Join our Garden Stewards Volunteers!

Save to Favorites

Would you like to spend time working outdoors with a fun group of people in one of Seattle's most beautiful parks? Come join us for a Garden Stewards gardening party. Volunteer Garden Stewards assist staff gardeners with the monumental task of maintaining the Arboretum, through weekday weeding and mulching sessions.

This program is great for anyone who wants to garden, support the Arboretum, build community, learn about plants, and/or just get some quality time in the dirt for a good cause! With no requirement for how often you must participate, it is well suited for people with time constraints that make regular volunteer commitments challenging.

When: Our program runs seasonally from mid-March to mid-November(opening and closing for the season is weather dependent). Sessions are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am-12pm (8:30-11:30 in summer and shoulder seasons).

Requirements:

• Volunteers must register for each work session, no walk ups.
• Volunteers should arrive at the start time of the session, and are asked to stay for at least 2 hours.
• There is no commitment for this program! Volunteers may attend work sessions as frequently as they can.
• You are encouraged to join at least twice a month-to stay connected with the team and keep building your weeding and plant identification skills.
• Please bring your own work gloves.
• No gardening experience necessary. Tools, and education are provided!
• You must be at least 16 years of age in order to volunteer with the Stewards without a guardian present. Youths ages 12 to 15 are welcome to participate with a guardian present at all times during the weeding session.

Who should join: Everyone!

• No gardening experience? Not a problem. Staff gardeners from UW Botanic Gardens guide our activities, and you will receive sufficient instruction to feel knowledgeable and successful on your very first session.

• An experienced gardener? Your expertise will be enhanced by working with the Arboretum’s very knowledgeable horticulture staff. Current Stewards really value the time they have to interact with the gardeners and learn about the plants in the Arboretum.

• No garden of your own, but love working with plants? Perfect-our garden becomes your garden. Several stewards (some retirees who have given up their garden, some younger people who don’t have their own gardens yet) come to experience the joy of gardening through our Garden Steward sessions.

• Love the Arboretum and want to give something back? There are many ways to give back to the Arboretum, and many of our volunteers do give in multiple ways. If you love gardening, pitching in with the Stewards is a great way to give back-and one that you can see the results of each time you walk past an area that you’ve helped maintain! It is a lovely way to create a deeper connection to the Arboretum and learn interesting facts about the historic displays you’ll be helping to care for.

• A student taking environmental, landscape, plant ID or other horticulture classes? Working with the Garden Stewards is a great way to develop hands-on field skills in your chosen area of study. Arboretum staff gardeners have a wealth of knowledge to share (many of them may have even taken the very same classes you are taking), and volunteering with the Garden Stewards program will give you valuable work-related experience as you build your CV and start your career.