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Volunteering at the National Arboretum

The National Arboretum’s staff is supported by a dedicated group of volunteers who participate in nearly every area of the Arboretum’s work, including the gardens, laboratories, research fields, herbarium, and archives. Volunteering is an opportunity to connect with our collections, learn new skills, meet other horticulture enthusiasts, and make a real contribution to the Arboretum’s mission.

What You Should Know

  • No green thumb or plant science background needed!
  • We ask all volunteers to commit to:
    • At least one 4-hour shift per week, and
    • One year (12 months) of volunteer service.

  • Short-term opportunities are not currently available, although single-day service opportunities for groups may be.
  • Gardening volunteers work outdoors year-round and should be comfortable with physical labor and varying weather conditions.
  • Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
  • Because the National Arboretum is a government facility, all volunteers must undergo a mandatory federal background check.

Volunteer Application Process

Step 1: Decide Where You’d Like to Volunteer.
Review the current volunteer openings on this page and pick one or more that sound exciting and fit your schedule for the next year.

Step 2: Email the Volunteer Coordinator
Send an email to USNA.Volunteers@usda.gov to let us know you’re interested. The volunteer coordinator will be in touch with more information and to schedule one or more initial trial shifts.

Step 3: Try it Out!
We understand that volunteering at the National Arboretum is a big commitment. Trial shifts give prospective volunteers the chance to explore the role and meet other volunteers and Arboretum staff.

Step 4: Background Check & Badging
Because the National Arboretum is a government facility, all volunteers must complete fingerprinting and a background check. This is federal policy, and we are unable to make exceptions to it.
Once the background check is complete, new volunteers are issued an ID badge.

Step 5: Begin Officially Volunteering!
Once you’ve received your badge, you’re ready to start as an official US National Arboretum volunteer!

Current Volunteer Openings

We are currently recruiting volunteers to work in the following areas. Prior gardening or other experience isn’t required.

Arboretum Archives

Time: Weekday mornings, 4 hours per week, year-round

Duties: Digitizing photographs and slides and assisting with organizing other historical records.

Working Conditions: Work is conducted indoors in a climate-controlled space.

Asian Collection

Time: Thursday mornings, 4 hours per week, year-round

Duties: Typical volunteer work in the Asian Collection includes weeding, pulling vines, planting, cutting back perennials, mulching, occasional pruning, and removing plant debris.

Working Conditions:This garden is a mixture of sun and shade exposure. It is the Arboretum’s hilliest collection, and volunteers should be comfortable working and climbing sloped surfaces on both paved and maintained dirt walkways.

Azalea Collection

Time: Tuesday mornings, 4 hours per week, year-round

Duties: Typical volunteer work in the Azalea Collection includes weeding, pruning deadwood, pulling vines, maintaining trails, planting, cutting back perennials, and removing plant debris.

Working Conditions:This garden offers a fair amount of shade.

Boxwood and Perennial Collections and Friendship Garden

Time: Thursday and/or possibly Wednesday mornings, 4 hours per week, year-round

Duties: In addition to the ever-present need to weed, current projects that volunteers assist with include replanting areas of the Friendship Garden and dividing daylilies and daffodils in the Perennial Collections. If you enjoy mulching, this is the volunteer opportunity for you!

Working Conditions: These gardens are primarily in full sun with some areas of shade.

Fern Valley Native Plant Collection

Time: Tuesday mornings*, 4 hours per week, year-round

Duties: Fern Valley volunteers primarily help remove invasive plants and other unwanted herbaceous and woody plant materials.

Working Conditions:This garden offers a fair amount of shade.

*Other days may be available for those with training/experience who are willing to work independently.

Holly & Magnolia Collection

Time: Monday* mornings, 4 hours per week, year-round

Duties: Weeding and some pruning, as these species produce fair amounts of deadwood, suckers, and water sprouts.

Working Conditions: This garden is a mixture of sun and shade exposure.

*Tuesday and Thursday mornings may also be available.

National Herb Garden

Time: Tuesday mornings, 4 hours per week, mid-February through mid-December

Duties: Weeding, planting, cutting back plant material, mulching, and occasional pruning.

Working Conditions: This garden is mostly in full sun with minimal areas of shade.

Interested in Learning More?

Email the volunteer coordinator at USNA.Volunteers@usda.gov to learn more and apply to volunteer. We look forward to talking with you!

Page last updated July 2026.