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December 2023
Dear Volunteers,
The golden fall sunlight has been breathtaking at the Japanese Tea Garden and San Francisco Botanical Garden, while the Conservatory of Flowers is ready to welcome those looking for a warm respite. As 2023 draws to a close, I'm thankful for yet another beautiful year at the Gardens.
International Volunteer Day took place this past Tuesday and is a wonderful reminder that volunteerism is recognized by the United Nations Volunteers for its impact in advancing peace and sustainable development. There are many ways you may choose to spend your time and we are fortunate that you are part of our volunteer community!
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Winter Volunteer Opportunities
Gifts at the Garden
Saturday and Sunday, December 16 and 17
San Francisco County Fair Building
Gifts at the Garden is a special holiday gift and plant market featuring local vendors, plant societies, a plant sale, and fun activities. We can use your help for set up and event support if you're available on December 16 or 17.
Weekly Green Teams at the Botanical Garden
Tuesdays and Wednesdays, weekly from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
San Francisco Botanical Garden
Weekly Green Teams at the Botanical Garden will restart on January 3. Help care for our living collection of plants at the Botanical Garden on a weekly or biweekly basis this winter! We have openings with horticulturists on both Tuesdays and Thursdays. Whether you're a returning team member or a new volunteer, we're happy to welcome you this year.
Monthly Volunteer Event at the Botanical Garden
Saturday, January 27, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
John Muir Trail, Botanical Garden
This is a unique drop-in volunteer assignment where you can also register friends and family to join just for the day! Help our Recreation and Parks Department team as they maintain the John Muir Trail at the Botanical Garden.
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Enrichments and Events
Book Group: Better Living Through Birding by Christian Cooper
Thursday, December 14, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Helen Crocker Russell Library, Botanical Garden
Gifts at the Garden: Member's Morning
Saturday December 16, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
County Fair Building, Botanical Garden
Join our Member's Morning and gain first access to a curated offering of sustainable, local, and fair trade gifts alongside exclusive Gardens of Golden Gate Park merchandise, books, and art. There will also be free craft activities, a photo booth, a plant sale, and a wrapping station.
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Children's Garden Updates
We celebrated the launch of our storybook stroll in the Children's Garden this past Saturday. Garden Educator Erick Monroy finished assembling the storybook stroll this past month created with the help of volunteers, interns, and After School Program staff. The first featured book is “Senorita Mariposa” by Ben Gundersheimer, also known as MISTER G. MISTER G will also be joining us for a special performance in the Gardens on Saturday, January 20 so mark your calendars for this special event.
In addition, the Children’s Garden had special Fall Bean Sprouts hours from November 20-22 and saw a total of 279 visitors. Thank you to those who helped visitors connect to the garden through hands-on activities! Some favorites included creating small bouquets to take home, harvesting potatoes, and planting seeds.
The last day of Bean Sprouts Family Days in 2023 will be December 22 and we look forward to restarting the program on February 17. Until Bean Sprouts starts again, you can still help the Education Program team by helping in the Children's Garden on Wednesdays from 10 am - 1 pm, register here.
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Slices of Joy
- This past year we celebrated Director of Education Annette Huddle's 25 years of service to education in the Gardens during our annual Gala for the Gardens and as part of celebrating Annette's remarkable contributions, a Tribute Paver has been installed at the Fountain Plaza in the Botanical Garden. Annette's paver is one of 23 that were recently engraved and installed at the Fountain Plaza, generating $57,3000 in support for the Gardens. Our next engraving is tentatively set for April 2024. If you or someone you know may be interested in a tribute paver for this upcoming engraving, please email our Advancement Team at tributes@gggp.org.
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If you have last minute changes to your schedule, please reach out directly to your staff lead for your assignment that day which is listed in your automated confirmation and reminder emails. To see a full list of our staff and their contact information, please visit the Staff Directory. I'll be out of the office from December 23 - January 1 so please reach out to me prior to then if we should be in touch before the end of the year.
Wishing you a festive and beautiful start to the new year!
Best wishes,
Crystal
Crystal Lee Stone | Volunteer Program Manager
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Gardens of Golden Gate Park
P (415) 661-1316 Ext. 400
9am-5pm, M-F
clstone@gggp.org
P.S. Did you miss an update? Catch up by viewing past newsletters on Volunteer Central.
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Give, join, renew, or upgrade your membership here
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Gardens of Golden Gate Park
1199 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122
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