Volunteers

The National Arboretum has over 150 volunteers, many of whom have been with us over 15 years. Volunteers play an integral role in Arboretum programs and assist in almost every area and endeavor, performing jobs ranging from gardening to education and research support. On average more than 13,000 hours of volunteer service are provided each year. Many volunteers contribute their time and talent on weekdays, although there are some weekend positions available. We ask most of our volunteers to contribute a minimum of 4 hours weekly.

Volunteers receive orientation and training. Most positions entail a one-year commitment.

Come and learn about the Arboretum’s wide variety of volunteer opportunities. The orientation will include information on the current volunteer opportunities, volunteer requirements, volunteer benefits, and how to begin volunteering. After the orientation, volunteers will have the opportunity to select their top volunteer choices.

Registration is required please contact the Volunteer Coordinator to register (see below for contact information).

Have you always wanted to garden, but didn't know where to start? Are you an avid gardener, but would like to learn new skills? If you answered yes, then the Volunteer Gardener Training is what you are looking for. Come join the team of volunteer gardeners at the U.S. National Arboretum!

This February all current and prospective volunteers are invited to attend the Volunteer Gardener Training. Each class is taught by professional horticulturists and researchers from the U.S. National Arboretum. Class topics include botany, pruning, plant identification, weed removal, soils, integrated pest management, and a tour of the U.S. National Arboretum.

The four week training will take place on February 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd. Each class will run from 8:45am-1:30pm.

At the end of the training, new volunteers will have the opportunity to select which gardens they are interested in volunteering.

Gardeners...for various collections at the Arboretum. The majority of volunteer work is conducted from March through December, although the many volunteers work year-round. Training is provided.

Tour Guides...are needed to give occasional tours during the months of mid-April through mid-October. Training is provided.

South Farm Germplasm Repository...in Beltsville, MD. Various jobs including: propagation, inventory, data base work, gardening. Training provided.

Docents...are needed to staff information tables during busy spring and fall weekends. Docents answer visitor questions and provide helpful recommendations to visitors. Training is provided.

Herbarium Volunteers...prepare herbarium specimens by affixing dried plant specimens and specimen labels to sheets of archival herbarium paper.

Enjoy gardening, but lack free time to commit to a yearlong volunteer opportunity?

This once a month opportunity, offers volunteers the chance to garden without a yearlong commitment. Join the curator of the Conifer Collection in completing tasks such as invasive species removal, weeding, mulching, and pruning. Interested volunteers should register for the workday, complete a one-day volunteer form, and bring a lunch. All training will be provided along with tools, gloves, and water.

To register for the volunteer workday, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator (see below for contact information).

The U. S. National Arboretum’s library (USNA library) was founded in the mid-1960s as an information resource for the Arboretum’s staff of botanists, scientific researchers, taxonomists and horticulturalists. Over the years, the library’s collection has grown to include over 11,000 monographs and approximately 140 serials on the subjects of ornamental horticulture, botany, plant taxonomy, plant exploration, and natural history. After the founding of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the Arboretum in the 1970s, the USNA library also began collecting on the subjects of bonsai, penjing, suiseki and related art forms. The USNA library holds a special collection of more than 1,000 rare botanical books.

Search online catalog (AGRICOLA), the library’s card catalog, and the collection for existing holdings which match items donated to the USNA library.
When duplication exists, use guidelines of USNA library to identify preferred item.
For unique items, search OCLC for best match, and export record to AGRICOLA.
As necessary, add USNA library holdings to AGRICOLA and in OCLC.
Physically process new and withdrawn items.
Maintain inventory of duplicate items.

Search AGRICOLA for bibliographic records which match the Arboretum library’s shelf-list card catalog and also have Arboretum library holdings records.

For matching bibliographic records with no Arboretum library holdings, follow procedures for adding holdings in AGRICOLA and in OCLC.
When matching bibliographic records are not found in AGRICOLA, search OCLC for best match to shelf list card, and export record to AGRICOLA.

Separate shelf-list cards without valid item barcodes from the other cards.

Effective, accurate online catalog search skills.
Experience copy cataloging using MARC and OCLC Connexion a plus.
Retrospective conversion experience a plus.
Must exhibit attention to detail.

The U.S. National Arboretum welcomes groups of various sizes to volunteer on the grounds and in the gardens. Volunteer groups assist with invasive species removal, weeding, mulching, and litter pick up. Group projects vary depending upon the season. Workdays are scheduled for a minimum of 3 hours to a maximum of 6 hours. Contact the volunteer coordinator for more information about scheduling a group volunteer workday.

If you are interested in finding out more about any of the above volunteer opportunities, click here for a fillable application or please contact:

Volunteering at the Arboretum