Summer Student - Botany Curatorial Intern (YCW)

About Us

The Nova Scotia Museum is part of the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage. This department supports communities across the province to be welcoming, inclusive, and accessible, providing a great quality of life for Nova Scotians.  We value the collective diversity of our natural and cultural heritage and our people and believe in the transformative nature of culture to help create healthy, active, growing communities.

About Our Opportunity

Under the direction of the Curator of Botany of the Nova Scotia Museum, the Botany Curatorial  Intern will assist the Curator of Botany in three areas: 1) digitizing data from specimens in the Nova Scotia Museum (NSM) Herbarium to assist researchers using the collections; 2) preparing and cataloguing new or recently acquired specimens; and 3) reorganizing parts of the herbarium. There may also be opportunities to assist with botanical inventory and outreach work in the field. The majority of specimen work will be with bryophytes and lichens, but strong candidates will have the opportunity to work with vascular plants, algae, and other groups as well.

The Herbarium at the Nova Scotia Museum has been an integral part of education and outreach programs, biodiversity monitoring, and research in Atlantic Canada for decades, and will continue to serve in this role in the coming years. It is home to over 60,000 accessioned specimens of plants and fungi, of which mosses and lichens comprise only a small but important part.

As a premier source of information on the flora and fungi of Nova Scotia, the NSM Herbarium serves as a hub for public engagement and participation in botanical inventory and information. These functions depend upon a well-cared for herbarium and active research and outreach programs.

Qualifications and Experience

All applicants must be registered in the Young Canada Works (YCW) online candidate inventory (https://young-canada-works.canada.ca/) and meet the eligibility criteria of the Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations (students)(https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/young-canada-works/students-graduates/heritage-organizations-students.html)

Other Qualifications Include:

• Must be currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution
• Must have strong communication and organizational skills, including attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, and have demonstrated team-work skills
• Student must be self-motivated and demonstrate an interest in natural history collections
• Past experience working in a museum would be an asset
• The ability to take direction and work on task
• Fluency in English
• Good fine motor skills and neat, legible writing are important assets
• Familiarity with major plant groups in the province is an asset
• Experience working in a laboratory setting is an asset
• Experience conducting field work would be considered an asset

Working Conditions

Physical requirements include standing, walking, crouching, working at heights, moving around for extended periods of time, exposure to dust, lifting artifacts. Some travel within the province may be required.

Additional Information

To be eligible, all applications for this posting must be received through the Province of Nova Scotia’s job competition website: https://jobs.novascotia.ca/. Please note the closing date for applications. 

All Applicants must be registered in the Young Canada Works (YCW) on-line candidate inventory (https://young-canada-works.canada.ca) and meet the eligibility criteria of the program.

This is a SUMMER STUDENT employment opportunity with anticipated start date of May 5, 2025, and end date of August 22, 2025. 

NOTE: only résumés and cover letters submitted through the Public Service Commission by the closing date will be considered. The filling of this position is contingent upon receiving funding.

What We Offer