Parks Center Gardener

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Volunteer - Parks Center Gardener

Washington Parks & People seeks to grow city-wide park-based community health and vitality through innovation and partnerships. We own and operate the stunning Josephine Butler Parks Center opposite historic Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park in NW DC, where we began work 27 years ago leading the internationally acclaimed reclamation of that site, America’s first national park for the performing arts. The Parks Center, a 40-room Renaissance Revival mansion also known as the Embassy of the Earth, was built to be the home of the Vice President, but instead became the Embassy of Brazil and later Hungary. It then fell on hard times until Parks & People began its transformation in 1998 into a lasting green community incubator and living museum of the urban parks and greening movement.

We are seeking a person who has gardening experience and a desire to help keep the gardens surrounding our Parks Center home flourishing.

So do you have a few hours a week to dedicate your green thumb to an vital non-profit that is reclaiming parklands all over the city? Do you miss having a yard or green space where you can get your hands in the soil? Do you wish you had a garden where you could work to unwind and regenerate? Do you like making a difference by using your gifts to provide beauty to others? Do you want to help the environment and promote urban greening across the District? Do you want to help the land tell its stories and inspire others to care for the Earth? If you answered yes to one or all of these questions, please consider volunteering as Parks Center Gardener.

Please take a look at the following areas where we need garden assistance and see what you think!

Gardener responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Work with Parks & People to decide priority garden stewardship and improvement tasks
• Learn and train others in sustainable land stewardship practices
• Weed and water
• Assist in mulching garden beds
• Sweep/rake
• Mow the lawn during the growing season
• Plant seasonal flowers
• Do light pruning
• Plant/replace shrubs/perennials if needed
• Work with and lead other garden volunteers
• Help lead volunteer stewardship of Meridian HIll/Malcolm X Park across the street
• Be the WPP Garden Ambassador to help spread the Parks & People message
• Welcome all visitors who pass by or enter the Parks Center grounds

Washington Parks & People is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its hiring or any other practices on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, ethnicity, national origin, age, or sexual orientation. People of color and residents of Washington, DC are strongly encouraged to apply.