February 2024

Dear Volunteers,

Thank you to all of the volunteers who joined us for our Green Team Group Days in New Zealand and Southeast Asia. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time with our new Botanical Garden horticulturists Ahmed, Gabrielle (Gigi), Jeremiah, Jack, and Milo. We're excited to launch our new Green Team schedule for the spring. We welcome new and returning volunteers to join. 

Register here >> 

As we welcome spring, we have much to look forward to. Read on to learn more about volunteer opportunities, upcoming events, and Magnificent Magnolias. 

Lunar New Year
Sunday, February 11, 10:30 am - 2:30 pm
County Fair Building Auditorium

Join our Programs & Partnerships team as they host the Lunar New Year event. We currently have over 500 visitors registered for the event so we're looking forward to a great turnout and can use help with both educational programming and event assistance. 

Register to help the Education Team >> 

Register to help with Event Assistance >>

Bean Sprouts
Spring Session begins February 17, Ongoing Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays
Children's Garden, Botanical Garden

Help the Children's Garden Education team welcome families for their regularly scheduled Bean Sprouts Family Days. Whether you're a seasoned volunteer or newly joining the Gardens, you're welcome to register for this assignment.  

Register here >>

Garden Guides Spring Training Session
Five Tuesdays from February 20 - March 19, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
In-person

Would you like to join our vibrant community of Garden Guides who help welcome and engage with children at the Gardens? This is your chance to join our wonderful community of volunteers focused on working with some of our youngest visitors. We recommend that you complete your application by February 11 for early review.  

Register here >>

Monthly Botanical Garden Horticultural Maintenance 
Saturday, March 23, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Meet at the Bookstore, 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 the horticultural team as they maintain our collection at the Botanical Garden. 

Register here >> 

Magnificent Magnolia season has officially begun with blooms already stunning visitors and anticipated to continue through March. We look forward to welcoming visitors to see their beauty as they learn about one of the most significant conservation collection of magnolias in the United States. General bloom updates will be maintained on our website and social channels, too, for the latest and greatest information on the magnolias. In addition, the same page features our Magnolia Map which features twenty highlighted plants to visit. 

If you or visitors would like to join us for a guided walk in the Botanical Garden this spring, please visit our calendar of Magnolia Curator Tours or join one of our volunteers for a Botanical Garden public tour.

Developing the Gardens' Interpretive Master Plan
Wednesday, February 7, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Zoom event

The Director of Programs & Partnerships, Jamie Chan, and Engagement Manager, Sarah Sawtelle, will lead a presentation about the Gardens' recent Institute of Museum and Library Services grant to develop our Interpretive Master Plan. Join Jamie and Sarah to see what we have learned and hear our plans for the future. 

Register here >>

Book Group: Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Thursday, February 8, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Helen Crocker Russell Library, Botanical Garden

All Gardens volunteers are invited to our next Book Group event. The next book the group will discuss is Gathering Moss: a Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Register here >> 

Meet-up: Nature Journaling
Monday, February 12, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Library Terrace, Botanical Garden

All volunteers are invited to an informal meet-up group focused on nature journaling. Bring a notebook and supplies and join fellow volunteers for this group inspired by Wild Wonder Foundation. To help you prepare, download their Quick Start Guide to Natural Journaling zine. 

Register here >> 

Annual Volunteer and Member Briefing
Tuesday, February 27, 5:30 - 6:30 pm
Zoom event

Members and volunteers of the Gardens of Golden Gate Park are invited to a briefing about our accomplishments over the past year and our plans for the future. There will be time for your questions in the second part of the program. 

Register here >>

Garden Educator Erick led Children’s Garden Green Team volunteers and YMCA intern Erica in the start of winter fruit tree pruning in the Children’s Garden. The Children’s Garden staff are very thankful for all of your help with big projects like this and are happy to pass on our horticulture knowledge through weekly maintenance tasks. 

In other Children's Garden news, the article “Children’s Garden Cultivates Environmental Awareness” recently appeared in the Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon and was written by a youth reporter who discussed the Children’s Garden and Bean Sprouts Family Days with Education Coordinator Nichole.

This past January, we hosted MISTER G (Ben Gundersheimer), a Latin GRAMMY Award-winning artist, author, and educator for a fun, family-friendly concert and program in the Celebration Garden. This event was in collaboration with San Francisco Recreation and Parks and Illuminate. Nearly 200 people attended, and the bookstore sold out of all of MISTER G's publications. Thank you to our volunteers and interns who joined the event to help make it a success! 

The Sunset Piano Project, producers of Flower Piano in San Francisco Botanical Garden, presents Music for Twelve Pianos; two special concerts at Grace Cathedral, on February 9 and 10, 2024. Sunset Piano will install twelve grand pianos in a half-circle on the Cathedral’s famous labyrinth. Twelve highly-regarded Bay Area pianists will join forces to play two original works.

Please note that I will be out of the office from February 17- 25. As a reminder, if you have a last minute change to your schedule, please reach out directly to your staff lead for your assignment that day. This information is listed in your automated confirmation and reminder emails. To see a list of volunteer program staff contacts, please visit this page. 

Best wishes, 

Crystal 

Crystal Lee Stone | Volunteer Program Manager

Gardens of Golden Gate Park 

(415) 661-1316 Ext. 400

clstone@gggp.org

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

Gardens of Golden Gate Park

1199 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122