience within the industry. This work placement can run from September 2025 to June 2026 in line with the academic year, however, we can be flexible with start dates.
The Trust for Sustainable Living is a registered charity based near Newbury, Berkshire. At our visitor centre, The Living Rainforest, the plant collection is contained within three tropical glasshouses and home to over 850 species of plants and animals, including a range of rare species.
This work placement is a great way to get hands on experience within horticulture and learn from an interesting, tropical environment.
The work placement:
- This is primarily a hands-on practical role, working with a small team of employees and volunteers on a diverse range of tropical and temperate plants.
- You will be taught plant care such as watering and pruning, propagation, exhibit construction and much more in this diverse environment.
- You will also get experience of supervising and training volunteers to ensure consistently high standards.
- You will also receive training and participate in public facing workshops in the school holidays such as seed planting.
- You will also have the opportunity to gain knowledge of the different aspects of the department such as record keeping and project planning.
- Where suitable, there may also be opportunities for research projects to be undertaken.
Terms of placement:
- This is a 9 to 10 month voluntary work placement for a registered charity
- This is an unpaid placement, however, we can assist with reasonable travel expenses.
- Our hours are 8.30am to 5.00pm, five days a week. Usually Monday to Friday but may include the occasional weekend.
The applicant:
- This placement is ideal for someone working towards a Horticulture or related qualification, or newly qualified and hoping to seek further industry experience.
- Some experience within horticulture would be an advantage but not essential.
- Applicants should be enthusiastic and willing to learn new skills.
- This is a very physically demanding position and can include working at heights. All health and safety training will be given.
- Due to our remote location, public transport is very infrequent, therefore it is necessary to have your own form of transport to get to and from The Living Rainforest.
Apply for this job:
Apply for this role:
To apply, please send your CV together with a covering letter explaining why you would be the best candidate for the role to Robyn Daniels, [email protected].
Thank you for your interest in joining our team. Due to the popularity of some vacancies, if we haven’t contacted you back within 28 days, please assume that your application was unsuccessful.
We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.
The Living Rainforest is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and Adults at Risk. Therefore the successful applicant will need to undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check for this role.