|
 |
Volunteers
Grow at Olbrich © Learn
about the plant world ©
Make
new friends ©
Discover
new interests and abilities ©
Gain
experience for a career change ©
Participate
in the growth of one of Madison’s most popular visitor destinations ©
Enrich
your life The
Gardens Grow through the Volunteers ©
Welcome
visitors at the information desk ©
Plant,
weed, water, and prune ©
Educate
visitors of all ages ©
Help
out in the library ©
Assist
customers in the gift shop ©
Assist
staff with office work ©
Get
the conservatory ready for visitors in the morning ©
Work
on special events |
Grow
with Us
Olbrich
Gardens is a place to explore horticulture, gardening, the environment,
the beauty and the mystery of the partnership between people and nature.
Volunteer Opportunities
at Olbrich
Volunteer
involvement is central to the success of all of the programs and services
offered at Olbrich. Volunteer responsibilities and commitments differ with each
activity. In general, volunteer opportunities fall into one of three categories:
Year-round
Volunteer Opportunities
Seasonal
Volunteer Opportunities
Special Event Volunteer Opportunities
YEAR-ROUND
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Garden
Greeters
Friendly,
energetic volunteers welcome visitors to Olbrich. These ambassadors answer
questions about what’s happening at Olbrich, accept money for Conservatory
admissions and other sales, and explain Olbrich history, mission, and
membership. Smiles, communication skills, dependability, and a desire to
heighten our visitor’s experience are the only requirements. Volunteers greet
9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Greeters work 2 or more
shifts monthly.
New
in 2008: Outdoor Garden Greeters
Outdoor Garden Greeters will
be stationed throughout the outdoor gardens weekends May through October to
welcome and orient visitors—no plant expertise required. They will complement
the successful Garden Docent Program that will continue to answer garden
questions in the Thai, Rose and Herb Gardens. If you love the beauty of gardens,
enjoy welcoming visitors, and are able to commit to at least two 3-hr shifts on
weekends monthly, consider this volunteer opportunity. Training provided April
26.
Library
The
Schumacher Library is an outstanding horticultural library specializing in
resources appropriate for our region. Volunteers work with our Horticulture
Librarian to help
visitors find resources. Training is provided—library skills are not required.
Library volunteers share a love of books and a curiosity about plants. Shifts
are available daily, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Growing
Gifts Shop
Everyone who
comes to Olbrich passes the Growing Gifts Shop as they enter and exit.
It’s a very busy place that is loaded with plenty of must-have merchandise. A
part-time staff work with the help of volunteers to assist customers in the gift
shop, operate the cash register, and help with restocking, unpacking, and
marking new items. Beware: volunteers are some of the shop’s best customers!
The Growing Gifts Shop is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Conservatory
Early Birds
Ever wonder
how the staff manages to get the Conservatory ready for visitors by 10 a.m. each
morning? With the help of volunteers who assist the staff from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. by
picking up leaf litter, feeding animals, sweeping, and generally helping to
clean-up the Conservatory. Volunteers work 1-2 shifts each month.
Conservatory
Docents
Conservatory
Docents—volunteers who are trained to welcome visitors, introduce them to
plants in bloom, and make their visit more meaningful—assist in the
Conservatory on weekends. These volunteers come to Olbrich with an interest in
tropical plants, a desire to interact with visitors of all ages, and a love for
warm, humid climates. Introductory training is provided in October; ongoing
in-service training is provided monthly. Volunteer shifts are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
and 1 to 4 p.m. on weekends.
Adult
& Youth Classes
Throughout
the year, Olbrich sponsors dozens of lectures, workshops, walks in the Garden,
children’s classes, and symposia.
Volunteers
serve as Program Hosts and assist with set-up, registration, and logistics. For
youth classes, some volunteers teach while other volunteers choose to assist
with classes.
Office Help
Volunteers help with
folding, stuffing, and labeling mailings; answering phones; and all the other
important, but time-consuming tasks that are required to keep our operations,
events, and gardens going. People with clerical skills help staff as needed in
our offices.
SEASONAL
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Explorer
Program
School
children come to learn from and experience Olbrich’s living plant museum.
Volunteers partner with the staff coordinator to provide a high quality learning
experience. Volunteers are trained in March & September and work from a
developed curriculum. The Explorer Program is offered to school groups April,
May, October, and November; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 1
p.m.
