Aquatic Plant Maintenance

Located 25 miles north of downtown Chicago, the Garden's 385-acre campus includes 81 acres of lakes, streams, and wetlands. Over the past 20 years, ½-million native aquatic and shoreline plants have been added along 4½ miles of our lakeshore. These shoreline plantings have been highly effective in stabilizing eroding shoreline soils and enhancing aquatic habitat, and they now serve as a research site for scientific study and documentation. Most recently, the award-winning North Lake Shoreline Restoration Project added 120,000 new plants to our shoreline – visit http://cbgshoreline.org/ for more information.

The Aquatic Plant Maintenance seasonal staff will work closely with the Assistant Ecologist, Lakes and the Garden's Curator of Aquatics to maintain these new shoreline plantings. Typical work responsibilities for this position include removal of weedy/invasive plant and algae species, replanting due to plant mortality or herbivory, and other maintenance activities to support robust plant communities and aesthetic shoreline conditions. Staff in this position are provided with an exceptional opportunity to learn identification of over 200 taxa of native wetland plants while gaining a better understanding of lake shoreline erosion control strategies and shoreline ecology. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in several training and mentoring programs provided by the Garden’s distinguished staff of conservation scientists.

Candidates for this position should have coursework and/or work experience in botany, environmental studies, aquatic horticulture, or closely related fields. Candidates must have a strong work ethic, function well in both team and individual work assignments, and possess a high comfort level being in and around water and an ability to swim should the need arise in an emergency. Employees must be able to operate row boats and trolling motors, be able to walk across uneven terrain and bend over for extended periods of time (e.g., pulling weeds), and have an ability to lift and carry approximately 45 pounds.

The employment term for these positions begins in April/May and continues through at least August, with several workers’ schedules expected to extend until late November/December. The normal work schedule is Monday through Friday, 6:30 am – 3:00 pm. Paid holidays and one personal day per four months of employment are provided; health insurance benefits may be available for employees scheduled to work longer than six months.

To be considered for this position, please email an introduction letter and detailed resume to Valerie Cichy at the Chicago Botanic Garden: vcichy@chicagobotanic.org. No telephone calls, please. Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials by June 7, 2021.

To learn more about the Chicago Botanic Garden, visit www.chicagobotanic.org