Become a Volunteer
Are you interested in plants and people? The Botanical Garden offers a variety of volunteer opportunities in the areas of education/programming, conservation, propagation, and garden maintenance. You can have a fulfilling experience for yourself while helping to further the Garden's mission of conservation and education for a diverse audience.
Beyond the obvious benefits of serving your community and nature, volunteers receive the following benefits: the offer of a discounted ($25) membership (which in turn brings you a 10% discounts on plants, gifts, and class registration fees and free seeds each spring), a special volunteer newsletter, and the fun of working with and meeting people with similar interests.
Potential volunteers should download an application [PDF] and the complete list [PDF] of volunteer opportunities. For more information, call 919-962-0522 or email us.
Volunteers give tours of the Garden to school groups and others.
Some of our volunteer opportunities are described below. Download a more complete list.
Education
Horticulture: Off Site
- Battle Park Volunteers ↓
- Coker Arboretum Volunteers ↓
- Green Dragons ↓
- Herbarium Volunteers ↓
- Penny's Bend Volunteers ("Wild Blues") ↓
Horticulture: On Site
- Habitat Gardens Volunteers ↓
- Herb Garden Volunteers ↓
- Horticultural Therapy Volunteers ↓
- Plant Propagation Volunteers ↓
Garden Support
- Library Volunteers ↓
- Reception and Weekend Volunteers ↓
- Gift Shop Volunteers ↓
- Publicity Volunteers ↓
- Maintenance Volunteers ↓
Tour Guides
The Botanical Garden Tour Guides lead informative tours throughout the gardens for the general public and school groups. Tour Guides are asked to provide a minimum of 30 hours of service over and above the hours spent in training sessions.
Time: Training sessions are held on Tuesdays, 9:30 - 11:30 am, during spring and fall months. Tours are scheduled as needed, through the Education Department.
Qualifications: Enthusiasm for learning and an interest in people is the most important requisite. Experience in the natural sciences is helpful but not required.
Education Outreach
Volunteers assist with environmental educational programs in schools, grades K - 5. NCBG will provide training and materials for the programs.
Time: Varies, flexible
Qualifications: Experience and interest in environmental education.
Children and Families
Assist with programs and special events for young children and families.
Time: Varies.
Qualifications: Experience and interest in working with young children.
Nature Explorers Camp Leaders
Volunteers assist and contribute to the weekly planning and implementation of summer camp activities.
Time: Summer weekdays, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.
Qualifications: Interest in environmental education and experience with children helpful. A great experience for students and junior volunteers!
Battle Park Volunteers
Assist the curator in achieving management goals for this natural area, through ecological restoration projects and trail maintenance. Specific duties include eradication of invasive exotic plant populations, native plant reintroductions, habitat surveys, and trail construction.
Time: Meets Thursday mornings at 9 am, and at 10 am on occasional Saturdays during the academic year.
Qualifications: Ability to work outdoors and on uneven terrain; some plant knowledge is helpful though not required.
Coker Arboretum Volunteers
Help maintain the overall health and appearance of plant collections and grounds at this five-acre arboretum on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. Duties include weeding, raking, mulching, and supervised plant care.
Time: Tuesdays, morning or afternoon, depending on seasonal weather factors.
Qualifications: Ability to work outdoors in variable weather; interest and experience in horticulture preferred.
PLEASE NOTE: At this time we are unable to accommodate additional volunteers at Coker Arboretum. When volunteer positions again become available, we will make note of that here. Please consider other volunteer options at the Botanical Garden.
Green Dragons
Work with staff in Mason Farm Biological Reserve and the Coker Pinetum. Assist with the management of these natural areas and other conservation department activities, including eradicating invasive plants, maintaining trails, monitoring rare plants and vegetation, and working with the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), of which the Garden is a charter member. CPC is the only national organization dedicated to the ex situ preservation of rare plant germ plasm (seeds and/or whole plants).
Time: Spring, Summer, Fall—Tuesdays, 9 am - 12 noon & Wednesdays, 9 - 11 am. Winter—Tuesdays, 1 - 4 pm & Wednesdays, 1 - 3 pm.
Qualifications: Ability to work outside on varying terrain under a variety of conditions.
Penny's Bend Volunteers ("Wild Blues")
Volunteers work at Penny's Bend Nature Preserve in Durham, maintaining interpretive/hiking trails, controlling invasive exotic plant species, sampling macroinvertebrate fauna in the river, and monitoring rare plant species.
Time: Weekends.
Qualifications: Ability to work outdoors and on varying terrain.
Herbarium Volunteers
Volunteers assist the curator with sewing and gluing of specimens on herbarium sheets, filing specimens into the collection, and entering information into databases. The Herbarium is located on the UNC campus in Coker Hall.
Time: Flexible, on weekdays, 9 am - 4 pm.
Qualifications: Precision and an interest in plants.
To explore volunteering at the UNC Herbarium, please contact Assistant Curator Carol Ann McCormick at 919-962-6931, or via email
Habitat Gardens Volunteers
Volunteers help maintain the native plant collections located in the Coastal Plain and Mountain Habitat Gardens. Duties include weeding, raking, pruning, and occasional planting.
Time: Mondays, 1 - 3 pm.
Qualifications: Ability to work outdoors as part of a group. An interest in native plants is helpful but not required.
Herb Garden Volunteers
Volunteers help in the general maintenance and upkeep of the Mercer Reeves Hubbard Herb Garden. Duties include raking, weeding, transplanting, pruning, and mulching.
Time: Thursdays, 9 - 11 am.
Qualifications: Ability to work outside as part of a group. An interest in herbs and some gardening skills are helpful but not required.
Horticultural Therapy Volunteers
Volunteers assist individuals of varying ages and abilities in therapeutic horticultural activities. Client groups include persons with traumatic brain injury, mental illness, memory impairment, and physical disabilities. Orientation and periodic training sessions are scheduled.
Time: Time and place varies.
Qualifications: Interest and experience working in a horticultural setting with persons with disabilities.
Plant Propagation Volunteers
Seed processing, potting, and outdoor gardening..
Time: Wednesdays, 9 - 11 am, late February through early June and early September through mid-November.
Qualifications: Ability to do detailed work and an interest in plants.
Library Volunteers
Assist with shelving books, checking in periodicals, labeling, typing, filing.
Time: Flexible
Qualifications: Library experience helpful but training provided.
Reception and Weekend Volunteers
Volunteers greet the public and answer the telephone, providing general orientation information about the Garden.
Time: Weekdays and weekends, 4-hour shifts (9 am - 1 pm or 1 - 5 pm). On ongoing and regular time commitment is preferred.
Qualifications: Must enjoy people, be capable of handing cash, check, and credit card sales, and be able to multi-task.
Gift Shop Volunteers
Assist visitors with sales, inventory, and restocking.
Time: Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. Saturday, 9 am - 5 pm. Sunday, 1 - 5 pm.
Qualifications: Experience in sales a plus.
Publicity Volunteers
Assist staff in promoting the Garden's educational and outreach programs.
Time: Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm.
Qualifications: Ability/ease with basic office software, email, and web applications; familiarity and experience with publicity/PR a plus; graphic design skills a plus. Must have own transportation.
Maintenance Volunteers
Assist with maintenance and repair jobs, including garden tool repair and sharpening, garden cart repair, outdoor furniture cleaning and finishing, painting, etc.
Time: Flexible
Qualifications: Basic carpentry skills required.
Last updated by Laura Cotterman on January 06, 2010 at 11:36:22 am.
