Volunteering

Bob Price, the Garden's First Volunteer

Volunteers receive free membership to the Gardens including:

• Unlimited Garden entry
• Free classes, workshops, and events
• Discounts in the restaurant, store, & nursery
• Receive one free guest pass for every 20 hours of scheduled garden service.
• Put your energy and creativity into the important mission of the Gardens.
• Enrich your life with stimulating projects and learning opportunities.
• Get to know the Garden staff and other volunteers by collaborating and learning with them.
• Meet and share your knowledge with local plant enthusiasts and visitors from around the world.
• Celebrate the joys of volunteering at our volunteer appreciation potluck.

HOW TO BECOME A GARDEN VOLUNTEER:

• Volunteers are strongly encouraged to begin their involvement here by attending a volunteer training session. The next scheduled volunteer training days are listed on our Calendar of Events. Advanced registration is requested.
• After their initial training, volunteer trainees will be mentored by a senior volunteer until they can be checked off on the following:
• Knowing the Garden’s mission & contributing toward it
• Knowing and following the garden’s policies
• Guiding the standard 1:00 pm garden tour
• Treating others at the garden with kindness & respect
• Once the volunteer coordinator has checked off a volunteer trainee, they will be issued their volunteer membership, valid until the end of that calendar year and conditional upon their continued service.

I JUST WANT TO VOLUNTEER:

• For those who are not interested in an extended volunteer commitment but would still like to lend a hand for a day (or a few), please check our calendar of events for occasional group volunteer activities including planting or highway cleanup.
• Another option is to request to shadow another volunteer. You may make your request with our volunteer coordinator by emailing info@vbgardens.org with your availability and the type of work you would like to do.

WHAT DO GARDEN VOLUNTEERS DO?

Garden Volunteers take on a variety of different duties and projects at the Garden:

• Horticulture: Propagating plants in the nurseries, planting, weeding & preparing cuttings
• Education: Guiding tours, teaching classes or workshops at the Gardens or local schools
• Conservation: Assisting in reforestation and environmental protection
• Representing the Garden at the Old Town Farmer’s Market and other external venues
• Promoting the Gardens, its projects, & events onsite or with local businesses and organizations
• Landscaping, trail work, and construction
• Administrative work including membership services and record keeping.
• Some valuable volunteer work can be done from the comfort of your own home:
• -Writing: Volunteers may always submit articles, pictures, or poems to our newsletter “The Leaflet.” Volunteers practiced in writing grant applications can assist us in that capacity.
• Translating: We always have a pile of documents to translate, many of which are directly linked to public education and serving our visitors.
• Many more opportunities are possible. Put your skills and talents to work here by finding or dreaming up projects that take merit your abilities – or learn new skills by trying something different. Learn the needs of the Garden and communicate how you can help out the most, while making your experience here your reward.
• Volunteers who wish to contribute generously to the Gardens from their personal finances, family trusts, or commit to fundraising for the Gardens in the local or international communities may consider applying for consideration on our Board of Directors. Board Membership is a serious commitment. An often repeated quote within non-profits is, “Of work, wealth, and wisdom a board member should contribute at least two.” Volunteers who are interested in joining our board should have a personal conversation with the Garden’s curator or executive director.

POLICIES:

• Volunteers commit to a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer service per year. This can be done in as few as 6.25 eight hour days or 12.5 four hour days. We request that volunteers minimally commit to our busiest hours of 12:00-3 pm each time they volunteer at the Gardens.
• Volunteers will check in with the volunteer coordinator upon their arrival and departure and log their hours of service at the front desk before they leave.
• If a volunteer cannot make it to a scheduled volunteer commitment, that volunteer will send an email to the volunteer coordinator and the volunteer email list requesting coverage with as much advanced notice as possible.
• Volunteers act in accordance with the Garden’s mission and represent the Garden professionally and courteously at all times.
• Volunteers will dress in attire appropriate for their duties and wear their uniform shirt and name tag when volunteering.
• Volunteers will respond in a timely fashion to correspondence from Garden staff and fellow volunteers.