Landscape Horticulture
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The Landscape Horticulture Department offers students and community members many opportunities to get involved, through internships, volunteering, our community gardening class, and student clubs.
We encourage students to help out around our 7-acre campus and "get their hands dirty" in order to enrich and put into practice the instruction they recieve in the classroom. Stop by the foyer to see some of the jobs and internships available to our students!
Volunteer and Internship Program
The Landscape Horticulture Department is proud to announce its new internship program. The internship positions are available to currently enrolled students and will allow student to gain more experience and expertise in the areas that most interest them. Internship projects are largely self-guided with weekly supervisory sessions with staff members. The table below details the available positions.
| Title | Description | Specializations |
| Crop Specialist | Responsibilities: Propagates and manages a variety of plants for our Plant Sales. Produces healthy plants which are well labeled with complete informational signage. Receives greenhouse space and access to propagation materials; seeds, cuttings, soil, pots and other supplies and a selection of plants grown. Qualifications: Some propagation experience required. Knowledge of specific plant material. Ability to research and produce detailed signage. Will train in production and crop management techniques. |
Seed Saving |
| Plant Collections/ Arboretum | Performs garden maintenance as well as records data on plantings within the Landscape Horticulture grounds. Produces engraved labels for plants and progress report. Qualifications: Organized attention to detail and motivated to do research oriented work. Strong knowledge of Botanical Names as well as varietal names. Ability to do hard physical work, in adverse weather conditions. |
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| Compost Steward | Helps develop and maintain a large on-site department scale compost system. Qualifications: Knowledge of basic composting (are you a master composter?) required. Willingness for hard work, physical labor required. Willingness to learn safe use of tractor/front loader and chipper/shredder encouraged: will train. Desire to close the nutrient loops of our department helpful! |
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| Lab Assistant | Under the direction of faculty and staff. Sets up and cleans up after lab activities. Is knowledgeable and oriented to safe operation of equipment, and has a clear understanding of site operations and supply locations. Has attention to detail and the ability to communicate effectively. |
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| Garden Assistant | ||
Due to the relatively unsupervised nature of the internship, Merritt College asks that applicants have at least some experience in the field in which they hope to work. If you feel you don't have the experience needed to take on an internship, we are always looking for an extra hand with weeding, planting and general garden maintenance. For more information about the Crop Specialist internship positions, contact Anders Vidstrand. For all other positions and volunteer opportunities, contact Molly Sealund.
Molly Sealund
Email: msealund@peralta.edu
Phone: 510-436-2491
Anders Vidstrand
Email: andersvidstrand@yahoo.com
Urban Community Gardening Class
Our Urban Community Garden course allows students interested in community gardening to volunteer either on-site at the Merritt College campus or at the Lakeside Gardens on the shore of Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland. This is also a great place for those who are interested in starting their own community garden to talk to experienced gardeners about their successes and failures and get some expert advice on urban food production! For more information, visit the Urban Community Garden main page.
Clubs and Organizations
Propagation Club
Volunteer plant enthusiasts in our Propagation Club are keeping our greenhouses full of new plants, and hold an annual spring and a fall plant sale. The club meets weekly at the campus.
Aesthetic Pruning Club
Permaculture Club – Coming Soon!
Permaculture is a design science that encourages a realignment of human activity with natural processes. This includes everything from companion planting, local sourcing of materials, natural building, and all other aspects of sustainable living. Visit the site often for more information about the spring launch of this club!
Fermentation Club
This club explores the culinary relationships between man and microfauna, and the numerous nutritional benefits that this symbiosis provides. Meetings are held the second Sunday of every month at varying locations around the Bay Area, and though the location is subject to change, attendees are guaranteed to sample a wide variety of delicious homemade fermented fare. The club welcomes both experienced fermenters and novices alike, so whether you are a master krauter or if you've just started your first kombucha brew you are sure to learn and taste something new. For more information, contact David Gardella via email at david_gardella[at]hotmail[dot]com.
