Volunteer with the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

• Do you enjoy being outside?
• Would you like to learn new skills?
• Are you looking for a way to give back to the community?

Consider volunteering with the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden! It’s a rewarding place to spend your time with lots of team camaraderie and learning. LEARN MORE

In 2022, we are seeking new volunteers to join our gardening volunteer teams. Trainings will be offered in winter and include a combination of expert instruction and hands-on projects. There will be a $20 materials fee due at your team’s first scheduled training date.

Space is limited. Applications are due by January 31, 2022.

If you have questions, please contact Roxanne Loe at (530) 752-4880 or rgloe@ucdavis.edu.

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Time Commitment

One year (and hopefully longer 😘 ). Volunteers that go through specialized training for these positions are asked to commit to at least one year of time with our program. Afterwards, teams meet weekly, one weekday a morning, for 3 hours. Of course we are flexible! You don't have to sign anything formal, we just ask you to consider this goal before applying.

Training Class Schedule

Due to the surge in the Omicron variant, we have made a couple of changes to our typical training format. We are postponing the start of the training by a couple of weeks, condensing it into 4 weeks instead of 6, and moving to a hybrid format in which the lecture portion is conducted virtually over Zoom (rather than in a classroom). Training for all new volunteers will take place on Tuesdays from 9-10 a.m. over Zoom and Thursdays from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. in person (except the first week), Feb. 8 – Mar. 3. During these sessions, participants learn about plants and plant care from professional horticultural staff.

Training dates: Tuesdays (2/8-3/1) 9-10 a.m. on Zoom; Thursdays (2/10-3/3) 10-12 p.m. in-person workday (except the first week).

Which volunteer teams are recruiting?

Gardening Volunteers

Gardening Volunteers work in weekly teams on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday mornings to help maintain and beautify Arboretum and Public Garden landscapes. Each team focuses on a different area; volunteers work in collaboration with horticultural staff. Training topics will include herbaceous perennial and ornamental grass maintenance, weed management, planting, pruning, tool care, plant id and nomenclature, and landscape safety in a public garden.

Training dates: Tuesdays (2/8-3/1) 9-10 a.m. on Zoom; Thursdays (2/10-3/3) 10-12 p.m. in-person workday (except the first week).

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Nursery Assistant Volunteers

Nursery Assistant Volunteers help the nursery staff produce and care for ornamental plants in a container nursery. They propagate plants by seed and cuttings, coordinate irrigation needs with staff and irrigate plants if needed, repot plants, weed and prune plants, rake leaves, lift and carry plants, wash pots, clean and organize. Volunteer nursery assistants keep propagation records and nursery inventory, print tags, and record all activities as necessary.
Nursery assistants commit to one shift per week for approximately three hours. Nursery work groups meet 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday mornings.

Training dates: Tuesdays (2/8-3/1) 9-10 a.m. on Zoom; Thursdays (2/10-3/3) 10-12 p.m. in-person workday (except the first week).

APPLY NOW!