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Volunteer

 Hours/Location
woman cutting back flowers

Get Your Hands Dirty at The Gardens!

Volunteers are critical to the mission of The Gardens on Spring Creek to improve lives and foster environmental stewardship through horticulture. The Gardens relies on more than 10,000 volunteer hours donated by volunteers annually.

Current Volunteers: Click here to access Engage and sign up for volunteer shifts. Having trouble using Engage? Click here for the Engage Help Guide. 

volunteers working with plants

Are you seeking group volunteer opportunities? You've come to the right place! Volunteering at The Gardens is a great way to get out of the office, connect with nature and promote teamwork in a fun and impactful way. We accept both corporate and community volunteer groups from April through October.

Note: Typical volunteer engagements are two hours in length and are available on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Who can volunteer?#

  • The Gardens accepts volunteer groups of 5–25 people.

  • Participants must be at least 14 years of age to volunteer without adult or guardian supervision.

  • Our volunteer programs support a wide range of abilities.  Please let us know on the interest form if anyone from your group requires any additional support or accommodations.

What will we do?#

The Gardens is powered by volunteers and we're grateful for your interest and support. We'll be sure to match your group's volunteering goals with The Gardens' current needs. Opportunities may include:

  • Joining our Horticulture team in various gardening projects around The Gardens. This may include gardening tasks like planting, mulching and weeding.

  • Joining our Events team to assist with one of our community events. Volunteer roles may include event setup or cleanup, or helping out in a guest-facing role during the event. These community events include our Spring Plant Sale in May, Pumpkins on Parade in October and Garden of Lights in December.

Note: Most volunteer activities take place outside and may include (but are not limited to) light lifting, reaching, carrying, standing, kneeling, and walking.

Sample Schedule#

9 a.m. Arrive onsite, learn about The Gardens’ history, mission, vision and values
9:15 a.m. Volunteer project
10: 45 a.m. Wrap up activity and measure impact
11 a.m. Explore The Gardens on your own (optional)

Ready to schedule your day at The Gardens? Submit your request now!

Group Volunteer Inquiry Form

Volunteers at The Gardens

Can't commit to an ongoing volunteer role? Not to worry! We have many opportunities for groups and individuals to volunteer at The Gardens on a less regular basis.

Join us by volunteering at an upcoming special event! No application is necessary, but you will need to create a free Engage account to sign up for shifts.

Click Here to View Available Opportunities

volunteers cutting spinach

The Purpose of The Gardens on Spring Creek Volunteer Program is to:

  • Enrich the lives of community members through our beautifully curated gardens and outstanding educational programs and events
  • Create a financially sustainable workforce
  • Educate our community about environmental stewardship through gardening

Ongoing Volunteers provide more consistent support to The Gardens' Horticulture, Education, Guest Services, Special Events, and Butterfly House teams.

Requirements for joining our Gardens Volunteer Program:

  • Must be at least 18 years of age
    • Volunteers aged 14 –17 can join as a Teen Volunteer
  • Submit an online volunteer application
  • Complete our hybrid volunteer onboarding which includes: 
    • Watching the virtual pre-recorded orientation video (45 minutes)
    • Participate in a volunteer placement conversation with staff (15 minutes)
    • Attend an optional onsite tour (1 hour)
    • Meet any additional position requirements
  • Complete a background check (only required for opportunities working with at-risk populations (children and elderly) and/or sensitive information

Please note some opportunities will require additional training.

Current Opportunities#

Each hyperlink will give you more details about the specific volunteer opportunity at The Gardens.

Butterfly House 

Volunteering in our Butterfly House is both educational and rewarding! Butterfly House volunteers are responsible for maintaining USDA containment standards, helping to ensure excellent guest experience, and enhancing guest takeaways through interpretation and education. 

Education

Gardens education volunteers help us fulfill our mission to improve people's lives and inspire stewardship through horticulture. Volunteers can assist with a variety of programs year-round, including, but not limited to, group tours, story times, camps, and outreach. A criminal background check is required for volunteers in this position. Tasks and responsibilities vary, training is provided, and all volunteers are welcome!

