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Organization
Job Posted
June 30, 2022
Job Category
Job Type
Remote
No
Location
United States
Summary
Denver Parks and Recreation is seeking a Park Horticulturist to perform restoration cultivation, care, and management in mostly traditional park landscapes/gardens, as well as some natural areas in Denver. This includes many parks that are considered high profile and highly valued by both citizens and visitors to downtown Denver. This position will typically work daytime hours Monday – Friday and some weekends to accommodate volunteer groups or respond to snow removal.
DPR recognizes the importance of diversity in the representation of our organization to best serve our customers and community. To that end, DPR is committed to:
- Examining department policies and processes that value diverse perspectives and eliminate barriers to inclusion
- Identifying where inequities exist and implementing strategies to ensure equitable outcomes
- Strengthening diversity in Parks and Recreation services by transforming policies to institutionalize equity
- Reinvesting in resources aimed at ensuring DPR is an equitable and just organization
Job duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Work outdoors alongside other team members and use leadership skills to guide less seasoned workers to implement best practices in horticulture:
- Direct and perform cultivation, care, and maintenance of flower gardens, lawns, shrubs, trees, and ground covers including growing, transplanting, cultivating, trimming, spraying, fertilizing, pruning, and watering plants in a greenhouse or landscaped area
- Direct and perform restoration and management of natural areas and wildlife habitats including growing, seedling, transplanting, cultivating, or weed management
- Prepare working sketches of flower beds or water-conserving landscapes
- Prepare, fertilize, amend, or condition soils for different types of plants or plant communities
- Participate in the development of planting programs or planning restoration projects in natural open space areas
- Make recommendations for the number and types of plants to be grown in a certain location and make recommendations on weed management, as well as for the arrangement, planting, and management schedule
- Determine the kind of growing conditions such as soil, sunlight, moisture, temperature, and humidity most suitable to the variety of plants under cultivation or restoration
- Prepare reports and maintain records of plant maintenance, weed management, and/or restoration activities
- Safely utilize and maintain a variety of hand-powered tools, motorized equipment, and spray equipment:
- Mixing, preparing, and appropriately applying chemicals
- Spraying and recording noxious and invasive weeds in both natural areas and traditional turf
- Develop and modify work plans to align with innovative approaches and best practices and utilize staff to accomplish goals and initiatives; determine work priorities and develop work schedules to provide adequate staff coverage
- Mentor staff, contribute to development of performance goals, and assist with formal HR processes
- Perform related park maintenance tasks such as trash collection, bathroom maintenance and cleaning, vandalism repair/graffiti removal, and snow removal operations
About You
We are looking for a well-rounded and passionate horticulture professional looking to contribute to Denver’s mission to beautify parks for citizens and visitors. Our ideal candidate will thrive on a team that is flexible, dynamic, and values comradery and cooperation. The ideal candidate will be able to apply best practices and maintain high quality and attention to detail in highly visible public parks. Additionally, our ideal candidate will have:
- Proficiency in caring for native plants, xeric landscapes, aquatic plants, ornamentals, and perennials
- Experience with and knowledge of best practices in care of shrubs and turf grasses
- Experience utilizing creativity to draw and implement garden designs
- Experience coordinating with seasonal staff and/or volunteers to accomplish tasks/projects
- Current Certification in Pesticide Application by the State of Colorado
We realize your time is valuable so please do not apply if you do not have at least the following required minimum qualifications:
- Education: Graduation from high school or the possession of a GED, HiSET, or TASC Certificate
- Experience: Three (3) years of experience in the cultivation and care of a wide variety of ornamental/native plants OR horticultural/ecological restoration
- Licensures/Certification(s): Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Requires Certification in Pesticide Application by the State of Colorado by completion of probationary period. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment
- Equivalency: Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirement except for one year of experience in the care of a wide variety of ornamental/native plants or horticultural/ecological restoration. For example, successful completion of a Master Gardener Program may substitute up to four semester hours of course work. Relevant Continuing Education Units (CEU) in horticulture or Naturalist Training Programs may substitute for three semester hours at the rate of forty-five contact classroom hours of seminars, workshops, etc. Additional appropriate experience in horticulture, botany, natural resources, range management, or horticultural/ecological restoration may be substituted for the education requirement
How to apply: