Giving Back in the Gardens
“One of my favorite things about volunteering is the friendships I've made. I will always be thankful for the knowledge sharing and the passion we collectively have to accomplish our goals.” — Kathi, University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum volunteer
Arboretum volunteer Kathi pictured with her husband, Jeff.
Kathi has spent more than four years volunteering at the Arboretum, working alongside Horticulturist Duane Otto on the tulip display and Annual Garden. She also supports the Development Office with seasonal fundraising events and is always ready to lend a hand wherever help is needed throughout the seasons.
“It’s so fun to see the creativity Duane brings to each space in the Annual Garden every year. I love being part of his team, and I feel so happy when we all share that sense of accomplishment after each shift or when everything is in full bloom. There is so much satisfaction in seeing the fruits of our labor.”
With the Arboretum open year-round, Kathi contributes in many different ways throughout each season.
“Spring is full of new life as we remove straw and clean up the annual gardens so the tulips planted in the fall can grow and show their vibrant colors. In summer, we move overwintered or greenhouse plants into seasonal beds, prune and trim and follow garden maps created by our horticulturists for annuals and perennials. Fall brings another busy season of planting tulip bulbs, protecting them for winter and helping with scarecrows, fall displays and harvesting pumpkins and gourds. In winter, we prepare containers with evergreens like white pine and arborvitae to enhance the winter light events – and then we quickly transition to helping with the spring flower show.”
Kathi shares why spending time in nature is deeply restorative: “Coming from a high-stress career, working in the gardens is incredibly cathartic. My anxiety melts away, and the worries of the world fade. The Arboretum has so many places to unwind, reflect, reset as well as to learn — and being here fills me with calm, peace and wonder.”
Every year, the Arboretum is proud to engage visitors through our 28 specialty gardens and 44 curated plant collections. To bring these spaces to life, we rely on hundreds of dedicated gardeners, horticulturists, staff and volunteers each year. Just last year, the Arboretum partnered with 1,236 dedicated volunteers.
Kathi encourages anyone who can get involved at the Arboretum: “If you are looking for a place to keep your mind and your hands busy, then the Arboretum is the place to be. There are so many areas you can participate in. It is such a rewarding experience.”
Learn more about meaningful volunteer opportunities at the Arboretum and how you can get involved!
Kathi (far right) and team of volunteers pictured outside of the Oswald Visitor Center. Photo by Arboretum staff
A Champion for Plants
“We are making a real difference. The sheer variety of conservation projects we have been allowed to do has been very energizing. We work with a diverse set of collaborators, and seeing the enthusiasm and passion other people have for plant conservation is incredibly rewarding.” — David Remucal, Delores E. Isaacson Curator of Endangered Plants
David Remucal walking over a wetland. Photo by Arboretum staff
David leads the Plant Conservation Program at the Arboretum, which focuses on protecting rare and endangered plant species of the Upper Midwest and Minnesota’s 46 native orchid species through research, plant rescues, seed banking, restoration and reintroduction.
Among the many conservation projects we do at the Arboretum, David shares why orchid conservation holds a special place in his work.
“Orchids are often the first species lost from a landscape when disturbances happen, giving the first warning that a landscape is in trouble when they disappear from their communities. The work with native orchid conservation will likely contribute greatly to our understanding of soil biota, how important they are, and potentially how they can be rehabilitated and protected in both natural and reconstructed landscapes.”
The Plant Conservation Program team works in partnership with other public gardens and research institutions across the U.S. to advance conservation initiatives and to share knowledge and expertise.
“One of our newer projects, a collaboration with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, is an effort to enlist middle school classrooms as partners in native orchid conservation research. The purpose of this is to share the rewards of novel scientific research with young, prospective scientists and to introduce them to some of the interesting plants in Minnesota — hopefully instilling in them a sense of wonder and curiosity about our native flora.”
David invites you to discover the many orchid varieties growing at the Arboretum!
