Monthly updates for SFBG Volunteers
Monthly updates for SFBG Volunteers
January 2022
Dear Volunteers,
Happy New Year! 
We hope that your January is off to a safe and wonderful start. In the Garden we are eager to kick-off magnolia season as they begin to peek out of their buds. As the days grow longer and we begin to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring, the Garden comes to life with more blooms and opportunities for you to join us. 

Searching for Volunteer Translators

We are hoping to make our beautiful magnolia collection available to more members of the community, and are in search of volunteers who would be willing to join a magnolia tour to act as a volunteer translator.
If you are interested in this opportunity to join a tour and speak another language proficiently, especially Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, ASL, or Russian, please let us know! Dates and other information to be worked out with those interested.  
Our hope and goal is to be able to expand this program into something that is not limited to one season. If you have any thoughts on ways we can expand our tour program to more languages we would love to hear from you. 

Volunteer Opportunities

Green Team is Back!
We are so excited for Green Team to return in 2022, but due to the ongoing pandemic our horticulturist team has enacted some changes for the upcoming season. 
  • Only One Team: For the time being, our horticulturist team is asking that all volunteers sign-up for no more than one Green Team
  • Limiting Group Size: All Green Teams are now limited to no more than 6 people. 
These changes are being made so we can continue to keep our volunteers and our horticulture team safe. We will be revisiting and reassessing these rules quarterly, and hope to make changes as soon as it is safe to do so. Thanks for understanding, and helping to keep our community well. 
Bookstore and Plant Arbor
We are seeking more long-term volunteers to support these important locations in regular, weekday 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. 
Join the Events Team
Our small but mighty events team is always open for more volunteers if you are looking for a new unique way to engage with the Garden. These volunteers first go through a screening call, but then are invited to help with special events such as weddings, graduations, and private parties - often on weekends. Sound like something you're interested in? Send an email to volunteer@sfbg.org to begin. 

Library Updates

  • Welcome to Sharon Murata, our new Children's Librarian! Sharon has experience working in libraries and running children's programs and has also studied and worked in horticulture. Once Sharon is fully onboarded, we will be reopening the library more days!

  • Come see the new library art exhibit. Beautiful, intricate, and enlightening, Erin Hunter’s paintings are the perfect way to start the new year and restore the library’s art exhibit program. After a long pause due to the pandemic we are thrilled to welcome Erin E. Hunter and present her new art exhibition, Wild Nectar: Paintings of Flora and Pollinators. Erin's original paintings and unframed prints are on display and for sale January 7 through April 30. You are welcome to join us for a virtual artist reception on Sunday, January 23 from 3-4pm.

Slices of Joy

  • Our 2021 Annual Report is now available online and in hard copy!

  • The Bean Sprouts Family Day program offered special weekday hours during the holiday weeks. In spite of cold and rainy weather, we saw over 450 visitors to the Children’s Garden over six days. When the sun finally came out we had 150 visitors in a single day! The program is on hiatus for January and will resume in February as Youth Ed staff takes some time to work on other projects.

  • Winter Garden Camp wrapped up two wet weeks with dozens of new campers at the end of December. Despite the weather campers were able to explore the Garden as well as two field trips – one to the Japanese Tea Garden and the other to the Conservatory of Flowers. Campers spent their time learning about how the Children’s Garden winds down for winter, as well as how plants adapt to lower levels of light.

  • Garden After School launched their Spring semester this week! We’re excited to focus on Nature Journaling this semester. This process is all about slowing down and taking time to note your observations, connections, questions, and explanations about the world around us. The practice of Nature Journaling helps enrich our outdoor experiences.
Thank you for your continued support and all you do for the Garden!
Warmly,
Jenn

Jenn Tapler | Program Manager
__________________________________________
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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