Beal Scholars Internship Program

Employment type: Internship
Application Due Date: March 22, 2026

Apply for the Beal Scholars Program

The Beal Scholars Internship Program is a mentored experience for MSU undergraduate students from any discipline. Scholars work with mentors, garden staff, and partners across campus and the community to implement a chosen project that aims to benefit the garden by contributing to our mission and annual goals.

Mission: Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum illuminates the interconnectedness of people, plants, and place through learning, research, and stewardship.

Schedule: May 11 – August 28, 2026 (Garden Scholar only: May 11 - August 14)
Primary Location: Beal Botanical Garden
Pay: $15/hour
Job Posting: March 9, 2026
Application Closes: March 22, 2026 at 12:00am (midnight)
Eligibility: Applicants must be current MSU undergraduate students graduating in August 2026 or later.
For questions: Maeve Bassett, Education Director, at basset63@msu.edu

Apply Here

Project Descriptions:

Interdisciplinary Education Scholar
Hours: 30-40 hours/week

Plants are a universal language, and everyone can relate to plants. Help us connect more people to Beal Botanical Garden and its collections. This Scholar will spend most of their time working with the Education Director to integrate their specialty into the garden through tours, education materials, and partnership development. The rest of their time will be spent helping with other educational aspects of the garden. This position is good for anyone interested in public education (youth and adult) and diversifying the way people can interact with their own specialty.

This position is open to all degrees, particularly ones not traditionally associated with plants or the natural world. Examples include, but are not limited to:

Chemistry - exploring active compounds in plants used by people
Fabrics and Textiles - plant fibers and dyes
Math - Fibonacci growth patterns, using the garden to teach/learn math

Desired Skills: Public education in your field, creativity, adaptability, enthusiasm

Community Engagement Scholar
Hours: 15-25 hours/week

Help us grow our volunteer program! Work with Beal's Volunteer Coordinator to recruit new volunteers by engaging with MSU community groups, clubs, and organizations. Help volunteers feel like a part of our garden and run activities alongside volunteers to engage the public on weekends or evenings.

Desired Skills: Written communication, public speaking, experience working with volunteers, education/teaching/training experience (bonus points for graphic design, but not required)

Michigan Collections Scholar
Hours: 25-40 hours/week

Help Beal further plant sustainability by expanding Michigan native plant presence throughout our collections. This Scholar will work directly with Beal's Collections Manager to evaluate current plant collections by inventorying and recording plants, surveying garden hillsides, identifying Michigan native plants, and utilizing Beal's new plant database system to document and map plants.

Desired Skills: Plant species identification, problem solving, research and observation skills, data management

Advertising and Public Relations Scholar
Hours: 20-25 hours/week

Help us share all the cool things that Beal is doing. This Scholar will work with the Communications Coordinator to develop all things related to increasing Beal's media presence: advertising and promoting events, pitching stories related to master plan to the media, drafting press releases, etc. More hours available based on events and programming.

Desired Skills: Classes in marketing, public relations, journalism; writing and copy editing

Riverside/Pollinator Garden Scholar
Hours: 30-40 hours/week

Working under Beal's Director and the Arboretum and Invasive Species Coordinator, this Scholar will support ongoing conservation and Rewilding projects focusing primarily on:

Riverbank Restoration - Identifying and removing invasive plants along the Red Cedar Riverbank, helping identify native plants that will help reduce erosion, enhancing visitor experience, working with Volunteer Coordinator to involve volunteers in conservation efforts.
Native Pollinator Garden - Working with Beal's garden team to support a healthy Pollinator Garden, monitoring and recording ecological diversity, supporting visitor experience, and exploring ecological sustainability.
Greenspace Bird Diversity Assessment - Monitoring and maintaining bird diversity survey system.

Desired Skills: Coursework on Michigan native and invasive plants, maintenance of natural areas, volunteer management

Garden Use and Wayfinding Scholar
Hours: 25-30 hours/week

Working with the Education Director and the Parks Connection Lab, this Scholar will research, develop and implement a plan using current trail monitoring technology to better understand guest use and wayfinding at Beal.

Desired Skills: Project planning, coursework on use of outdoor spaces

Garden Scholar
Hours: M-F, 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Schedule: May 11 - August 14, 2026

Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum is looking for students to assist in maintaining our 7-acre garden located along the north banks of the Red Cedar River. Beal Botanical Garden is over 150 years old and is cherished for its natural setting and impressive number of plant species. This is a great opportunity to learn about maintaining public garden spaces, living collections, and connecting with the flora that surrounds us.

Daily tasks focus on maintaining the plant collections and garden. This includes planting, weeding, watering, mulching, pruning, invasive species removal, event setup, structure maintenance, and working both independently and with a team. This position requires working outdoors in a range of weather conditions and temperatures.

Desired Skills: Interested in getting hands-on experience maintaining a garden, excited to learn and work with plants, follows directions and asks questions, punctual and timely, communicate well, self-starting and self-motivating, willing to collaborate and contribute positively to a team.

Apply