We depend on our volunteers!
The UCR Botanic Gardens would not be viable without the donation of time and talent by our many volunteers.
Volunteer Orientation Sessions are held the second Tuesday of each month at 9am and the first Sunday of every month at 12pm in the Gardens Meeting Room.
If you are interested in learning how you can get involved, meet us at the entrance to the Gardens for one of our monthly orientations. Please wear comfortable walking shoes as the Volunteer Orientation is followed by a tour of the Gardens. Afterwards, those interested in joining us will be able to sign up that same day in a rapid onboarding process.
Volunteer Orientation Sessions
Date and time: on the second Tuesday of each month at 9am and the first Sunday of every month at 12pm
Location: Gardens Meeting Room
The UCR Botanic Gardens has hundreds of registered volunteers who make our Gardens possible. Volunteers are actively engaged and indispensable to the Gardens in the following areas:
- Docent to lead tours of the Gardens for school groups and visitors of all ages (training required)
- Horticulture (propagation, potting, pruning, weeding—training may be required)
- Events (Garden Market & Plant Sale, Art in the Gardens, Primavera, Twilight Tours, Bird Walks)
- Garden Steward (shifts on Saturdays and Sundays and weekdays as needed)
- Curatorial Assistant (identification, inventorying, mapping, labeling, using GIS)
- Office support (data entry, label and sign making, librarian)
The Gardens are open nearly every day and volunteers work with us when it is convenient for them, from Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteer Garden Stewards work shifts on Saturdays and Sundays, and event volunteers work during special weekend events such as plant sales, Primavera in the Gardens, and rose pruning demonstrations.
Be a Docent
One of the primary missions of the Gardens is to serve the community as an educational resource, and leading group tours is one of the most important ways we do this. The role of our trained Docents is to lead these Gardens tours for school children and adult groups. Being a UCRBG Docent is a great way to learn about the Gardens while fulfilling this much needed volunteer role.
How to become a Volunteer
If you are interested in volunteering please attend a Volunteer Orientation session, held on the second Tuesday of each month at 9am and the first Sunday of every month at 12pm in the Meeting Room at the entrance to the Gardens. If you would like to volunteer but are unable to attend an orientation session, please contact us at ucrbg@ucr.edu or 951-827-7092. All volunteers must fill out required paperwork and be signed up by UCR Personnel Services staff.
THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS!
An annual Volunteer Appreciation event is held to recognize the efforts of our hard-working volunteers.