The Trustees manages fifty-six community gardens across eight Boston neighborhoods. These gardens are important sources of food access, open space, and community-building opportunities for the residents who garden in them and live nearby. The Trustees' Boston Community Gardens engagement staff offer educational workshops and community celebrations in these gardens during the spring, summer and fall along with online educational programs throughout the year, particularly in the winter.

The Trustees partners with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) to install two workplace gardens at BCBSMA campuses in Quincy and Hingham, and to provide ongoing garden education, maintenance, plants and other supplies, and consultation for both gardens. Blue Cross associates plant, maintain, and harvest garden plots under the guidance of the Garden Program Coordinator. The food is taken home by associates with a sizable portion being donated to local hunger relief efforts.

The Garden Program Coordinator operates the Blue Cross garden program and, in collaboration with the Boston Engagement Manager, runs workshops and events spanning the Boston Community Gardens. The position gives on-the-ground and virtual gardening guidance to BCBSMA associates and performs garden operations and upkeep. The coordinator works with the Engagement Manager to plan, promote and implement garden education and community building programs across the Trustees' fifty-six Boston Community Gardens and two Reservations in Milton.

The position is based out of the Trustees' Boston office at 200 High Street although most of the work takes place in the field: at the Quincy and Hingham Garden sites, in various Boston Community Gardens, at City Natives nursery in Mattapan, and remotely. The position reports to the Trustees' Boston Engagement Manager and assists with other Trustees events in Greater Boston, particularly during the off season.

Essential Functions

Blue Cross Garden Program:

• Lead weekly work session sat each site and/or run weekly virtual garden hours

• Communicate via email with gardeners to inform them of tasks, answer questions and address garden needs and issues

• Run monthly workshops at each site and/or online

• Purchase and transport program supplies to each garden site as needed

• Perform garden planting and maintenance

• Communicate with Blue Cross staff supervising the garden program

• Meet with BCG Engagement Manager on a regular schedule

• Coordination with BCBSMA Facilities team for water, waste removal & infrastructure issues as needed

• Maintain common areas including pathways, fences, and other infrastructure, including regular string trimming

• Collect garden data and help with compiling annual report

• Take photographs and generate social media content about the garden

Boston Community Gardens Programs

• Teach in-garden and online workshops and classes, as appropriate

• Create and post content for Instagram and Facebook, including program promotions

• Lead program outreach via flyers, newsletters, online calendars

• Co-facilitate semi-annual Master Urban Gardener course

• Help to plan and execute annual Gardeners’ Gathering conference

• Assist with plant propagation and care at City Natives nursery as needed

• Minimum 3 years’ gardening experience

• Minimum 3 years’ experience with garden education or public programming

• Thorough and demonstrated knowledge of organic gardening techniques, including intensive growing, intercropping, vertical gardening, no-till methods, and water conservation

Experience with:

• Zoom facilitation

• Landscape maintenance, light construction and repairs

• Native plants, gardening for pollinators, and perennial care preferred

• Social media outreach and flyer design preferred

Other Requirements:

• Must have reliable transportation

• Background check required, but a criminal record will not necessarily disqualify candidates

Working Environment

Both indoor office/remote work and outdoor work in gardens and nursery, including in variable weather conditions.

Physical Demands

Ability to stand for periods of time, navigate uneven ground, and lift 40 pounds required.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time position with generous benefits, based at the Boston Office with frequent travel across Boston and to Hingham and Quincy, with some remote work allowed. Salary range is $48,000 - $52,000, depending on experience.

About The Trustees

The Trustees places are open to all, and we thrive by involving as many people as possible in what we do. Founded in 1891 by a group of visionary volunteers, we preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts. We aim to protect special places for future generations to enjoy in perpetuity. We have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 27,000+ acres on more than 120 reservations that are open to the public. We are a non-profit conservation organization funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and our 100,000 Member households.

The Trustees offers competitive compensation, as well as the opportunity to be part of a dedicated team across the Commonwealth who love the outdoors and the distinctive charms of New England, and who believe in celebrating and protecting our special places, for everyone, forever.

The Trustees is a proud equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any protected status including, but not limited to, age, race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, nation of origin, religion, or disability status and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ applicants. We aspire to reflect and effectively serve the residents and communities of Massachusetts, who are at the core of our mission.

Our commitment to advancing the organization’s vision for this work may be found here: Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion and Equity