Starting in 2020 as part of our 10 year strategic plan and through the generous Cathcart fund, Trinity Botanic Garden launched a six-week summer internship programme for two undergraduate students registered on Botany or Environmental Science degrees at Trinity College. The first posts were offered in March this year and we had a fantastic response from both Senior Freshman and Junior Sophister students on both degrees.
The internships include on-the-job training in all horticultural practices and plant science currently being undertaken at the Garden. Interns will work alongside the Curator and garden staff to experience all aspects of botanic garden activity, including assisting in a large-scale digitisation project of the living plant and genebank collections for conservation, outreach and education purposes.
As part of the programme, student interns are encouraged to actively learn as they work and to apply their new-found practical experience to enhance their college work. They will take some time to maintain work and learning diaries and to contribute to outreach by writing a short blog about their time at the gardens. They will also be involved in outreach activities and tours being held at the garden.
We are extremely grateful to the Cathcart family for making this internship programme possible and we hope to make the offer available again in Summer 2021. Details will be posted on this page in Spring 2021.