Garden Guide

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Our volunteer guides offer visitors a personal introduction to Garden in the Woods, Native Plant Trust, and the beauty and importance of native plants. Guides lead tours from mid-April to mid-October. Tours take about one hour and follow a mile-long trail through the woodland. Throughout the season, guides lead both informal drop-in tours at regular times (see schedule below) and scheduled tours for groups.

Who should apply?

If you like to work with people, enjoy plants, gardening, or the natural world and have time to volunteer, you might make a great guide. Guides learn about the Garden’s history, native plants, horticulture, and botany, while helping visitors make connections to the natural world. You do not need teaching experience-our guides have a variety of backgrounds and experience. Successful guides are open-minded, willing to learn, friendly, patient, reliable, and enthusiastic representatives of our organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead groups of approximately 10 people through the Garden.
• Responsible for arriving on time, checking in with the Public Programs Coordinator or Visitor Center staff, helping to greet groups, and notifying the Public Programs Department if they are unable to come as scheduled
• Must attend the multi-session spring guide training program at Garden in the Woods, become familiar with the guide training notebook, and "shadow" experienced guides three or more times before leading their first tour.

We offer tours from mid-April to mid-October, and our busiest times are May and June. We request that our guides lead a minimum of eight tours per year. Guides may sign up for weekday tours, weekend tours, or both. Guides must attend the spring guide training program. Please see the current training schedule below.

2020 Training Schedule

• Wednesday, March 18, 1-4 p.m.
• Friday, March 20, 1-4 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 25, 1-4 p.m.
• Friday, March 27, 1-4 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 1, 1-4 p.m.
• Friday, April 3, 1-4 p.m.

April-August:

• Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m.
• Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

September-October:

• Wednesday at 11 a.m.
• Saturday at 2 p.m.

In addition to discovering and sharing plants and nature with others, guides receive free admission to Garden in the Woods. Guides enjoy opportunities to learn, grow as individuals, and connect with others who have compatible interests. If you lead eight or more tours a year, you may take free classes with Native Plant Trust, space permitting. Seasonal talks and walks are also offered as refreshers.

To apply, fill out our Volgistics submission form: https://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/ap?ap=1931755435