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June 2021
Dear Volunteers,
I hope everyone is enjoying this windy spring! We have a lot to look forward to this summer at the Garden, and many ways to help out and volunteer.
We have a few changes in our horticulture team this month, as we welcome our new Captain, Toby Kanzawa, and say goodbye to Pat Quinn and Bob Fiorello. More information about these changes is included below, including an invitation to help celebrate Bob's retirement on June 30.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Read on to learn about all the ways to get involved with the Garden this summer!
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Summer Together Camps Program
July 12-22, 9:30-11:30am and 12-2pm
We are very excited to welcome youth to the Garden this summer and are looking for volunteer support. Summer Together is a coalition of community organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and city departments partnering to offer free in-person and virtual learning experiences for San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) students.
Teams of volunteers will be stationed at key points in the Garden, to help facilitate the students' visits. Volunteers may help by offering directions, pointing out interesting specimens, or engaging in other ways. We encourage docents and children's guides to sign up, but also welcome volunteers who are familiar with the Garden or who have experience working with kids. A training will be held on Thursday, July 1 at 2pm.
Click here to sign up!
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Lunch Looker (Garden Camp)
June 7-August 6
Mondays-Fridays, 11:30am-1pm
Garden Camp needs eyes! Help us give counselors a lunch break and be an extra pair of eyes for Garden Campers. Volunteers will be positioned near camp groups (ages 5-11) during their lunch breaks, and will be accompanied by camp staff. Activities may include walking groups to the bathroom, supervising campers as they sanitize their hands, and making sure campers stay seated and entertained. A perfect opportunity for stories, or sharing fun knowledge and facts about the Garden!
No experience required, training will be provided on-site.
Click here to sign up
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Bean Sprouts Family Days
Bean Sprouts is up and running—now offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays!
With school out and summer upon us, families are coming to the Garden more than ever! If you have already been trained for Bean Sprouts, you can sign up below. If you have not received training but want to join us, please let me know.
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| Horticulture Volunteer Program
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Green Team
Itching to get outside and do something with your hands? Sign up for the Green Team and work with the Garden's horticulture team to help tend the Garden. Be prepared to help weed, mulch, prune, plant, move soil, and assist with other essential Garden maintenance.
Calendar is open for summer sign-ups, June through August.
Green Team Assistant Wanted! Support the Green Team by helping clean, sharpen, and organize tools on a weekly or biweekly basis. Preferably an active Green Team volunteer. Contact Chloe if interested.
CA Native Plants Volunteer Wanted: Seeking someone with experience cultivating California Native plants and comfortable working independently or in a small group, who can assist with maintenance of the native plant collection in the Children's Garden. Contact Chloe if interested.
Horticulture Team Updates
In May we said goodbye to Patrick Quinn, Captain and Horticulturist for the Mesoamerican Cloud Forest. Pat will continue to work with the SF Recreation & Parks Department in Golden Gate Park, Section 6. He contributed so much to the Garden's collections and volunteer program and he will be missed! Thank you Pat! Read about Pat and his work here.
We are excited to welcome Toby Kanzawa (photo above) to the team! Toby was co-owner of Aquatic Habitats, an aquarium installation company, and worked in private landscaping for many years before completing CCSF's Horticulture program and interning at the Garden in in 2013. He worked in Golden Gate Park for 8 years, most recently in Section 6, the west end, overseeing the Tulip Garden and Beach Chalet soccer fields. Toby joins the team as a Captain and will manage the Cloud Forest and other areas along the southern half of the Garden, including the Moon Viewing Garden. He's excited to be back at the Garden and we're excited to have him with us!
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Garden Tours
Welcome and THANK YOU to our newest group of docent trainees. We are so excited for everyone to meet the 15 graduates of this spring's docent training. New folks will be shadowing walks and preparing to lead their own walks this month- stay tuned for invitations on how to join a walk and support our new docents.
Docents lead tours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at 1:30pm, and on Fridays (new!) & Saturdays at 10:30am. Not ready to lead a walk? We continue to encourage Rovers as well! Sign up here
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Event Hosts
Welcome guests to the Garden for weddings and other special events! Event Hosts greet guests at the Main Gate and guide them to their event location. Time commitment is 2-3 hours, primarily on weekends. Contact Chloe for more information.
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Bookstore & Plant Arbor
The Bookstore & Plant Arbor are now open DAILY, and seek friendly, out-going volunteers to support these important locations. For the Arbor, we ask that you have some plant experience and knowledge, or are comfortable looking up information to help visitors.
Shifts are currently 10am- 1pm and 1pm- 4pm. Stop by to familiarize yourself with the offerings at these locations, and sign up on Volunteer Central.
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Mary Pitts Memorial
Celebration Garden, Golden Gate Park
Saturday June 19, 2-4pm
Larry, Jennifer and John Pitts cordially invite you to a Memorial Celebration of Mary Pitts in the Celebration Garden of the San Francisco Botanical Garden.
Masks required for unvaccinated or immunocompromised guests
Click to RSVP if you have not already done so
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Flower Piano 2021
September 17-21
Save the dates! We will be looking for volunteer support to greet visitors, monitor pianos, assist with programs, and more. Learn about the event at sfbg.org/flowerpiano. Details on how to volunteer will be shared in the next newsletter.
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Garden Tours
Tours are great opportunities to get into the Garden, meet garden docents, explore the amazing spring blooms, and deepen your connection to the collections. Bring a friend or fellow volunteer and take a guided walk this month! Please register in advance.
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Bob Fiorello
This month we honor longtime staff member Bob Fiorello (above, with Chloe in 2017), who will be retiring at the end of June. In 1998, Bob began working as a horticulturist throughout the Garden, focusing on Chile, the Andean Cloud Forest, Zellerbach, and New Zealand. In 2015, he became Chief Horticulturist guiding the Garden into a new era of leadership.
Many of you may not be familiar with Bob, as he can often be found working behind the scenes, early in the mornings or even into the evenings. From managing irrigation and materials, to helping set up pianos, to cutting bamboo for the Children's Garden, Bob has been instrumental in attending to the millions of details that help make the Garden run.
However, I believe that many of you do know Bob, because on top of his many responsibilities, he also deeply cares about working with volunteers and educating the public about horticulture, integrated pest management (IPM), and other topics. You may have worked with Bob during a Community Volunteer Day, or attended his training on "Weeds in the Garden". Bob is a natural teacher, and loves opportunities for hands-on learning.
Bob has been a champion of the Garden and especially of its volunteer program for more than 20 years. On behalf of this community I want to extend a deep thank you to Bob for all his hard work. We wish you the best in retirement and hope you'll come back to visit often!
Join us in celebrating Bob with a pizza party in the Redwood Grove. Wednesday, June 30, 1-2pm. RSVP here
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For the fifth month in a row, the Garden has experienced record-breaking visitation! Thanks to everyone for helping keep the Garden and its programs in great shape to welcome all these visitors!
Take good care,
Chloe
Chloe Wieland | Director of Volunteer Engagement
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San Francisco Botanical Garden
P (415) 661-1316 Ext. 400
C (415) 629-2010
9am-5pm, M-F
cwieland@sfbg.org
P.S. Did you miss an update? Catch up by viewing past newsletters on Volunteer Central.
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