​2024 Garden Internship Application

The HSABR Garden Internship Program is a one-time $1500 grant consisting of $750 each term: Spring (Jan.–May) Fall (Sept.–Dec.) + Membership in the Herb Society of America
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Internship grants can be awarded for each term or the entire year at the discretion of the Executive Committee. 
 
Responsibilities and Duties
 
   Garden Responsibilities:
  • Work in Heritage and Sensory Gardens
    • Work 15 hands-on gardening hours each term
    • Make and maintain plant labels, common and Latin names
    • Maintenance:  weeding, trimming, replacing plants, seasonal planting
    • Work with volunteers and BREC crews at the Sensory Garden
    • Work with volunteers and LSU AgCenter staff at Burden in the Heritage Garde 
    • Prepare for and give garden tours at both gardens one per garden per term (1 hour), explaining to visitors concepts of gardens, choices of plants, uses of plants, information on growing plants. Unit coordinates marketing, inviting groups, and set-up.
    • Maintain a weekly diary narrative (brief) of dates, sites, tasks, hours, and issues, including noting how many visitors to the gardens while you were there.
 
     Unit Responsibilities:
  • Report to Garden Chairs what and how many plants are needed for each garden
  • Report issues of plant health, design, collaboration, watering, mulching, etc. to Garden Chairs and board
  • Your supervisors are the Garden Chairs, Unit/Co Chairs
  • Attend at least two HSABR monthly meetings per term and help set up and clean up meeting room for those meetings which are on the last Thursday of the month from 6:30–8:00 p.m.
  • Make a 20–30 minute presentation at one monthly meeting each term. Topic (educational about herbs) must be approved by Board.
  • Learning about HSA as a whole.
 
    District Responsibilities:
  • Contribute an article of 150–200 words about the gardens and/or units “goings on” with pictures submitted to unit chair for Southeast District quarterly newsletter as part of BR Unit report to gain regional publication recognition.
 
    National Responsibilities:
  • Contribute to National HSA newsletters with a short report of 150–200 words member/unit specific, anniversary, public acknowledgement, unit achievement each term submitted to unit chair to gain national publication recognition.
  
Performance Review

  • Submit diary at the end of each term to Garden Chairs. It will be returned to you.
    • The diary will be reviewed by Garden Chairs and Executive Committee. 
  • Write a short report (200–250 words) on the problems and progress in each garden at the end of each term, and whatever remedies or solutions or ideas were used to achieve them. 
  • Write whatever suggestions you have on improving the gardens and how the unit can achieve improvement. 
  • What did you learn from this Internship experience? How could it be improved? 
  • Did this Internship fulfill your expectations? 
  • These documents will be examined by Garden Chairs and Unit Executive Committee.

The Garden Chairs and Executive Committee will review your end of term documents and will provide you a written copy of their evaluation of your performance during the term. 
As an intern you will be representing the Herb Society of America-Baton Rouge Unit and your behavior must reflect positively upon the unit; if it does not, the Internship may be revoked.
 
By submitting this application, you attest that you have read the Responsibilities and Duties of the Internship (above) and are willing to perform them and will abide by them.