Children's Vegetable Garden
Youth from area schools and community centers
come to Olbrich to learn to grow their own vegetable gardens. Volunteers partner
with the education staff to bring this valuable program to our community's young
people. Programs are Monday through Friday, either morning or afternoon, June
through August.
Garden
Docents
Do you have
an interest in sharing your love of gardens with others? Garden Docents provide
a pleasurable and educational experience for visitors in Olbrich’s Thai
Garden, Rose Garden, and Herb Garden by sharing the history of our Garden,
information about the landscape design, and basic information about the plants
in the garden. In the Thai Garden, docents also share information about the Thai
sala and cultural interpretations of the garden elements. An intensive docent
training is provided in May; volunteers host visitors in the garden Thursdays
through Sundays, June through October. Shifts are 2 or 3 hours.
SPECIAL
EVENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Leaf
Mulch Sale,
April 17 - 19, 2008
Olbrich needs
60-70 volunteers to help with
the Leaf Mulch Sale.
Volunteers direct traffic, take orders, load vehicles, and process payments.
This is a great volunteer opportunity for people who want to spend some time
outdoors helping with a very important - and fun - Olbrich special event.
Spring
Plant Sale, Set-up May
6 - 8, Sale May 9
- 10, 2008
Many hands
make light work. About 200 Olbrich volunteers help to make our Spring Plant Sale
a success. Volunteers help with greenhouse work, pot donated plants, set-up and
take-down, check-in volunteers, greet shoppers, assist shoppers in selecting
plants, hold plants for shoppers, call out prices and cashier, load cars and
direct traffic, and feed volunteers. Shifts vary—there’s a job for everyone.
Olbrich’s
Home
and Garden Tour, July 11
- 12, 2008
Volunteer
greeters and garden guides welcome Home and Garden Tour visitors at the selected
local gardens. This event is popular with visitors because volunteers make it so
easy to learn about the creative ways that homeowners have used plants to
landscape their gardens.
Olbrich’s
Blooming Butterflies
Event shifts July 16 -
August 10, 2008, Post-event shifts August 11 - August 25, 2008
During this
special event, visitors experience the wonder of strolling through a tropical
forest on a search for fleeting butterflies. About 1,000 live butterflies emerge
from chrysalises weekly in the Bolz Conservatory. It is a great adventure for
all ages. Volunteers are needed 7 days a week for 3-hour shifts as:
ü Butterfly Ambassadors: Welcome visitors before they enter the building, give OBS members their free passes, process OBS memberships
ü Butterfly Education Volunteers: Help visitors engage at the learning stations in the lobby and at the hatcheries in the Conservatory. Volunteers rotate through the shifts, getting a chance to see every aspect of the education display. Training is provided.
ü
Entrance Volunteers: Explain to visitors what they will see in the Conservatory
ü Butterfly Body Guards (August 11 - 25): Welcome visitors in the Conservatory and make sure no butterflies escape from their paradise. (This is a U.S. Department of Agriculture requirement.)
Holiday
Flower and Train Show, December
6 - 31, 2008
Each
December, Olbrich hosts 25,000 visitors during Olbrich’s Holiday
Express—Holiday Flower and Model Train Show. Volunteers welcome visitors
to this much-loved exhibit of miniature trains chugging among beautiful flowers
and holiday trees and help provide light refreshments for visitors. This is a
fun event—volunteer with a family member or friend.
On-call
Special Event Volunteers
Throughout
the year, Olbrich hosts dozens of other events that usually only require 5-10
volunteers. These volunteers set-up and assist at Member Preview Parties,
decorate for events such as Indulgence! Wine and Chocolate, and provide advance help
with Rhapsody in Bloom. If you need flexibility and don’t mind behind-the-scenes work, this may be the volunteer opportunity for you.
Contact
Information
The
Gardens are a fun and dynamic place to volunteer. Why not get involved now!
Learn more about these and many other volunteer opportunities at Olbrich
Botanical Gardens by contacting:
Marty
Petillo
Volunteer Services Manager
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
3330 Atwood Avenue
Madison, WI 53704
Phone: 608-246-5807
FAX: 608-246-4719
Olbrich Botanical Gardens is located on the north end of Lake
Monona, 4
miles north of downtown on the #3 bus line.
Open seven days a week, year round.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Madison’s Public Gardens
