Interested in Volunteering?
We are not accepting new volunteer applications at this time. If you are interested in receiving updates about our next recruitment session, please register here. For more information about the different opportunities available to our volunteers, please read the three sections below.
Please note, you must be 18 years of age or older to volunteer, and certain positions require working outdoors, standing for multiple hours, or moving safely over uneven terrain. We are unable to provide courtesy parking to volunteers at this time.
The UCLA Botanical Garden is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all volunteer positions. We do not discriminate against any volunteer or applicant based on sex, race, color, national origin, age, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.
Garden Educators
The UCLA Botanical Garden is a remarkable 7.5 acre living museum, containing plants from all over the world! Come learn to interpret this natural wonder for visitors of all ages.
The Garden Educators training program consists of a combination of short lectures, garden walks, and practice sessions that teach volunteers about general botany and the unique plants found within the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden. This program gives each Garden Educator the skills to develop a personalized tour that they can confidently deliver to student and adult audiences.
In addition to sharing the wonders of plants with the public, Garden Educators are offered opportunities to continue their own botanical learning through access to group field trips, lectures and special events. This is a great opportunity to deepen your botanical knowledge, meet new friends, strengthen your public speaking and communication skills, and to support the educational mission of the Garden.
If you are interested in being a Garden Educator, please fill out the registration form at the top of this page. We will contact you as soon as new opportunities become available.
For questions about this program, please contact Manager of K-12 Education Programs, Chantal Ochoa-Clark: cochoaclark@ucla.edu
Volunteer Gardeners
Join us in caring for this extraordinary collection of plants. Volunteer gardeners work alongside garden staff to maintain the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden and participate in a variety of activities including pruning, raking, weeding, watering, planting and propagating.
Volunteer gardeners are encouraged to expand their horticultural and botanical knowledge through hands on training with staff as well as by attending lectures and events at the Garden. Gardening is therapeutic and offers both mental and physical health benefits. Get to know plants, make new friends, support the Garden, get some exercise, and enjoy this peaceful place.
Prior gardening experience is useful but not required. A minimum commitment of three hours per week is required for volunteer gardeners. We work outdoors and recommend wearing close-toed shoes, a hat, and sunblock.
Volunteer gardening times are: Monday 8:30-11:30 AM, 1-4 PM / Thursday 8:30-11:30 AM, 1-4 PM / Sunday 1-4 PM
If you are interested in being an Assistant Gardener, please fill out the registration form at the top of this page. We will contact you as soon as new opportunities become available.
For questions about this program, please contact our Horticulture Team at: bgstaff@lifesci.ucla.edu
Herbarium Technicians
The UCLA Herbarium is an important resource of approximately 150,000 dried and pressed plant specimens with a focus on California and the Western United States, and an expanding interest in similar Mediterranean-climate regions of the world.
Volunteer herbarium technicians work hands-on, exploring the world of plants through our library of dried, pressed specimens. Common volunteer assignments include mounting and databasing specimens as well as occasional opportunities for field work.
In addition, volunteers can support a National Science Foundation project by imaging and digitizing the herbarium’s collections, thereby making them accessible to researchers around the world. Herbarium volunteers must have some computer experience to participate.
If you are interested in being an Herbarium Technician, please fill out the registration form at the top of this page and contact Herbarium Curator, Dr. Anthony Baniaga: abaniaga@ucla.edu