Volunteering

Current Volunteer Opportunities:

• Garden Docents 
• Special Events
  
• Horticulture
• Envoy
• Butterfly Pavilion
• Garden Educators
  
  

Garden Docents

The Desert Botanical Garden needs energetic volunteers to share desert knowledge and transform the visitor experience into one of discovery and meaning. No previous experience needed, the Garden provides all training that is required for the job. All that is necessary is your enthusiasm and love of the desert.

Requirements:

• Docents work 4 hour shifts - Leading tours, staffing Discovery Stations and interacting with Garden visitors.
• Good communicator and public speaker
• Enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the Garden and desert plants.
• Able to work outdoors and tolerate weather condition

Additional training is required.

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Special Events Volunteers

Special event volunteers direct visitors to event activities, answer questions about the event and assist visitors at special activity areas. Other duties may include ushering, ticket taking, distributing programs and other activities to help ensure that participants have a positive experience and enjoy each special event in the Garden.

Requirements:

• September – May
• 6 or more shifts a season
• Attend orientation or other specialized training prior to event (if scheduled)
• Arrive early to become familiar with the event

Additional training is required.

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Horticulture Volunteers

Horticulture volunteers will assist the horticulture staff in caring for the Garden's living collection of desert plants. Volunteers care for and help maintain the plants as directed by Horticulture staff.

Horticulture Volunteers needed for Mornings (8 a.m. – noon), Monday - Saturday.

Requirements:

• Enthusiasm and love of the desert
• Ability to work one 4 hour shift per week
• Ability to perform physical work (bend & lift)
• Ability to work outdoors in hot and cold weather

Additional training is required.

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Membership Envoys

The Desert Botanical Garden needs energetic and proactive volunteers to sell memberships and promote the Garden and it’s programs.  No previous experience needed, the Garden provides all training that is required for the job. If you love the Garden and love to talk to people then this is the job for you!

Requirements:

• Envoys work 3-4 hour shifts – Sell memberships and promote the Garden at the membership kiosk (at admissions) or at one of our many events.

Additional training is required.

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Butterfly Pavilion

Volunteers greet visitors, help them enter and leave the Pavilion, provide brief information about the butterflies (North American butterflies lifecycle in spring, Monarch migration in fall) and help ensure that the visitor experience is positive and informative.  Monitor and ensure safety of butterflies and visitors

Requirements:

• Ability to work 6 or more shifts a season - any day of the week and any of four shifts daily starting at 9:30 a.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m.
• September – November and/or March - May

Additional training is required.

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Garden Educators

Volunteers serve as interpreters for school children, adult chaperones, and teachers relating essential concepts about how desert plants, animals and people adapt to the desert environment.  This position requires bending and lifting and being on your feet for 2 hours in hot and cold weather.

Requirements:

• Will need to commit one day per week
• Must be available weekday mornings for 3 hours between 8:30am-1pm
• Enjoy working with children of all ages and adults is a must!
• Flexibility to work in a fast paced team environment
• Experience with formal or informal teaching is a plus, but not required

Additional training is required.

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2012

• January 
• February

2011

• January
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• March
• April
• May
• Summer
• September
• October
• November
• December

2010

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• Summer
• September
• October
• November
• December

2009

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• Summer
• September
• October
• November
• December