Our Temenos, a landscape design company in Bedford Stuyvesant, is building the next generation of urban green stewards with its horticulture internship and apprenticeship program.
Run by Rosemarie Miner, the founding principal of Our Temenos, the internship gathers five to seven people in each cohort session. Working on collaboration with Commonpoint, a Queens-based non-profit, the company and works on projects with various city organizations, including the New York Public Library.
“Our vision is that eventually public space would actually be stored in a way that's, like, ecologically functional and appropriate,” said Miner.
The worker-owned practice has dedicated itself to safe ecological standards for seven years. Over 250 hours per session, the interns learn hands-on skills, such as masonry, horticulture and other relevant skills to succeed in a landscaping career. The internship also provides a space for interns to develop their interpersonal skills and work etiquette.
“This is my first job, but as I started coming more and more often and dedicated, I've learned a lot more. I've gained the experience,” said intern Abul Ragin, 20.
Following the internship, students are urged to find jobs in landscaping, construction and other trade fields.
“I feel like with Rose, she gives us enough trust in the start so we can actually be able to do the work for her, and I think that's a big part of working with her,” said intern Udell Felurant, 19.
The internship asks students to work alongside Miner to learn the trade hands-on, from basic landscaping to intricate aesthetic detailing.
“Working with your hands, I think is better than sitting and working a nine to five. You're looking at many different environments, not just one thing every day, and that just helps you mentally, too,” said Ragin.
The woman-led company offers a refreshing contrast in a male-dominated field, an imbalance Miner hopes to shift and normalize through her work within her company and through the internship program.
“It's hard to not respect somebody who has put a lot of time and dedication into their craft,” said Miner, an artisan who has been perfecting her work for over 12 years.
She recently opened up a brick-and-mortar studio at 454 Lafayette Ave. and hopes to continue the internship as she expands the company.
“The purpose of the whole thing was to be able to let people see what we do on a regular basis. I feel it's an industry that's not very intuitive. People don't really know what's kind of happening behind the scenes unless you're in it," said Miner.
BK Reader celebrates and elevates female entrepreneurs during Women's History Month this March.
