Garden jobs in Canada

Job Category: Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile: Non Union Hourly - Research Assistant / Technician 2

Job Title: LFS Indigenous Garden Coordinator

Department: Research Support | Jovel Research Group | Applied Biology Program | Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Compensation Range: $26.67 - $31.73 CAD Hourly

Posting End Date: February 1, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date: Sept 30, 2025

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff, and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

The aim of the Teaching and Research Indigenous Garden at UBC Farm is to serve educational and research needs related to Indigenous food security while increasing knowledge of and access to both traditional and non-traditional plants. This includes supporting the UBC Indigenous community, garden volunteering opportunities, and community workshops for medicine making. The Garden represents a partnership between the UBC Farm, the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, the UBC First Nations House of Learning, and other UBC Programs and Indigenous Initiatives at the Farm.

Reports to the Garden Director.

• Logistical planning of the Teaching and Research Indigenous Garden at the UBC Farm, including the creation and execution of a yearly crop plan, in consultation with the Garden Director, UBC and community partners, and medicinal knowledge-keepers.
• Maintain the Indigenous garden throughout the year in accordance with the rules and regulations of the UBC farm.
• Establish relationships and maintain liaisons with other Indigenous gardens at the UBC Farm and their participants.
• Provide talks and tours of the garden to visiting groups.
• Submit a yearly Project Proposal to the UBC Farm of all activities planned with the Indigenous Garden for the coming year.
• Coordinate monthly promotion and dissemination of garden outcomes, recruiting speakers, distributing newsletters, gathering feedback on related health and wellness initiatives.
• Meet once a month with the UBC Farm Manager (or more frequently as needed) to maintain communication and support between UBC Farm and Indigenous garden.
• Organize student and community volunteers to help maintain the Garden (weekly May - October, biweekly November - April) and to help harvest, cook and serve food at community celebrations.
• Assist students, staff, faculty and community members conducting research projects related to the Indigenous Garden by acting as a site liaison and providing on-the-ground support based on research needs.
• Harvest and distribute food and medicine plants to the Indigenous community through community and youth workshops (medicine, tea, and tobacco pipe mix-making), the community meals, and providing garden volunteers with harvest to take home.
• Write and submit a year-end report to the Garden Director outlining successes, challenges and recommendations from all of the research, visits/tours, and workshops that have occurred through the garden, monthly attendance and guests, and garden/crop reports.

The incumbent works with others to determine planning of the garden taking into account available resources. Failure to do so means projects undertaken can lack adequate resources, affecting the quality of the work and diminishing the benefit to others. The candidate is accountable for developing and maintaining relationships. Inaccurate, inappropriate or ineffective communications may seriously affect the image and reputation of the Faculty in this partnership, as well as have implications for ongoing funding.

Works independently, periodically meeting with the Director to discuss her/his work, review existing projects, and establish new projects and priorities.

May supervise or organize students and community volunteers.

High school graduation, some additional training in a related field and a minimum of two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

• Prefer undergraduate degree in Indigenous Studies, Global Resource Systems.
• Prefer work experience and/or knowledge of traditional & non-traditional native plants and Indigenous people.
• Ability to develop and maintain cooperative and productive working relationships.
• Ability to deal effectively with a diversity of people.
• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.
• Possess commendable organizational skills.
• Able to lift 50 pounds and work in outdoor conditions.