Sustainable Gardening Intern

Position title : Sustainable Gardener (Intern)

Company: Alpine Fine Gardening, Ltd. 

Term: June – November, 2026 (Hours vary across seasons)

Time Commitment: Average of 80 hours per month (may occasionally exceed)

Compensation: $22.00 – $28.55 / hour (depending on experience)

Location: Front Range West and Foothills, Colorado

Company & Internship Overview

Alpine Fine Gardening, Ltd. designs and installs drought tolerant and pollinator friendly gardens and rock gardens, with an emphasis on native and low flammability species. Whether it’s a lawn conversion, a rock or crevice garden, or altitude-adapted flowering perennials, grasses, and shrubs, we bridge beauty and ecology using research-backed sustainable gardening techniques. 

Our sustainable gardener internship provides hands-on opportunities to master Colorado’s native and drought tolerant flora through learning plant identification techniques for native and invasive species. Applications with at least 50% of the skills listed below will be prioritized, learning and education will be emphasized to support intern learning and mastery. 

Internship key responsibilities will be adjusted to reflect the intern’s strengths, skills, and education. This internship has the potential to support advanced student research in areas design and implementation of field experience goals, including that of forest health management. All interns will provide hands-on garden support. Applicants with relevant field goals, please share a synopsis of your proposal or specific interest area in 1-3 paragraphs and submit as part of your application. 

Key Responsibilities

Garden and Crevice Garden maintenance and installation 

Digging, amending soil, handling plants, weeding, raking, watering, staking, and mulching plants. Pest identification and management. Plant identification and keying. Lifting, shoveling and spreading bags or wheelbarrows full of soil, compost, mulch, and other amendments. Taking before and after photos and uploading. Moving large rocks using safe lifting techniques and tools to assist. Trimming shrubs and small trees within reach from the ground. 

Propagation, seed starting, transplanting, and maintenance

Sowing of seed, taking cutting, transplanting, watering, plant care, amending soil, watering, monitoring growth, tracking growth, and stock plant management. Plant labeling, record-keeping, mapping, plant photography, and phenology. Data management to track growth.

Design and restoration planning 

Field work to assess the location of various species, to evaluate and monitor the location and health of existing and new plants, take photos and geolocate plants and invasive species. Identify plants using a dichotomous key.

Other duties

Taking and uploading photos, potential to assist with design work, newsletter, website, or other needs as relevant. Tool maintenance. Engage with clients in a professional and kind manner.

Desired Skills & Qualifications

• Understanding of and enthusiasm for mountain ecosystems and their native plants.
• Basic understanding of conservation topics, ecosystems, plant biology. 
• Hardworking, hydrated, manages self well while working. 
• Comfortable interacting with clients and representing the company.
• Excellent attention to detail for the purposes of plant observation, weeding, tracking, and care.
• Willingness to learn new methods and follow company guidelines for task completion. 
• Skills in GIS, irrigation, hardscaping, forestry, restoration, 
• Works well in a team setting and communicates efficiently and effectively.

Funding & Eligibility Requirements:

To participate in this sustainable gardener internship, funded by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, you must be either a recent graduate or a student pursuing a degree in an agricultural or conservation adjacent discipline or be a beginner within the first 10 years of your agricultural career. 

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must be either a student, recent graduate (within 6 months post-graduation) OR a beginning farmer or rancher (with 10 years of experience or less.)
• Eligible students and recent graduates of horticulture, environmental science, agriculture, landscape architecture, soil science, conservation, ecology, and/or similar programs will be prioritized.
• Valid driver’s license, access to a vehicle, and a willingness to drive to field sites.
• Must submit a qualifying application to the Colorado Department of Agriculture before starting work to verify eligibility.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• Ability to spend full days in the field (3 /week) working in the garden and on client sites.
• Ability to hike at elevation on steep, difficult terrain, in inclement weather.
• Ability to carry up to 50lbs of equipment
• Essential functions of this position: 
• Bending/stooping, squatting, reaching above shoulder level, kneeling, hand/fingers used for repetitive motion, hands/fingers used for fine manipulation, hands/fingers used for firm grasping, head/neck in rotational movements, head/neck in extension movements, head/neck in flexing movements, walking, lifting, carrying heavy items, sitting, and standing.
• This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, the company reserves the right to revise the functions and duties of the job or to require that additional or different tasks be performed when circumstances dictate (such as emergencies, weather conditions, changes in personnel, work load, rush jobs, special events, or technological developments).