Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve Association, Inc. · 2 days ago
Curator
New Hope, PA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$70K/yr - $75K/yr
5+ years expBowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve is a nonprofit organization focused on native plants and conservation. The curator plays a critical leadership role in managing the museum-accredited native plant collection and engaging with the community and scientific initiatives while overseeing land stewardship activities.
EventsNon ProfitRental
Hiring Manager
Peter Couchman
Responsibilities
Manage the accessioning, evaluation, inventorying, labeling and monitoring of the Museum Plant Collection with emphasis on rare, threatened and endangered (RTE) species of local provenance to establish viable populations within the Preserve
Plan and execute the seed and plant intake process of wild populations within the Northern Piedmont (Level III Ecoregion) for addition to the Preserve's Living Plant Collection
Update and maintain the comprehensive plant records database and GIS mapping system
Lead 2026-2027 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) reaccreditation process
Build and implement the annual departmental budget and collections enhancement, protection and management plan to optimize financial and material resources
Prepare a plant catalog and report of curatorial activities annually for accreditation, board and staff review
Establish nursery processes to properly collect, document and propagate native plant material for collections purposes
Perform hands-on nursery propagation and/or obtain appropriate native plant material through partner organizations and vendors to expand and enhance the collections
Retain appropriate accessioned plant material for reserve collections stock purposes
Manage all aspects of the identification and control of invasive plants using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) best practices
Ensure compliance with state and federal laws governing the use of chemical pesticides and maintain active pesticide applicator licensure for direct pesticide application
Oversee the care of special habitat areas such as meadows and ponds, utilizing appropriate equipment such as the Preserve’s Kubota tractor, zero turn mower, skid steer and others as needed
Direct all aspects of deer control, including leading seasonal deer drives, applying deer repellant in sensitive areas and working with third party deer cull organizations, USDA and PA Game commission to remove deer legally and safely
Serve as point of contact for internal and external scientific initiatives and data-collecting activities relating to IPM, phenology, environmental health and climate change, using shared data to inform management recommendations
Provide project management for medium- to large-scale planting and landscape renovation projects
Support limited hazard tree removal and trail maintenance managed the PA Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources, grounds management staff and volunteers
Establish and cultivate relationships with government entities, organizations and private landowners to identify and obtain native plant material through offsite collection
Steward academic relationships and partnerships in science and research
Represent the Preserve externally through professional symposia and partner organization initiatives
Recruit, educate, train and support volunteers to assist with collections, inventories and invasive plant removal efforts
Lead the Preserve’s Collections Committee and serve as key member of senior staff leadership team
Support limited Preserve fundraising initiatives and education programs managed by their respective departments
Other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Master's degree in botany, curation, plant science or related field
Minimum of five years of work and field experience
Possess or obtain an active P.A. pesticide applicator's license
Extensive knowledge of native plants of the Mid-Atlantic region
Conversant in ecological principles to audiences of all sizes
Excellent people skills
High attention to detail
Excellent computer skills are strongly preferred, especially database management
Valid driver's license with clean driving record
Experience with motor vehicles and equipment, including tractors & attachment, mowers, skid steer and dump truck
Ability to lift 50 lbs. and to perform strenuous physical tasks in all weather and temperature conditions
Benefits
Health insurance cost-sharing program
Generous paid time off policy
401(k) retirement plan
Employee discounts
Complimentary Preserve membership
Company
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve Association, Inc.
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that showcases an extraordinary diversity of plants native to Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley region.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase