Dson Connected: The Bower Summer 2026 Internship - Multiple Roles
UPCOMING INFO SESSION:
Interested students are encouraged to attend the online info session about The Bower and its internship opportunities that is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Register on Handshake to sign up and receive the Zoom link.
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Dickinson alumni Jane ('73) and Bill ('75) Allis have created various internship opportunities for Dickinson students with The Bower, a native plant garden and sculpture park that they founded, designed, and operate. The Bower is about 25 minutes north of Dickinson in Perry County, Pennsylvania.
Requests for information are welcome. Please send a letter of interest with contact information and a brief description of relevant education and experience and/or resume to gardenbower@gmail.com.
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Dickinson Internship Program
NOW ACCEPTING INTERNSHIP APPLICATIONS FOR 2026
Business: The Bower: A Native Plant Landscape and Sculpture Park (The Bower)
Areas of Interest: Native plant horticulture, biodiversity monitoring, plant research, plant nursery, land stewardship, forestry conservation, arts, writing, education, business.
Business Description: The Bower is a rural public garden and managed landscape on 36 acres in Perry County, approximately 25 minutes north of Carlisle, PA. The privately owned venue, open free to the public, features native plant gardens, enhanced meadows, commissioned sculptures and an encircling forest wildland. Located within the commonwealth designated Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Landscape of the Appalachian Mountains, The Bower is organically operated, leveraging horticulture and land stewardship to promote native plant communities and a bio-diverse environment. At The Bower our mission is focused upon stewardship, education, and learning. Following two years of planning, design, construction and installation, we are now entering our 6th year of operation.
The Bower is open to the public seasonally between mid-May and October. Open on select days of the week predominantly by appointment; the public can attend privately in small groups or individually. In 2025, the venue was also open a few times a month for public garden days. This practice will continue in 2016. The Bower offers tours, educational workshops, music events, and catered lunch and dinner opportunities. Along with public visitation, we have provided retreats and tours to multiple state agencies, other public gardens, conservation groups, educators and student groups.
The Bower is now in an active phase of program development and business planning addressing issues of plant research, gallery development, art procurement and land art installations, education and workshops, music and theater opportunities, marketing and engagement, and technology (including GIS development for plant collection and planning, and production of digital assets). As our development shall be deliberate and conducted over several years, we envision providing future internship, apprenticeship and flexible part and full-time employment opportunities.
Internship Opportunities: This posting offers an opportunity for interested student interns to engage in a diverse set of activities focusing on land ethics, management of a biodiverse landscape, horticulture, creative activities, and interfacing with the public. While this opportunity describes a land stewardship position, we welcome conversations about other areas of the program for which an applicant may have interest.
Land Steward Internship: This internship begins in May and extends through the summer months or into the fall through October. An intern may be extended into the school year with more flexible on/off site work opportunities (e.g. GIS, web research, writing, digital content).
The intern will gain hands-on experience identifying and cultivating native plants in a botanic garden, as well as in wilder areas, also requiring removal/control of non-desirable plant species that hinder biodiversity.
Depending on the student’s availability, the internship can provide 8-16 hours per week at The Bower. Certain activities may be conducted remotely, if appropriate.
Interns will be mentored by the founders/owners, Jane and Bill Allis, and may also work alongside our retained native plant landscape firm, Feather and Fern Wildscapes, and/or other contractors.
Activities may include:
- Activities associated with setting the garden up for season opening and closing.
- Land forming (hand excavation and placement) activities in pond/pools area and for land art creation
- Creating pathway enhancements and sculptural elements with biomass
- Nurturing seeded and potted native nursery plants
- Planting media prep and compost production
- Planting into gardens, meadow, forest, and wetland landscape areas
- Garden maintenance as initially guided by staff (cutback, edging, pruning, support, editing)
- Managing removal of non-desirable plants that can reduce biodiversity that are in various parts of the property and will be specifically designated by staff. All removal shall be according to organic, non-chemical means, mostly pulling and cutting.
- Trail and path maintenance
- Sculpture maintenance
- Noting insect-plant interactions, potentially as part of research
- Helping with small plot research on non-desirable plant control through establishment of highly competitive native plants
- Monitoring, record keeping, journaling, plant collection recordation
- Answering incidental questions from public visitors
- Other activities that add to the visitor experience as needed
- Management of own personal safety (safety equipment provided)
The Bower culture is a welcoming and creative space, where owners and employees are engaged as a team. We strive to learn from one another and enjoy hard physical work in a relaxed team atmosphere. Interns will be expected to log their daily actions and observations. Tools and safety equipment are provided. Flexible with work hours if needed. Interns will be paid monthly at the minimum, experience dependent, rate of $15/hr. plus a gas travel stipend. Interns will be provided lunch and an unpaid lunch break. The ideal candidate is passionate about ecology and eager to learn more about the native plants of the Kittatinny Ridge landscape. Strenuous manual labor and labor in all types of weather is expected.
Please note that The Bower is approximately 12 miles from Carlisle, with a 20–25-minute commute.
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Application Instructions:
Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Application by Friday March 6, 2026, is requested.
- Please send a letter of interest with contact information and a brief description of relevant education and experience and/or resume to gardenbower@gmail.com.
- A virtual interview will be set up for potential applicants.