Internships

Develop your future with a trip to the past. See below for the latest internship opportunities at Tryon Palace.

Horticulture Intern

Tryon Palace, the first permanent capital of both the colony and state of North Carolina, houses 16 acres of historic gardens reflecting the 18th and 19th centuries. Gardens include formal colonial displays, wilderness themed gardens, an 18th century kitchen garden with heirloom plants, Victorian-era gardens, and a Riverside Garden displaying the waterway ecosystem native to Eastern North Carolina. Horticultural Interns will assist in one of three areas: Turf, Greenhouse, or Kitchen Garden

Turf Internship

Students interested in the turf internship will learn how to care for turfs and lawn; will assist with mowing, weeding, and fertilizing; and will monitor the turf, guarding against pests and other plights. 

Greenhouse Internship

Students interested in the greenhouse internship will learn how to propagate plants. They will also assist with stocking the gift shop, providing plants, and filling out the necessary paperwork.

Garden Internship

Students interested in the Garden Internship will work primarily in one specific garden, and be responsible for weeding, watering, deadheading and planting to maintain the garden to historic public garden standards. 

All three internships will provide students an opportunity to work on a summer long project of their choosing. Projects can include: researching a particular heirloom plant, different propagation practices, how best to care for soil in eastern NC. The Internship is an unpaid position with a flexible Monday-Friday work week. Ideally, students would work 18-20 hours a week for 6-8 weeks. Students are encouraged to contact their school for credit and/or stipend possibilities.  

Please send a resume, cover letter, and three references to Margaret Schuetz, Student Volunteer Coordinator, at Margaret.schuetz@ncdcr.gov. 

Kitchen Garden Intern

Tryon Palace’s Kitchen Garden internship provides students the ability to learn both 18th- and 21st-century gardening techniques through practical, hands-on learning experiences. Working with horticultural staff, interns learn how to implement research in creating and maintaining historically accurate, aesthetically pleasing, and satisfying productive gardens. By working in the gardens, interns will learn 18th century practices, while perfecting 21st century skills such as weeding, watering, and fertilizing. In addition to gardening, the interns will have the opportunity to research a personal project and present it to other site gardeners, as well as to assist with educational programs. 

Qualifications

The Kitchen Garden Internship is ideal for students with a passion for gardening, willing to sustain long days under a hot southern sun. Please note that this position requires working outdoors in a wide variety of weather conditions, including heat and humidity, and requires a degree of physical strength (lifting up to 50 lbs.) and stamina.

Candidates should have:

• An interest in gardening, horticulture, agriculture, and/or public history;
• A basic knowledge of gardening techniques and terminology;
• An eagerness to learn, grow, and ask questions;
• The physical strength and stamina to work outside and lift, carry, stoop, and stand for extended lengths of time;
• A desire to explore the area of historic horticulture;

Specifics

This is an unpaid internship; therefore, the schedule can be flexible. Interns should expect to work a minimum of 18-20 hours per week, Monday-Friday, for 6-8 weeks. Students are encouraged to contact their school about credit and/or stipend opportunities. 

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three references to Margaret Schuetz, Student Volunteer Coordinator, at Margaret.schuetz@ncdcr.gov