Volunteer

 This is the area in which we need the most dedicated, excited, and passionate volunteers! Our youth education programs serve over 40,000 children from the Metro area each year. Former teachers are encouraged to apply and additional training will be offered for each program. On-site adult education engages artists and experts on many different plant-related topics and volunteers often play a role. Classes and programs are offered throughout the Arboretum campus at the Learning Center, Red Barn Farm, Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Center, and the Horticultural Research Center.

Learn more about our education programs!

Our two largest summer events are the annual Gala in the Gardens and Taste and Toast. The rest of the year, we host 5K walks, holiday markets, art fairs, and more. For every event, we ask for help with registration, greeters, and behind the scenes preparation.

Customer service skills are an essential component to helping out at the Membership desk. You'll help guide interested people through the process of becoming a member and explaining all the benefits of membership, like our Reciprocal Gardens Program.

 Wendy DePaolis, our Art Curator, does an excellent job of preparing her volunteers to hang art shows, clean sculptures, act as docents for incoming exhibits, and to assist with Adult Art Education. Often, volunteers on Wendy's team get an opportunity to meet the artists that show their work at the Arboretum.

 As with most non-profits, we sell memberships and host events that help with our fundraising. Each year, several times a year, we send out large quantities of mail. This is perfect for anyone who prefers the indoors.

Do you love numbers and spreadsheets? Or maybe you have beautiful penmanship and like to write thank-you notices. Whatever you enjoy, our Development team would like to get to know you.

Are you passionate about wild, native plants? Volunteer with the Plant Conservation Program where we maintain a long-term seed bank for imperiled plants of the upper Midwest, study the biology of Minnesota's terrestrial orchids, and conduct field studies in many amazing places throughout the region, including right here at the Arboretum. We need help cleaning seed collections, conducting germination and propagation research, potting up seedlings, and collecting data in the field.

Our horticulturists and grounds crew work with hundreds of volunteers each year to plant and maintain many types of gardens. Each of our gardens serves a purpose. Some are for ornamental display, others are for growing crops and education, and others have culturally relevant plants for particular types of gardening. Come find your passion!

We're the home of the Honeycrisp, Sweet Tango, and First Kiss. In addition to our apple breeding programs, we have a robust trial garden of cold-hardy grapes and grow nearly 300 varieties of pumpkins, gourds, and squash annually. We need help maintaining these fields and sometimes collecting data.

The Lake Tamarack property is multi-purpose with an emphasis on sustainability. We are also home to the Bennett-Johnson Prairie, Grace B. Dayton Woodland Wildflower Garden, and the Spring Peeper Meadow Wetlands.