Nursery Assistant

Job Mission

The Nursery Assistant supports the Nursery Manager in the production of diverse native Hawaiian plants and canoe crops used in Terraformation’s restoration projects. This role assists with daily nursery operations, including plant propagation and maintenance, irrigation, inventory management, and facility maintenance, while helping ensure plants are healthy and field-ready for restoration efforts on schedule.

The Nursery Assistant will work closely with the Nursery Manager, Seed Bank team, and Restoration team to support plant production goals and restoration timelines. The position also includes occasional field work, such as seed collecting, planting, and mapping, to support restoration projects across Hawaiʻi.

This role requires strong attention to detail and organization, a willingness to work outdoors in tropical conditions, and the ability to use digital tools such as Terraware to support nursery management and restoration tracking. The Nursery Assistant contributes directly to Terraformation’s mission of scaling global forest restoration and helping solve climate change.

Job Type: Full-time (40 hrs a week)

Location:  On-site at Terraformation nurseries in Hawaiʻi (primarily Kailua-Kona and partly at our Waimea Nursery at Lālāmilo) with occasional field work and travel to restoration sites.

Salary: $23-$25 per hour, plus benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401k, PTO, paid holidays, and sick leave) plus equity (depending on location and experience)

Nursery Operations

• Assist the Nursery Manager with daily operations across Terraformation nursery sites.
• Support plant propagation and care activities, including seed sowing, up-potting, labeling, watering, irrigation maintenance, and monitoring plant health.
• Assist with pest and disease management, CRB panel trap monitoring, and data logging.
• Maintain clean, organized nursery spaces, infrastructure, tools, supplies, and equipment.
  Support plant propagation and care activities, including seed sowing, up-potting, labeling, watering, irrigation maintenance, and monitoring plant health.
• Prepare and stage plants for field deployment while supporting safe nursery operations and team safety protocols.

Inventory & Data Management

• Use Terraware to record plant production, nursery inventory, and plant withdrawals.
• Assist with regular nursery inventory counts and plant tracking.
• Record propagation activities and plant status updates in Terraware.
• Support data collection and documentation of nursery experiments and trials.

Seed Bank & Restoration Support

• Assist with seed collecting, cleaning, sorting, and preparation for propagation.
• Work with the Seed Bank and Restoration teams to ensure plant production aligns with project needs.

Field Work

• Participate in field activities, including native seed collection, restoration outplanting, planted site monitoring, mapping, and data collection using mobile apps such as ArcGIS Field Maps and Terraware.
• Assist with transporting plants and supplies to restoration sites.

Team Support

• Communicate regularly with the Nursery Manager regarding plant health, inventory, and operational needs.
• Assist with nursery tours, volunteer days, and educational events when needed.
• Represent Terraformation’s mission through professional conduct and teamwork.
• Attend team meetings that might require travel.

• Interest in forestry, horticulture, agriculture, or ecosystem restoration.
• Experience with plants, nurseries, farms, landscaping, or restoration projects preferred.
• Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions and hike in remote areas for extended periods.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs, stand and sit for long periods, and perform fine-motor tasks.
• Comfortable using smartphones, tablets, Google Suite, and other digital tools for data entry and learning new software.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational, communication, and teamwork skills.
• Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.

• Experience with native Hawaiian plants, nursery operations, plant propagation, or restoration field work such as seed collection and outplanting.
• Familiarity with GIS/mapping tools (e.g., ArcGIS Field Maps), Terraware, or other digital nursery management systems.
• Understanding of Hawaiian culture and its relationship to ecosystem restoration.

About Terraformation

Terraformation is committed to addressing climate change through the power of native forest restoration. Our portfolio of high-quality projects is designed to restore forests that will remove high quantities of carbon, renew ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and create sustainable long-term community income and benefits. Our project teams have planted over one million biodiverse and native trees, stored 131 million seeds, supported 19 forestry projects, and created over 700 jobs through reforestation efforts worldwide. 

Our innovative approach not only equips local forestry teams with training, technology, and access to capital, but also empowers businesses to be a part of the solution to climate change. By investing in our projects, businesses can directly address climate change, offset carbon emissions, meet net zero commitments, and enhance corporate sustainability initiatives. 

Terraformation’s mission-driven global team, which includes experts in forest science, carbon markets, operations management, and business development, demonstrates how diverse backgrounds drive innovation and create significant impact.

Learn more at terraformation.com

We are an equal-opportunity employer.  We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, where relevant.