Volunteering
The National Arboretum’s staff is supported by a dedicated group of volunteers who participate in nearly every area of the Arboretum’s work, including in the gardens, laboratories, research fields, herbarium, and archives. We generally ask that volunteers commit to at least four hours of work per week but encourage those with less availability to still contact us. Because the National Arboretum is a government facility, all volunteers must undergo a mandatory federal background check.
Current Volunteer Openings
We are currently recruiting volunteers to work in the following areas. Prior gardening or other experience isn’t required.
Azalea Collection
Time: Tuesday mornings, 4 hours per week, year-round
Duties: Typical volunteer work in the Azalea Collection includes weeding, pruning deadwood, pulling vines, maintaining trails, planting, cutting back perennials, and removing plant debris.
Working Conditions: This garden offers a fair amount of shade.
Fern Valley Native Plant Collection
Time: Tuesday mornings*, 4 hours per week, year-round
Duties: Fern Valley volunteers primarily help remove invasive plants and other unwanted herbaceous and woody plant materials.
Working Conditions: This garden offers a fair amount of shade.
*Other days may be available for those with training/experience who are willing to work independently.
Boxwood and Perennial Collections and Friendship Garden
Time: Thursday and/or possibly Wednesday mornings, 4 hours per week, year-round
Duties: In addition to the ever-present need to weed, current projects that volunteers assist with include replanting areas of the Friendship Garden and dividing daylilies and daffodils in the Perennial Collections. If you enjoy mulching, this is the volunteer opportunity for you!
Working Conditions: These gardens are primarily in full sun with some areas of shade.
Holly & Magnolia Collection
Time: Monday, Tuesday, and/or Thursday mornings, 4 hours per week, year-round
Duties: Weeding and some pruning, as these species produce fair amounts of deadwood, suckers, and water sprouts.
Working Conditions: This garden is a mixture of sun and shade exposure.
National Herb Garden
Time: Tuesday mornings, 4 hours per week, mid-February through mid-December
Duties: Weeding, planting, cutting back plant material, mulching, and occasional pruning.
Working Conditions: This garden is mostly in full sun with minimal areas of shade.
Arboretum Archives
Time: Monday and/or Tuesday mornings, 4 hours per week, year-round
Duties: Digitizing photographs and slides and assisting with organizing other historical records.
Working Conditions: Work is conducted indoors in a climate-controlled space.
Interested in Learning More?
Email the Volunteer Coordinator at USNA.Volunteers@usda.gov to learn more and apply to volunteer. We look forward to talking with you!
Page last updated July 2025.