SUMMARY: Assists in the maintenance of gardens and grounds throughout City Park.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES (Other duties may be assigned):

• Assist with landscape maintenance, restoration, and design in assigned areas
• Install and cultivate functional and ornamental plants with desire to learn south Louisiana plant material
• Ability to visualize, plan and execute garden aesthetics with focus on detail
• Prioritize maintenance that facilitates plant health through understanding of soil nutrition, sustainable gardening and Integrated Pest Management
• Transplant and prune shrubs and small trees
• Weed, mulch and irrigate landscaped areas
• Monitor and identify potential pests or diseases and treat accordingly
• Remove and replace unhealthy plant material
• Schedule, prepare, and apply fertilizers and pesticides with properly calibrated fertilizer, pesticide, and herbicide applicators
• Operate and maintain, through minor repairs, common horticultural equipment, irrigation systems and tools
• Operate City Park equipment including but not limited to vehicles, small garden tractors, small engine machines and other equipment necessary
• Reporting of graffiti, large debris, or other unwanted items on park grounds so they are immediately addressed
• Pickup and removal of all loose paper and debris in assigned area
• Removal of all debris, including tree branches, tires, dead animals, furniture, car parts and any other unwanted debris that is left on park grounds.
• Assisting other team members and departments as necessary

Qualifications and education requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university preferred; two or more years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Louisiana State Pesticide Certification highly preferred
• A valid Louisiana driver’s license
• Knowledge of irrigation systems and repairs helpful
• Knowledge of southern Louisiana plant material

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, high, precarious places, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, extreme cold and heat, risk of electrical shock, explosives and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Sustainability Goals:

City Park employees must strive to decrease our environmental footprint by continually seeking ways to reduce waste and energy usage, care for natural Park habitat and wildlife, and to serve as models to our patrons to do the same through education and example.