Rachel Brinkman, Manager of Horticulture

I have always been interested in plants, but my enthusiasm was catalyzed by my first summer job as a horticulture research assistant at Guelph University. Since then I have gradually added to my plant knowledge. After graduating from Cornell University, I worked as a shared technician for two Cornell Department of Horticulture faculty, Ken Mudge in agroforestry and Neil Mattson in floriculture. This work enabled me to explore a wide range of interesting subjects from forest farming gourmet mushrooms, to greenhouse care of herbaceous annuals, to tissue-culturing orchids. In 2011 I worked with the Worcester Asian longhorn beetle (ALB) eradication project, and spent a brief period as a transmission utility forester. My work experience thus far leads me to anticipate a career in the public gardens field.

My relationship with the Arnold Arboretum started in 2011 as a volunteer for the visitor’s education department then progress to the horticulture apprentice in 2012 and a year later became a full-time horticulturist. Now-a-days I have progressed to become the assistant manager of horticulture to oversee the Arboretum’s internship programs and IPM program along with helping out with the day-to-day horticulture operations.