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November 2021
Dear Volunteers,
Happy November! In rushes autumn with cooler, darker days, giving our Garden some time to rest as well as a chance for some new volunteer opportunities. Thanks to everyone who's been helping out these last few months! I hope you all are able to slow down some for the winter and enjoy each moment that passes us by.
We have a few special volunteer opportunities coming up just in time for the holidays. Hope to see you there!
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JEDI Survey for Volunteers
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As an essential part of San Francisco Botanical Garden's strategic plan, we are developing short and long term goals to improve justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) in our organization and programs. We hope you will participate in this questionnaire as we gather data about the volunteer experience with JEDI at the Garden, one of our first steps in our data collection.
For the sake of this survey, please try to keep the reference point YOU - as in YOUR lived experience volunteering at the Garden.
This survey is confidential and all questions are optional. No identifying information will be connected to an individual's survey response and all personal statements will be anonymous. Aggregate results (never individual data) might be shared publicly in service to planning and measuring change toward determined goals. We hope you will choose to participate!
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Special Volunteer Opportunities
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Wreath Making Volunteers
Join us as we return to in-person wreath making this December! Volunteers are needed to help this event run smoothly. Some of our needed roles are listed here:
- Set-Up: Help us ready the space for the event by setting up chairs and arranging plant material. Walking, standing, lifting, moving tables and chairs.
- Pruners: Prune incoming greens to prepare for use in wreath making! Standing, bending, and lots of pruning.
- Wine & Food Service: Set-up and clean-up food and beverage station for Wine and Wreaths Member-Only workshops. 21+ volunteer, standing, serving.
- And more! View all available volunteer roles for Wreath Making here.
Volunteers assisting with the workshop will be permitted to take home a collection of Garden Greens to create their own wreath. Email volunteer@sfbg.org with any questions.
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Gift Wrapping Volunteers
Volunteers needed to staff the Gift Wrapping Table at the Garden Bookstore throughout the holidays. Volunteers will provide free gift wrapping for items purchased at the Bookstore. This will be low-stress wrapping at an outdoor table (no previous experience needed). You'll work alongside the Bookstore and Plant Arbor staff and volunteers.
Shifts are available on Saturdays and Sundays and a few key weekdays from Saturday November 20 through Thursday December 23. Shifts are three hours, morning 10am-1pm, or afternoon 1pm-4pm. Sign up here!
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Special Project - Assisting Plant Record Manager
We are searching for one volunteer who can help our Plant Record Manager, Tory Stewart, with a special project involving drilling holes for the stakes in our display labels. This could be done at home if someone has a drill press available, but we are also able to coordinate time for this volunteer to use the engraving room.
This volunteer should like working with their hands, be comfortable using machinery and following safety protocols, can stand for an extended period of time, and doesn't mind monotony.
Sound like a fit for you? Email Tory for more information!
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Staff Spotlight: Jessa Barzelay
After six very successful years at the Garden, Jessa Magnolia Barzelay, our Director of Learning & Engagement, has resigned. Her last day will be November 17. Congratulations to Jessa on her new position as Director of Education at CuriOdyssey! They are extremely fortunate to have Jessa joining their team.
Jessa's accomplishments at the Garden are numerous including leading our largest public annual program, Flower Piano, and launching Garden Camp and After-School programs. Jessa also acted on the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee, as well as the Safety and Interpretation committees. Her passion and commitment for the Garden and our mission are truly inspiring.
We'll miss you Jessa! We wish you only the best on your journey.
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Bookstore and Plant Arbor
We are seeking more long-term volunteers to support these important locations in regular, week-day roles. No prior experience required! If you love talking about the Garden and interacting with folks from all over, this role might be for you. A deep love of the Garden is tucked between the pages of our many books and hidden among the trinkets we keep here. Can you help us share it with others? Bookstore and Arbor volunteers must be vaccinated. Email volunteer@sfbg.org to get started!
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Library Volunteer Shifts
The indoor space of the Helen Crocker Russell Library is now open on Fridays & Saturdays, from 10am-4pm. As a library volunteer, you’ll welcome visitors from around the world to our horticultural library. Please contact volunteer@sfbg.org if you would like to join the Library team. Library volunteers must be vaccinated.
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Bean Sprouts Family Days
Take a trek up to the Children's Garden to support our Bean Sprouts program! Greet families and hand out tools for digging and playing while teaching youth all about our most explorable garden. Background check and some training required. Shift & Sign-up information here
Events Team
Join our Special Events team and help us with weddings and other special events throughout the season! Shifts range from 1-2 hours, typically on the weekends. Email volunteer@sfbg.org to get started.
Garden Tours
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 1:30pm
Fridays & Saturdays at 10:30am
Current volunteer programs will continue to run this fall, although some, including Green Team, will take a break during the Winter season. Please sign up directly on Volunteer Central.
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- The Children’s Garden has some exciting improvements and additions! The spacious new Fort Forest at the west end of Garden provides kids with a place to practice their engineering skills using natural materials and is a big hit with Garden visitors and our own afterschool groups. The Creation Station has been re-envisioned as a space to engage with smaller scale plant materials, with a variety of prompts painted on stumps and boards to help encourage creativity. Casey Herger, the Garden's YMCA Empowerment to Employment intern, is primarily responsible for designing and painting signs, devising visual boundaries, and working with staff and volunteers to collect and sort suitable material for each area. Come out and see how the Garden is growing!
- A massive thank you to our Horticulture Team for such a great clean up effort after the recent storm that hit! We were lucky to have escaped without any serious damage and the Garden is looking great as we ready for winter.
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Thank you for all that you do and have done for the Garden!
Warmly,
Jenn
Jenn Tapler | Program Manager
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San Francisco Botanical Garden
P (415) 661-1316 Ext. 404
C (443) 617-8177
9am-5pm, M-F
jtapler@sfbg.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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