Help
Volunteer
Central Gardens depends on volunteers to keep the grounds beautiful, welcome 20,000 plus annual visitors, help with events, assist with office tasks, and do a myriad of other jobs. We have many options that can help the Gardens remain vibrant while providing you with opportunities to meet other generous people and have great fun in the process! As one volunteer put it, “I started volunteering at the Gardens because I love flowers. Little did I know that I’d also grow a host of new friends!”
Volunteer
Ways to Help Out
Keep the Grounds Beautiful
If gardening is your passion and you like to play in the dirt, you can help us with planting, watering, weeding, and pruning. We have more than 35 volunteers who adopt a specific garden and nurture it throughout the growing season. Others like to help out on Wednesdays as part of the Down and Dirty crew, doing routine garden chores with guidance from someone on the Design team. Children are welcome to come volunteer with adults as well! If you enjoy a bit of heavy lifting or hauling, we can find jobs for you, too!
Support Youth Programming
Are you a nature lover who enjoys engaging with children? The Bee Happy Discovery Garden may just be the place for you! Time commitments can vary to meet your
availability. There is a program for all ages and at each level we aspire to provide youth with an interactive garden space that inspires curiosity, builds knowledge, kindles passion and strengthens respect for all living things. Check out our full list of youth programs!
Get involved with our many Events
Most of our numerous summer events are planned and staffed by volunteers, and we would love for you to be part of our volunteer community! We plan and host over 70 free events, including golf croquet, line dancing, a plein air paint out, Sunday evening
Picnics and Performances, and MANY more.
Promote the Gardens and Memberships
We welcome over 20,000 guests annually to the Gardens, and we’re always interested in bringing in more people, so marketing the wonders of Central Gardens in a variety of venues is a great volunteer opportunity. We also depend upon memberships to continue to beautify the grounds and offer our many events. Recruiting new supporters is critical.
ASSIST WITH OFFICE WORK AND MAINTENANCE
There are always “behind the scenes” tasks that need doing, such as addressing invitations, stuffing envelopes, and personalizing solicitation letters. Handy skills are always appreciated to meet maintenance needs, and the Nature Education Pavilion benefits from a good cleaning from time to time. There’s plenty to do and we would love to have you join our volunteer community!
Sign Up
Join Us
Whether you can spare an hour a week or an hour a day, know that we welcome your gifts of time and talent. If you are interested in joining our team and helping out, fill out the form below to connect with our director of operations!
- Marketing Team -Two more people will join the Marketing and Membership team. We need a general marketing person and a person or two with strong social media skills who are in a position to be in the gardens regularly. A curious, novice gardener would be ideal.
- Assistant Treasurer – We need an assistant treasurer and Finance Committee member to process the mail twice weekly. This job takes about an hour twice a week and requires some computer skills.
- Volunteer Coordinator – We need a person to be the Volunteer Coordinator and Board of Director Member. Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. This person will work with Volunteers to align their skills with the organization’s needs.
- Maintenance Team—We need a couple of people to join the maintenance team. This team runs the facilities day to day. Individuals need to be comfortable working with tools, getting dirty, and working with great people.
- Rental Coordinator—This person manages our event rental business and the building. Event rental is an important part of our revenue stream. This position will work with the Office Coordinator to schedule walkthroughs, answer questions, and ensure that facilities meet our expectations and revenue projections.
- Water Team Coordinator – A person who organizes and coordinates the watering team. Watering our plants is a daily task, and our wonderful crew does it. This position coordinates the schedule and will help us determine how and where to expand our watering.
Garden Adopters – A Garden Adopter tends all of our gardens. The role of the Adopter is to manage the garden every week. Adopters can be individuals, a family, small groups of friends, or even organizations. If you like to be outdoors and work in a garden, this position is for you. Experts are always on hand to assist, so if you are starting your gardening life or are experienced, we would love for you to join our team. - Event Helpers – Central Gardens hosts various special events throughout the year, such as Fresh on Friday, Picnics and Performances, and Pumpkin Palooza. Each event needs helpers to set up, host, and take down.