Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Student Experience Program – Student Internships at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Who We Are

Just down the road from the Forty Acres, you’ll find the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the university’s world-renowned botanic garden celebrating 30 years at its South Austin location. As part of Longhorn Nation, we are dedicated to changing the world—one native plant at a time. Last year, we welcomed 275,000 guests and with more than 16,500 members, our community is growing. Among our gardens and landscapes, you’ll discover nearly 900 species of Texas native plants, from iconic bluebonnets to rare West Texas oak trees. Through environmental education and interdisciplinary research, we are committed to cultivating an appreciation for Texas landscapes and supporting the next generation of conservationists.

Why We’re Fundraising

Undergraduate Internships

The Wildflower Center offers internships to qualified undergraduate students in the areas of education, science and conservation, horticulture, marketing and communications, and finance. Spanning 284 acres of gardens, woodlands, and savanna meadows, the Center is a nurturing place for teaching and learning. Student interns gain real-world, hands-on experience as they work side-by-side with Center staff and visiting experts. Internships take place during the fall, spring and summer school terms.

To overcome financial barriers in pursuing internship experiences, we will offer a competitive stipend of $4,000 per student each school term.

Please help us raise $16,000 to support four undergraduate student internship experiences in these potential areas:

Education

Education interns will have opportunities to develop interpretive materials, plan experiential lessons, and interact with guests of all ages during educational programs.

Science and Conservation

Science and Conservation interns will have opportunities to work as part of a research team on real-world projects. By conducting fieldwork in the gardens and natural areas that serve as our laboratory, interns will gain experience studying pollinators, identifying prairie plants and more.

Horticulture

Horticulture interns will have opportunities to apply classroom knowledge and skills in a working botanic garden. By assisting staff horticulturists with regular maintenance of the gardens, nurseries and greenhouses, interns will gain experience in propagation, weeding, planting, watering, pruning, grooming, preparing beds, mulching and labeling species.

Communications

Communications interns will have opportunities to assist the Center’s Marketing and Communications staff with public relations, marketing and social media efforts. Interns will hone their writing skills and gain experience in a wide range of communications strategies.

Finance

Finance interns will have opportunities to assist staff with various office duties, including data entry, filing (electronic included), data validation, and the development and testing of standard operating procedures. Through ad-hoc reporting and dashboard creation, interns will grow and apply their financial and business analysis skills.

Your Impact

Supporting the Wildflower Center today helps cultivate a new generation of environmentalists.

With your gift, the Wildflower Center will: 

• Provide real-world experience to undergraduates via paid internships, eliminating financial barriers for students.
• Introduce undergraduates to careers and foster job skills in the fields of education, science and conservation, horticulture, marketing and communications, and finance.
  
• Provide a community that nurtures experiential education, resulting in increased self-confidence and leadership skills.

“Interning at the Wildflower Center and working with Texas native plants and their pollinators was very rewarding. Interactions between plants and pollinators are a really important part of the ecosystem that I hope to explore further, along with the impact of land restoration on creating sustainable landscapes.” Allison Morales, former Wildflower Center Summer Intern

“The most rewarding part about working at the Wildflower Center is the potential for my research to inspire future research and improve land management/restoration techniques. Knowing that my efforts contribute to a more holistic understanding of the land is exceedingly gratifying. This experience has provided me with the opportunity to explore interests outside of my core studies in an immersive environment, broadening my scope of knowledge for graduate school and beyond.” Jacob Kruel, former Wildflower Center Summer Intern

“Thank you for all your help this summer and for securing the scholarships for us. You always made me feel my presence and my work were valued and I appreciate that more than I can express.” Zane Ortega, former Wildflower Center Summer Intern

“I just wanted to thank you for giving me the opportunity to intern at the Wildflower Center this summer. I am leaving not only with more experience and knowledge, but as a better person... You truly showed how much you cared about my experience here with regards to my education, but also my well-being.” Faith Golz, former Wildflower Center Summer Intern

Thank you for your support!