CareErs in Public Horticulture
Career Category:
Plant Collections
Position Title:
Director of Conservation
Position Summary
- Coordinates programs that manage and protect threatend plants and ecosystems and conducts related research
- This position often requires a graduate or doctoral degree and 5+ years experience
- Other abilities: strong botanical knowledge and supervisory, communication, and business skills
2006 Salary Range: N/A
Career Profiles of Directors of Conservation
Dr. johnny Randall
Title
Assistant Director for Natural Areas and Conservation, North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Job Responsibilities
- Oversee the conservation and management of natural areas
- Administer rare plant programs
- Adjunct university faculty and supervise undergraduate and graduate research projects
Educational Background
- Ph.D., Botany / Ecology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- M.S., Botany, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- B.A., Biology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Practical Experience
- Biology professor (1989-1998)
- Contract botanist
- Botanical garden gardener
Favorite Part of Job
"Practicing on the ground ecosystem rehabilitation / restoration and rare plant recovery. Working with an institution and with a staff who are genuinely dedicated to conservation principles."
Advice
"Prioritize your career and life goals; find an institution that matches these goals as closely as possible; follow the golden rule."
Why is Public Horticulture a Good Career Choice?
"The public looks to professional horticulturists for guidance, which places much responsibility on us to provide sound information on plant material choices (e.g., help to prevent the spread of invasive species), planning (e.g., consider ecology and landscape design), and the world of conservation horticulture."
Dr. Ed Guerrant
Title
Conservation Director, The Berry Botanic Garden
Job Responsibilities
- I am one of two staff in charge of growing and curating the living seed collections maintained in the Berry Botanic Garden Seed Bank for Rare and Endangered Plants of the Pacific Northwest
- Conduct scientific research related to the seed bank, such as laboratory based germination studies of seeds in the collection, and field based research into rare plant reintroduction
Educational Background
- Ph.D, Botany, University of California at Berkeley, 1984
- M.A., Biology, Sonoma State College, 1977
- B.S., Botany and Zoology, University of Washington, 1972
Practical Experience
- Current position since 1989
- Assistant Professor of Biology, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR
Favorite Part of Job
"The feeling I get from doing something that is worthwhile and which will benefit society as a whole, and make the world our children and grandchildren inherit a better place than it otherwise might be."
Advice
"Follow your passion."
Why is Public Horticulture a Good Career Choice?
"In addition to making the world a better place for your effort, the workplace is beautiful, and no two work days are the same."