University of Washington Botanic Gardens

Assist in plot maintenance and preparation for the Climate Ready Landscape Plants project at UWBG. This project tests horticultural plants under different drought deficit treatments. Tasks include weeding, planting, mulching the two plots in order to contribute to plant ecophysiology and horticulture research. Other contact: Soo-Hyung Kim, Professor, 206-616-4971, soohkim@uw.edu

This position is not currently available

Tucked within the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and the Youth and Family Education Programs is the Fiddleheads Forest School , an entirely outdoor preschool for students ages three to six. At the Fiddleheads Forest School, we aim to foster a sense of wonder, to guide rather than compel, and to provide room for possibility rather than attempt to constrain children’s interests to fit within a certain curriculum. Unlike traditional programs, at the Forest School our classroom grows and changes along with its students. This dynamic environment offers an unparalleled setting for the development of self-regulation and fundamental appreciation for the natural world. Our unique, child-driven curriculum addresses the individual developmental needs of every student. Each day is approached with joy and wonder at the wide world around us.

Description: This volunteer position will assist the lead teachers with all aspects of implementing a weekly, part-day nature preschool program. This position will assist in classes of up to 14 students while spending the vast majority of that time outdoors, exploring the natural world through age-appropriate lessons and activities.

Essential Tasks:

• Assisting lead teachers in the implementation of age-appropriate curriculum, and activities to 3-6 year olds enrolled in a nature preschool. Modeling a healthy relationship with and curiosity for the natural world, and acting in a professional and compassionate manner at all times.
• Ensuring the health, safety and well-being of students through site surveys and group overview. Maintaining clear communications with staff, fellow volunteers and interns, students, and their families to achieve common goals and avoid potential conflicts.
• Preparing, cleaning up and maintaining teaching supplies and supporting materials in a well-organized and efficient manner.

Volunteer Qualities:

The Center for Urban Horticulture Gardens, including the Union Bay Natural Area (UBNA), are highly visible to the public and require intensive gardening, restoration practices and ongoing maintenance. Plants in these gardens range from Northwest native species to annuals and herbaceous perennials from around the world. Duties include control of invasive, noxious and general weeds, mulching, planting and plant removal, grooming of paths, light pruning to maintain plant health, perennial plant care including deadheading and division, watering and fertilizing as well as basic plant labeling and inventory. Please email Kristen Johnson (kristy14@uw.edu) for more information **We also may have space in our UBNA Restoration Volunteer opportunity. See app below, if available, or contact us for more info.

Tuesday mornings, 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Requested commitment of two months, including orientation of the CUH grounds and training in the gardens. General: It is requested that you have some knowledge of gardening and an attention to detail.

This position is not currently available

The WPA D.I.G. volunteers are experienced, long-term volunteers who work semi-independently in a focused area of the arboretum. D.I.G. volunteers choose their own worksite, work with a staff horticulturist to plan and prioritize the needs of the garden and are able to accomplish the work on their own. Tools and materials are provided. An AA degree in horticulture or related field, or work equivalent is preferred. D.I.G. volunteers must have knowledge of soils, pruning and plant identification. Due to the independent nature of this position we can only accept volunteers 18 years of age and older.

WEEKDAYS ONLY! Although flexible, D.I.G. volunteers are expected to be able to commit to 3 hours per week for at least 1 years' time.

Contact: Roy Farrow, WPA Grounds Supervisor, (206) 616-4050, farrow@uw.edu

Volunteers work with faculty, graduate students, and researchers in laboratory, greenhouse, and field settings to contribute to plant ecophysiology and ecological horticulture research.

Other Contacts: Arthur Hsu (hwhsu@uw.edu), and Amelia Keyser-Gibson (akeyserg@uw.edu)

This position is not currently available

Interested in contributing to rare plant conservation by assisting Rare Care with office projects? Volunteers assist Rare Care staff with a variety of tasks that support the rare plant monitoring and seed collecting programs. Projects may include rare plant literature research, mailings or digital image labeling and filing. Strong computer and organizational skills are a plus.

This position is not currently available

Application for the 2025 Rare Care Plant Monitoring Training is now open! The Rare Plant Monitoring program is a citizen science program. Rare Plant Monitors visit populations of rare, native plants throughout Washington State. Volunteers need some basic plant identification skills and knowledge of WA native flora, good observational skills, a sense of adventure, their own transportation, and a few days to spare during the field season (March – October). Some experience in scientific data collection is helpful. PRIOR to applying, please read the responsibilities, qualifications, and expectations of the volunteer position on the Rare Care webpage.

Minimum commitment includes attendance at an all-day training session (virtual) and completion of at least two monitoring assignments over the first two years as a trained monitor.

Contact: Wendy Gibble, Rare Care Program Manager, (206) 616-0780, rarecare@uw.edu

Assist Rare Care with collecting seeds for the Miller Seed Vault and the Seeds of Success Project. Seed collecting provides an opportunity to deepen your understanding of plant ecology and observe how variations in weather can drastically affect seed maturation rates and timing.

Rare plant seed collectors contribute to the Miller Seed Vault seed bank by collecting seeds from wild populations of rare native plants around the state of Washington. Rare plant seed collectors need the same skills as Rare Plant Monitors and are required to attend a special training in native plant seed collection methods and protocols. For more information visit the Rare Care website.

Volunteers may also participate in the Seeds of Success Project by assistint with seed collections from wild populations of more common native plants. These seed collections are either contributed to the Kew Millennium Seed Bank at the Royal Botanic Gardens, England, or to the national seed bank for seeds available for use in stabilizing, rehabilitating and restoring public lands. Volunteers participate by locating suitable populations for collection, or by assisting Rare Care staff with seed collections in the field. Collections require walking on uneven terrain and hiking 1 to 3 miles. No prior experience is needed to particate as a Seeds of Success volunteer.

This position is not currently available

Help Rare Care preserve seeds of rare plants for perpetuity. Seed vault assistants help with cleaning, counting and packaging seeds of rare native plants for long-term storage in the Miller Seed Vault. Volunteers work in the Miller Seed Vault processing room, a climate-controlled environment with an ambient temperature of 57 degrees F and a relative humidity of 22%. Working with seeds requires a strong attention to detail. You'll handle very small seeds with hand tools. For more information about the seed vault, visit the Miller Seed Vault web pages.

This position is not currently available

Want to be part of a group focused on ecological restoration in the Union Bay Natural Area? Join us! Projects will largely consist of invasive species removal and participants should be prepared for manual labor in varying weather conditions.

To start, this group will be meeting twice monthly; hopefully ramping up to weekly work!

This position is not currently available