Native orchid propagation research at the Horticultural Research Center. Photo by Elise Bremer
Nature's Classroom in Action
“Part of the ‘Ready, Set, Grow!’ field trip program is visiting the greenhouses. The kids can touch everything, which helps tremendously with their learning. Us teachers are usually saying, 'Don't touch,' so they love to explore freely and touch all the different plants.” — Tiffany, Arboretum visitor and 1st-grade teacher
Tiffany in the Annual Garden with her family.
For more than 20 years, Tiffany has enrolled her 1st-grade class in the Arboretum’s field trip program, visiting every spring. She has always loved the Arboretum, having grown up visiting often with her family.
Experiencing the Arboretum as a teacher has been extremely rewarding for Tiffany, as her students benefit from the hands-on, nature-based learning approach.
“I’ve found that kids really thrive because of how thoughtfully the field trip program is designed. The Arboretum meets students where they’re at and creates a familiar and welcoming experience each year. The program consistently supports our learning goals while keeping everything hands-on, engaging and kid-friendly.”
Arboretum school programs are aligned with K–6 science standards and use plants and nature as tools for hands-on learning. Each spring, Tiffany uses the Life Cycle Unit to prepare her students for their field trip.
“Before visiting the Arboretum, we learn about the basics of plants and what an arboretum even is, as many kids don’t know. We also talk about the Bog Walk, where we usually will see wildlife, and the koi fish in the pond, and why we don’t feed them. When we arrive, students do a scavenger hunt — where they observe and write down different plants they see. It’s so great to see them make connections between what we’ve discussed in class and what they see in real life.”
The Arboretum offers a variety of meaningful, hands-on learning experiences for people of all ages, last year engaging more than 65,000 participants across all of our programs. We’re grateful to welcome more community members to experience nature’s classroom.
Three of Tiffany’s students on a field trip visit to the Arboretum.
Advancing the Arboretum’s Mission
“I take families through the Farm to talk about integrated farming practices — from pulling up a soybean plant to show the root nodules that are making nitrogen, exploring the hybrid yield of corn and the insect pollination of sunflowers. ” — Lorin, Arboretum volunteer and Board of Trustees Member
Arboretum Trustees Lorin and Amy at Field Fest at Farm at the Arb. Photo by Arboretum staff
Lorin first visited the Arboretum in 2014 and quickly recognized it as a place where he belonged.
“When preparing to transition out of a career at Cargill and start the next journey, it was a good match for what I was looking for. I wanted the opportunity to give back and use my skills in business, plant agriculture, botany and teaching to support youth education.”
Lorin brings a strong passion to his roles at the Arboretum and the University of Minnesota.
“After becoming a Trustee, I joined the Education and Audit & Finance Committees and started volunteering at the Farm and in Learning Center classes. I also lecture at the University of Minnesota in food science and teach four lectures — two on protein, two on fried foods. I’m all about teaching the next generation of food scientists how the industry sees these ingredients and apply them to real-life situations.”
He describes the Farm at the Arb as a living classroom, where youth can learn through hands-on field experiences and programs that connect directly to how food reaches our tables.
“In today’s fast-paced world, this farm-to-table connection is often lost, along with an understanding of the generations of producers who have built a sustainable food system that nourishes our families. At the Farm, we teach about production systems that we hope will inspire young learners to pursue careers in crop production, breeding, supply chains and food science.”
Lorin shares why community support is critical to keeping education programs like this — and the Arboretum as a whole — thriving.
“I see the Arboretum as a place where beauty, nature and science come together — but behind it are people, buildings, electricity and water, all of which require support. Supporting the Annual Fund provides essential funding for day-to-day operations. Visitors can experience the Arboretum’s natural beauty and our engaging programs because of the behind-the-scenes work and the financial investments that keep everything running.”
Learn more about the Farm at the Arb and the Arboretum's mission to grow knowledge and inspire action.
Lorin with a scarecrow at the Arboretum in the fall.
Cover photo by Mark MacLennan