"Teaching people about the world in which we live."
"Teaching people about the world in which we live."
Many Botanical Gardens have volunteers that are essential to
their existence. Some of the volunteers are High School or even Middle School
students that are interested in horticulture.
Volunteers can have a number of different responsibilities in an organization. The
examples of the things that volunteers do below is taken from information provided by the
botanical gardens that we are going to go see. However, they should be similar at
other gardens.
The aims of the volunteer program at Mt. Coot-tha are three fold. They aim to provide customer service and interpretive programs to increase visitors enjoyment and education. They strive to develop strong ties between the gardens and the community in which they live. The program also endeavors to offer volunteers the chance self enrichment, both educational and social.
The things they look for in a volunteer are similar to those that are looked for in any organization. A volunteer must have good communication skills, a desire for self improvement, a joy of learning, be willing to give the time necessary, and enjoy working with and meeting people. The gardens also look for volunteers who can do things specific to horticulture. They ideally would have a knowledge of horticulture or botany, an interest in natural sciences, and an curiosity in other cultures.
The volunteer would be expected to successfully complete training. It is also essential that a volunteer is prepared to take ongoing courses for training. The volunteer would also be expected to make good use of the botanic gardens library, for self improvement. Finally, the volunteer would be expected to participate in evaluations.
Many botanical gardens need volunteers. The outlines given above are just an example of what the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, Mt. Coot-tha, is looking for. If you are interested in volunteering at a local botanical garden in your area, I suggest giving them a call or stopping in and asking for any information that they might have about volunteering. If you live in the Brisbane area and you wish to find out more about volunteering at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, Mt. Coot-tha, you may phone (07) 3403 2533.
