volunteer Program Teams

HOSPITALITY

The Hospitality Team, with direction from the Director of Horticulture & Garden Manager, will offer a warm, welcoming atmosphere and provide refreshments to volunteers and invited guests for specific events throughout the year.

Goal: To embody the friendly and inviting culture of the Teaching Garden at all our events, serving as the first impression of the program for new volunteers and invited guests.

Looking for volunteers who: love welcoming people with smiling faces, enjoy preparing food and drink for others and want to be an integral part of Garden events throughout the year.

HANDIWORK

The Handiwork Team, with direction from the Director of Horticulture & Garden Manager, will identify, research, plan and rectify various maintenance needs in the Garden.

Goal: To catch up deferred maintenance and implement ongoing maintenance schedules and regimes to maintain the Garden’s hardscape elements and other assets. 

Looking for volunteers who: enjoy building and fixing things, have carpentry, irrigation, hardscape, or other handyperson skills (not required), and like caring for the non-living elements in the Garden.

INVENTORY & PLANT COLLECTIONS

The Inventory & Plant Collections Team, with direction from the Director of Horticulture & Garden Manager, will implement the Garden’s New Plant Collection Inventory Program.

Goal: To research, identify, catalogue, and label every plant in the Teaching Garden Collection. 

Looking for volunteers who: Are detail oriented, have database management and data entry experience (not required), and want to improve their plant identification skills.

GARDEN TOURS

Garden tours are scheduled by TGC staff and coordinate with members of the tour team. Volunteers interested in giving Garden Tours should specify on their commitment card or contact the Garden Manager to be notified of tour trainings and tour opportunities throughout the year. Tours are to be given only by those volunteers who have completed tour training, which covers the rich history of the area, architectural details found in the Garden as well as horticultural information for each garden area.

The Garden has hosted everyone from elementary school children to gardening clubs, college level horticulture and art classes, senior independent living residents, youth 4-H clubs, Red Hat Society groups, public and private school classes, scouts, and home-schooled children. Tours are tailored for each group and last usually 45-60 minutes and cover all areas of the Garden.  

 Note: Some committees may be inactive, combined, or divided depending on levels interest and responsibilities in any given year.