Applications are welcomed and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. A one-page cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume in a single pdf file. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experiences that directly relate to it.

The MBGNA summer internship takes place from Monday, May 4 to Thursday, August 20, 2026.  To fully participate in team collaboration and project work, selected candidates are expected to complete all dates of the internship.

The Development & Volunteer Assistant Intern will work alongside the Development team of professionals to gain experience in all phases of development, including donor stewardship, event planning, customer service, volunteer coordination, and more. Evening and weekend hours are required.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA) is a transformative force for social and ecological resilience through the waters and lands we steward.

We turn this commitment into action by:

• Positioning humans as active participants within the natural world and compelling the university community and our public to negotiate the full complexity that entails
• Advancing partnerships, programs, user experience, and all that we steward to catalyze access and impact in a radically changing world
• Emerging as the University of Michigan's premier partner for research, teaching, and public impact in sustainability, climate-forward practices, and biocultural diversity
• Promoting healthier communities, cultures, and ecosystems through active care and cultivation of the gardens, fields, natural habitats, and dynamic systems that sustain our world.

For more information about MBGNA and the summer internship program, please visit: https://mbgna.umich.edu/summer-internships

For questions about the internship application, please contact: MBGNAinternships@umich.edu

This internship position is part of the Development team at MBGNA and will also work closely with the Visitor Experience team at MBGNA.  This internship is focused on all phases of development at MBGNA, including donor stewardship, event planning, customer service, volunteer coordination, and more. As part of the Development team, this position will regularly interact with visitors, donors, volunteers, and other MBGNA departments during a workday.  

This internship position will support the goals of the Development team through the following:

• Work with our Volunteer and Membership Engagement Manager and Visitor Experience Team to coordinate and support events that engage members and visitors, including: Spring plant sales, Shakespeare in the Arb, Big Play Day, Things with Wings, donor appreciation events, and other similar public-facing events. Tasks include event support and coordinating volunteers.
• Additional research projects and event support will also be assigned throughout the internship focused on these key areas supporting all members of the Development team: membership and volunteer appreciation, donor relations, membership acquisition, tribute program structure, administrative support, and enhanced program stewardship.

• Applicants must have one year of experience enrolled in a college or university by the internship start date. Recent college graduates who earned a degree in December 2025 or are planning to earn a degree by May 2026 are eligible to apply. 
• Experience in customer service, volunteer coordination, event planning, or related experience is preferred.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and in some situations independently.
• Work with the public and staff in various settings (outdoors, greenhouses, indoors).
• This position may require a valid driver's license and a motor vehicle record check to operate MBGNA vehicles.
• This position may require a background check to work with minors according to Children on Campus policy.
• This position may require frequent travel between MBGNA site locations. 
• Willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Willingness to do physical work.
• Must have a flexible schedule with weekend and evening availability.

The MBGNA summer internship provides university-level students with opportunities to:

• Participate in experiential learning in a nature-based organization
• Directly contribute to strategic operations of a mission-driven organization
• Help unify and catalyze access and impact across lands, waters, and dynamic systems

As part of a learning community, interns will be expected to:

• Attend a group orientation at the beginning of the summer
• Participate in professional development sessions offered throughout the summer
• Engage in opportunities for assessment and reflection
• Attend a final celebration at the end of the summer

• In-person work, 40 hours/week
• Evening and weekend hours are required

MBGNA comprises 841 total acres, spanning four sites, including the gardens, arboretum, a bog, and natural areas.  This internship takes place mainly at Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; with additional work being done at Nichols Arboretum, 1600 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 as assigned.

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

In-person primarily with some remote work opportunities available for research projects.

The MBGNA internship application will be open Wednesday, January 6 - Sunday, March 1, 2026.  Applications will be reviewed after the internship application closes.  Selected candidates will be contacted for interviews beginning Monday, March 9, 2026.  Final candidates will be notified by March 27, 2026.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.