Volunteers receive orientation and training. Most positions entail a one-year commitment.
Upcoming Volunteer Orientation Upcoming Volunteer Orientations - Monday, June 24th at 1pm and Monday, August 19th at 1pm Have you ever considered volunteering at the U.S. National Arboretum? Come and learn about the Arboretum’s wide variety of volunteer opportunities. The orientation will include information on the current volunteer opportunities, volunteer requirements, volunteer benefits, and how to begin volunteering. After the orientation, volunteers will have the opportunity to select their top volunteer choices. To register for this training or for more information, call the Volunteer Office at 202-245-4563 or email USNA.Volunteers@ars.usda.gov. Registration is required please contact the Volunteer Coordinator to register (see below for contact information).
Current Openings Gardeners...for various collections at the Arboretum. The majority of volunteer work is conducted from March through December, although the many volunteers work year-round. Training is provided. Tour Guides...are needed to give occasional tours during the months of mid-April through mid-October. Training is provided. Docents...are needed to staff information tables during busy spring and fall weekends. Docents answer visitor questions and provide helpful recommendations to visitors. Training is provided. Herbarium Volunteers...prepare herbarium specimens by affixing dried plant specimens and specimen labels to sheets of archival herbarium paper. Plant/Lab Volunteer…is needed to help with genomic DNA isolation, PCR analysis, media prep, growing tissue culture plants, planting bulbs, and harvesting bulbs, and routine lab chores.
Volunteer Groups Is your group seeking a one-day volunteer opportunity? The U.S. National Arboretum welcomes groups of various sizes to volunteer on the grounds and in the gardens. Volunteer groups assist with invasive species removal, weeding, mulching, and litter pick up. Group projects vary depending upon the season. Workdays are scheduled for a minimum of 3 hours to a maximum of 6 hours. Contact the volunteer coordinator for more information about scheduling a group volunteer workday.
Library Cataloging Volunteer The U. S. National Arboretum’s library (USNA library) was founded in the mid-1960s as an information resource for the Arboretum’s staff of botanists, scientific researchers, taxonomists and horticulturalists. Over the years, the library’s collection has grown to include over 11,000 monographs and approximately 140 serials on the subjects of ornamental horticulture, botany, plant taxonomy, plant exploration, and natural history. After the founding of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the Arboretum in the 1970s, the USNA library also began collecting on the subjects of bonsai, penjing, suiseki and related art forms. The USNA library holds a special collection of more than 1,000 rare botanical books. The Arboretum is seeking volunteers to assist with two separate projects.
The Arboretum is seeking volunteers with the following skills:
If you are interested in finding out more about any of the above volunteer opportunities, click here for a fillable application or please contact: USNA Volunteer Coordinator |
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Last Updated June 4, 2013 2:08 PM
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The National Arboretum has over 150 volunteers, many of whom have been with us over 15 years. Volunteers play an integral role in Arboretum programs and assist in almost every area and endeavor, performing jobs ranging from gardening to education and research support. On average more than 13,000 hours of volunteer service are provided each year. Many volunteers contribute their time and talent on weekdays, although there are some weekend positions available. We ask most of our volunteers to contribute a minimum of 4 hours weekly.