Horticulture 

Throughout the growing season, horticulture volunteers assist staff on weekday mornings in our outdoor gardens and greenhouse. Gardening tasks include propagation, weeding, transplanting, seeding, mulching, turning soil, deadheading, and harvesting fruits and vegetables. Outdoor gardening requires a moderate activity level and a willingness to work under varying conditions. Some adaptations can be made.

Special Events 

These opportunities occur throughout the year to assist with set-up and day-of tasks, including ticket scanning, greeting guests, crowd management, and wayfinding. Most opportunities require standing and walking around the event; however, seated opportunities are available.

teens playing in the water at The Gardens

These volunteer opportunities are designed for teens between the ages of 14 – 17 who are passionate about gardening, plants, animals, or the environment and are looking to be stewards of their community.

Build your college resume and gain valuable experience through these opportunities specifically geared toward teenagers.

Ongoing Opportunities:#

Each hyperlink below will give you more details about the specific volunteer opportunities at The Gardens.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at The Gardens on Spring Creek! Applications for summer/fall 2025 are now open!

Butterfly House: Volunteering in our Butterfly House is both educational and rewarding! Butterfly House volunteers are responsible for maintaining USDA containment standards, helping to ensure excellent guest experience, and enhancing guest takeaways through interpretation and education.

Horticulture: Horticulture volunteers assist horticulture staff on weekday mornings in our outdoor gardens and propagation in our greenhouse on different days of the week throughout the growing season. Gardening tasks include weeding, transplanting, seeding, mulching, turning soil, deadheading as well as harvesting fruits and vegetables. Outdoor gardening opportunity requires a moderate activity level and a willingness to work outside under varying conditions. Some adaptations can be made. 

Special Events: These opportunities occur throughout the year to assist with set-up and day of to include ticket scanning, greeting guests, crowd management and wayfinding. Most opportunities require standing and walking around the event, however, seated opportunities are available.

Project Hort

Project Hort, short for horticulture, is a full summer stewardship and volunteer program for teens entering 7th through 12th grade who are passionate about gardening, plants, animals or the environment.

Over the course of the summer, with staff guidance and support, teens will:

  • Volunteer at The Gardens—gardening, teaching and helping guests
  • Have an impact on their community through conservation projects
  • Make great friends with similar interests and participate in fun events

Applications for 2025 are now closed.

School’s Out! Volunteer Days

School’s out! Volunteer Days are open to all teens in 6th–12th grades and will include tasks such as gardening, seed packet filling, mulching, or other garden needs.

While connecting with other teens, you will learn more about The Gardens and additional teen volunteer opportunities available throughout the year. Come learn and grow!

2025 Dates and Themes:

  • Monday, Jan. 20 | 1 – 4 p.m.
    • Seasonal Clean Up - As we enter the New Year and our Garden of Lights celebration comes to an end, we need help cleaning up all of our holiday decor! Our afternoon will include light strand removal, breaking down displays, organizing supplies for next year, and any other clean up that needs to be done.
  • Monday, Feb. 17 |  1 – 4 p.m.
    • Great Backyard Bird Count - This global community science project helps scientists better understand bird populations before one of their annual migrations, and we get to help! We will spend the afternoon learning about the birds in our area and going out to count as many as we can.
  • Friday, April 18 |  9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
    • Earth Day - Help us make The Gardens beautiful to celebrate Earth Day! During this morning, we will be completing garden tasks that may include planting, weeding, mulching, and other spring cleaning tasks depending on horticulture needs.
  • Friday, May 16 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
    • Plant Sale - Each year, The Gardens hosts a Plant Sale of thousands of annuals and perennials that our horticulturists have been growing all year! This morning, we will assist with the event setup, including setting up tables, moving plants to their sale locations, and organizing signage.

School's Out! Sign Up