Opportunities

Nursery
Propagate and grow rare and unusual plants to be sold at our monthly public plant sales and at our Annual Spring Plant Sale. Volunteers work one day per week ,either Wednesday, Friday or Saturday, from 10am-3pm. Six-month commitment required. One Saturday per year is also required.

Gardener's Assistant
Work directly with our gardeners to help maintain our wonderful botanical garden. See immediate and visible results from your volunteer efforts. No horticultural knowledge required but must be physically fit. Six-month commitment, three hours per week.

Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture
Assist librarians at Northern California's largest horticultural library with book processing, references, filing, computer work, and collections maintenance.

Garden Bookstore / Visitor's Center / Plant Store
Greet visitors from all over the world. Sell a wide selection of books and merchandise, including one of the best selections of horticulture-related books in the Bay Area. Positions also available selling plants exclusively.

Garden Guides (Docents)
Garden Guides are the principal interpreters of the Garden to the public. Lead interpretive walks of the Garden for children or adults, revealing the hidden and not-so-hidden wonders of the Garden in the process. Two ten-week training sessions and fee.

Special Events
If you can't volunteer on a regular basis, consider volunteering for special events, such as our Lunar New Year Flower Market, Annual Plant Sale, Summer Gardening Fair, or other periodic activities.

Plant Collections Department
Collect data on plants in the Garden for the Plant Collections Department, collect seeds, or inventory plant collections. Create signage and assist with data entry.

GIS Volunteer
Help map the garden using GIS and GPS techniques and equipment. GIS, landscape architecture or horticultural background helpful.

Survey Volunteer
Conduct surveys of Botanical Garden visitors, gathering information vital to the marketing and customer service efforts of the Botanical Garden Society. One two-hour shift per month.

Children's Garden
Two separate opportunities: Drop-in volunteer work helping to maintain the Botanical Garden's Children's Garden area every Thursday from 12:30pm – 4:30pm; occasional opportunities during the school year to volunteer as a teacher's aide with Children's Garden staff, working with elementary school-age children.

Many more opportunities are available. Call (415) 661-1316 ext. 412, or email: volunteer@sfbotanicalgarden.org.