Horticulturist I - Indoor Conservatories

Summary : Performs all job duties associated with horticulture design, maintenance and care of the conservatory displays and collections. Conduct research to target plants for inclusion into the Garden's conservatory living collections. Ensure the living collections contain the highest levels of plant diversity to support conservation, research, and education. Job duties are directly related to the design, installation and care of the tropical and arid plant collections, including IPM; Plant selection, ordering, obtaining plants from Index Seminum and exchange with other botanic gardens; careful attention to accession record keeping and plant labeling are also critical components of this position.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

• Works with Supervisor to target and develop plant collections according to Garden policy and area descriptions.
• Utilizes resources including Index Seminum and the Garden's Targeting Database to select species and develop the garden's collections.
• During species selection, conducts research entering information on plant habit and cultivation, entering into the Targeting Database when possible.
• Follow s and is mindful of all appropriate legal and ethical concerns when acquiring and sharing plants for the Garden; obliges with national and international permits and regulations including, The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• Adheres to MBG's living collections policy, collections acquisitions processes, and collections focus.
• If needed, requests propagation of plants in the collections to ensure survival, paying particular attention to rare and threatened species.
• Participates in fieldwork locally, nationally, and internationally for plant collecting expeditions and / or horticulture capacity building.
• Maintains the highest standards of plant record keeping, updates the Living Collections Management System when plants are added, moved or die and ensures plants are labeled with accession numbers at all times.
• Performs a wide range of landscape / maintenance tasks important to the preservation, protection and transplanting of existing plants; including but not limited to soil preparation, pruning, planting, mulching, weeding, watering, IPM, and pesticide application as needed.
• Researches, documents and applies cultivation techniques to support optimum plant health, including modifying soils and other growing environment factors;
• Identifies and correct nutrient deficiencies
• Ensure s optimum temperature, light and humidity levels
• Identif ies and treat pests and diseases
• Adjust s irrigation systems, shade and ventilation in conservatories
• Maintain s proper soil fertility
• Maintains general care of horticultural tools, and technical equipment (i.e., apply lubrication and general cleaning.) Refers more serious problems to management personnel.
• Applies landscape / maintenance tasks to ensure care of conservatories meets Missouri Botanical Garden expectations.
• Completes planting designs and requests plants as needed for designs. Oversees / performs the layout and installation.
• Plants and maintains displays in a manner that enables plant genetics and accessions data to be preserved and allows the public to easily distinguish plants when reading plant labels.
• Maintains a professional demeanor, answering informal questions from the public as needed when working in Conservatories.
• Trains and effectively utilizes assigned volunteers, interns and students.
• Ensures all applicable safety standards are followed adapts or modifies work methods to reduce hazards and reports all accidents, injuries and near-miss accidents immediately.
• Responsible for assigned weekend watering rotation duties.
• Reports all accidents, injuries and near-miss accidents immediately.
• Meets expected attendance guidelines.
• Follows and adheres to established policies and procedures, including but not limited to Employee Handbook, Garden Safety Guidelines and Department Policies.
• Behaves & communicates in a manner that promotes and fosters a culture of teamwork, cooperation, and respect within our division and throughout the Garden with all employees, supervisors / managers, volunteers, visitors and others.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities : None.

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Supervisor :