Volunteer Gardeners
Join us in caring for this extraordinary collection of plants. Volunteer gardeners work alongside the garden staff to maintain the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden. Volunteers participate in a variety of activities including pruning, raking, weeding, watering, planting and propagating. Prior gardening experience is encouraged but not a requirement, volunteers will be trained for each of these activities. 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.
A minimum commitment of three hours per week is required. You must be 18 years of age or older to volunteer. We work outdoors and recommend wearing close-toed shoes, a hat, and sunblock. The Botanical Garden is not able to provide courtesy parking to volunteers at this time.
Volunteer gardening times are:
Monday 1-4pm
Thursday 8:30-11:30am, 1-4pm
Sunday – 1-4pm
**Please note we are not currently accepting new volunteer gardeners at this time. You may email Terry Huang terryhuang@ucla.edu to be added to an interest list and receive updates. We plan to welcome new volunteer gardeners by September 2021. Thanks for your patience!**
Volunteer 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. As a volunteer Garden Educator, you will have opportunities to share knowledge at discovery tables as well as on guided tours for a variety of audiences.
In addition to the joy of sharing the wonders of the plants with the public, Garden Educators are offered opportunities to continue their own botanical learning, through group field trips, lectures and special events. This is a great opportunity to deepen your botanical knowledge, meet new friends, support the educational mission of the Garden, and to strengthen your public speaking and science communication skills.
Trainings for discovery tables are available year round, and a more in depth training is available annually to lead guided tours. To lead tours, Educators participate in a training where they learn about general botany and the unique plants found within the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden. You will shadow experienced educators prior to leading your own tours. Training time will be a combination of short lectures, garden walks, educational strategy practice, and development of a personalized tour that you can confidently deliver to students and adults.
To learn about upcoming trainings, please email Jules at julesc@ucla.edu to be added to the interest list.
Volunteer Herbarium Technicians
Are you interested in learning about plants and exploring our collection of dried, pressed specimens? Volunteer to support a National Science Foundation project by imaging and digitizing the UCLA Herbarium collection. Must have some computer experience.
To learn more, contact Herbarium Manager Dr. Tom Huggins: huggins@ucla.edu