December 2022

Dear Volunteers,

Happy International Volunteer Day! International Volunteer Day was developed by United Nations (UN) Volunteers, not just to recognize UN Volunteers, but also volunteerism around the world. Thank you for being a part of a global community of volunteers who help transform our world by connecting people to plants, the planet, and each other at the Gardens of Golden Gate Park.

Reflecting on this past calendar year, our volunteers have:

Engaged 120 school classes joining the Botanical Garden through guided walks and Children's Garden programs
Welcomed 2,500 families and groups participating in Bean Sprouts Family Days
Led 160 public tours at the Botanical Garden for nearly 1,000 visitors and our rovers engaged with nearly 3,000 visitors throughout the Botanical Garden
Beyond that we had 81 volunteers assisting San Francisco Recreation and Parks horticultural staff across all three sites - expanding our team's ability to care for our diverse collections
In addition, volunteers support programming across unique events like Flower Piano - and special spaces like the Helen Crocker Russell Library.

Thank you for being a part of this dynamic community!

As we look to 2023, I hope we will have more opportunities to gather and celebrate your contributions. Please take 5 minutes to complete this short questionnaire to help our staff better understand how to celebrate you in the upcoming year.

Complete this survey by December 27, 2022 >>

Become a Garden Guide!

Join our spring training sessions that will take place from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm on Tuesdays from February 21 through March 21, 2023.

The Youth Education Program at the Gardens of Golden Gate Park is evolving and we're excited to invite new volunteers to join our Garden Guide program! Our new volunteer program will train you to be a Garden Guide - someone who can work across all 3 of our sites with children. Our 5-session training will include basic plant concepts, approaches for working with children and how you can best unite the two.

By the end of our training you will:

know more about the Nature Detectives Guided Walk program for elementary school students
practice assisting our Bean Sprouts program in the Children’s Garden
be prepared to welcome a school group to the Conservatory of Flowers
be ready to help with Library family programs

This is our first time launching this training and we can’t wait to grow our program together! A clear background check is required for participation in program.

Complete this form to express an interest in joining this program >>

Winter Volunteer Opportunities!

Helen Crocker Russell Library at the Botanical Garden

The Library is seeking detail-oriented volunteers to help bind 200 delicate booklets in the library's collection to preserve them for future use. Tasks involve basic sewing and gluing of items in archival binders. No prior sewing skills necessary and training will be provided. The timing of this volunteer opportunity has some flexibility in scheduling and can be hosted Sundays through Wednesdays. For more information, please email Sharon, the Children’s Librarian, at smurata@sfbg.org.

In addition, the Library is also seeking volunteers who enjoy working with kids to help with the twice monthly Library Crafts for Kids program. Tasks include helping with setup, helping children with craft activities (gluing, drawing, painting, etc.), and clean up. Craft Table volunteer shifts are the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month, 1:30pm-4pm, and two volunteers are needed for each assignment. Activities take place in the Library Courtyard (or the Library if it rains).

Visit your Volunteer Portal and select "Library" under the "Jobs Category" at the top of the page to sign up to help our Library Crafts for Kids program >>

Children's Garden

Bean Sprouts Family Days in the Children's Garden have two special events in December and we would love your help! On December 10th we are hosting wreath-making in the Children's Garden and on December 17th we're partnering with the Mexican Museum to help us celebrate the Poinsettia plant and create art focused on this special plant.

Sign up online and if those slots are filled come on out for our special holiday week of program on December 19 - 22 before we take a break until February. We look forward to seeing you in the Children's Garden soon!

To sign up for either Children's Garden assignment, visit your Volunteer Portal and select "Children's Programs" at the top of the page to access the calendar >>

Golden Mile Family Programs

We're excited to announce our Golden Mile Family Programs located at East JFK Drive! You'll see some Garden favorites like Story Time hosted by the Helen Crocker Russell Library and Botanical Blueprints hosted by the Conservatory of Flowers! We can always use a few helping hands if you're available, so please take a look at our Events listings if you are open to volunteering at You Are Here.

To sign up and help with Golden Mile Family Programs, please visit your Volunteer Portal and select "Events" at the top of the page to access the volunteer calendar >>

In Memory

Helen Crocker Russell Library Director Brandy Kuhl recently shared the sad news that our longtime volunteer and friend of the Gardens Linda Mitteness passed away on November 19. Linda collapsed on her way to a meeting and never regained consciousness.

Linda will be missed by many. She began volunteering in the library in 2006, and worked in the library at least once a week for 15 years. She was always asking questions, eager to help with new projects, and willing to lend a hand. Linda didn’t have a background as a librarian, but she would have been a wonderful one. She welcomed visitors with kindness, listened to their questions, and thoughtfully and expertly helped find answers. Linda was generous with her time and expertise, and she was also a generous donor to the library. Most recently, Linda donated over $600 worth of new books to fill gaps due to pandemic-related budget cuts. Linda and her wife Judith were Leadership and Legacy Circle members at Gardens and loved the garden and the library deeply. Linda was also an avid gardener and bought many, many plants at SFBG plant sales. Garden staff are grateful for the time that Linda gave us, and for her kindness and friendship over the years.

At a future date, Linda’s family and friends will hold a Celebration of Life at St. John’s United Church of Christ in San Francisco where Linda was an active member and leader for forty years.

Children's Garden welcomes a new intern! Jacky!

Slices of Joy

Annette Huddle had an article published in the November Issue of Pacific Horticulture reminding us of the joys and benefits of talking with children about their observations of climate and seasonality. You can read the article here.

Our wreath-making volunteer call for support was such a success that we filled our spots almost immediately. Thank you to everyone who expressed an interest in joining our volunteers for this annual event!

We are very pleased to announce that that Gardens have been awarded a $17,000 grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust. These funds will be used to support the expansion of our IrisBG database subscription across all three garden sites as a first phase to connect collections.

Please note that I will be out of the office from December 15 - December 26. During this time, please continue to reach out to your staff contacts if you must report a change in your schedule and cc Jamie Chan, Director of Programs and Partnerships at jchan@sfbg.org.

In addition, the Conservatory of Flowers will be closed from January 14 - 29, due to its annual maintenance closure. During this closure, the Conservatory will be closed to the public and there will be no volunteer shifts during this time.

Thank you for a phenomenal first six months at the Gardens of Golden Gate Park. I wish you a wonderful winter solstice and beautiful start to your new year!

Best wishes,

Crystal

Crystal Lee Stone | Volunteer Program Manager
__________________________________________
Gardens of Golden Gate Park
P (415) 661-1316 Ext. 400

9am-5pm, M-F
clstone@sfbg.org

P.S. Did you miss an update? Catch up by viewing past newsletters on Volunteer Central.

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1199 9th Ave. Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA | 94122 US

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