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HORTICULTURE DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 2008
Hold These Dates & Grab Your Garden Gloves!

Painted by volunteers especially for the Cereal Festival Parade in 2006, the aging ranger can be seen all over Battle Creek greening the city!

Saturday, April 26 - 9:00-12:00 Volunteers needed to help clean up and prepare the Children's Garden for spring use.

Saturday, May 3rd - 9:00-12:00 Volunteers are needed to prepare the Horticulture Training Center grounds for our annual Spring Plant Sale. Cut back perennials, secure ground fabrics, move container plants and general clean up with Brett.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, May 6th - 9th - whenever between 9:00am-7:00pm, volunteers are needed to prepare greenhouse plants for the Annual Spring Plant Sale. Moving flats and plants, cleaning, labeling, weeding, adding signage and pricing need to be done by Friday at 4pm.

Friday and Saturday, May 9th and 10th many different shifts and positions are open to help with our Annual Spring Plant Sale. Please call for details and assignments.

A very creative volunteer gave this cactus some personality!

Thursday, May15th, 4-7pm volunteers meet at the Arboretum to install annuals at the arbor.

Friday, May 16th, 10am-2pm volunteers are needed to help staff a weekly plant sale fundraiser. Assist customers with gardening questions, sell plants, and help move plants to customers' vehicles with Stacey.

Friday, May 16th, 4-8pm volunteers meet at the Children's Garden to plant annuals, install art and signage and enjoy some wine while we work with Stacey!

Saturday, May 17th, 9am-noon volunteers meet in the Arboretum to work in the perennial beds with Master Gardener, Vi Gogle. Then come to the Children's Garden for lunch and another session from noon-4pm planting annuals!

Saturday, May 17th, noon-4pm volunteers meet in the Children's Garden for a quick lunch with Stacey and then plant annuals.

Tuesday, May 20th, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location to be announced, please call ext. 131 for message as to location and weather cancellations.

Wednesday, May 21st, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details.

Thursday, May 22nd, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details.

Friday, May 23rd, 10am-2pm volunteers needed to help staff a weekly plant sale fundraiser. Assistcustomers with gardening questions, sell plants, and move sold plants customers' cars with Stacey.

Tuesday, May27th, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details.

Wednesday, May 28th, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details.

Thursday, May 29th, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details.

Sunday, June 1st, noon-3pm volunteer session in the Lakeview Business District to plant annuals. Please call Dinah at ext. 125 for more details.

Tuesday, June 3rd, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details.

Wednesday, June 4th, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details.

Thursday, June 5th, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details.

Tuesday, June 10th, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details.

Wednesday, June 11th, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details.

Thursday, June 12th, 4-7pm volunteer session planting annuals and celebrating Stacey's birthday, location and weather adjustments will be announced on ext. 131, please call for details and bring chocolate.

Saturday, June 14th 9am-4pm volunteers needed for the Children's Garden Opening Day 2008. Guide families in activities throughout the garden and be available to answer questions or give tours of the garden.

Friday, June 20th, 5-8pm volunteer session weeding in the Children's Garden with Stacey. Snacks and maybe some wine will be provided this evening! Definitely call to register so there is enough food and drink for everyone.

Saturday, June 21st, 9am-4pm volunteers are needed to staff the garden for Youth and Children's Garden Celebration Day. Guide families in activities throughout the garden and be available to answer questions or give tours of the garden.

Saturday and Sunday, June 28th and 29th volunteers are needed for the Leila Arboretum 2008 Garden Tour both in the Children's Garden and at the gardens around the city that are part of the tour. Please call for details and scheduling.

Friday, July 11th, 5-8pm volunteer session weeding in the Children's Garden with Stacey. Snacks and probably some wine will be provided for this fun evening activity. Call to register so ther is enough food and drink for everyone.

Saturday, July 12th, 9am-4pm volunteers are needed to staff the Children's Garden for the Faerie Festival. Guide families in faerie related activities throughout the garden and be available to answer questions or give tours of the garden.

Friday, July 25th, 5-8pm volunteer session weeding the Children's Garden with Stacey. Snacks and most likely a bit of wine will be provided for this fun evening activity. Enjoy the summer garden with your friends and family, but make sure to call and register so there is enough food and drink for everyone.

Saturday, July 26th, 9am-4pm volunteers are needed to staff the Children's Garden for Soakin' Saturday. Guide families in wet activities throughout the garden and be available to answer questions or give tours of the garden.

Friday, August 1st, 5-8pm volunteer session weeding the Children's Garden. Snacks will be provided for this activity so please call to make sure there is enough!

Saturday, August 2nd, 9am-4pm volunteers are needed to staff the Children's Garden for Butterfly Day. Guide families in activities throughout the garden and be available to answer questions or give tours of the garden.

Wednesday, August 13th from 5:30 to 8pm is the 2008 Corn Roast! This is a food filled fun event for all of our volunteers and members as we say thank you for all you've helped to accomplish in the past year! Come joins us and enjoy the local corn!

Volunteers can enjoy music or watch the staff grill the corn if arriving early, or even sit by the roasters and eat it hot off the grill!

Friday, August 15th, 5-8pm volunteer session weeding the Children's Garden. Snacks will be provided for this activity so please call ahead to make sure there is enough chocolate!

Saturday, August 16th, 9am-4pm volunteers are needed to staff the Children's Garden for Discovery Day. Guide families in activities throughout the garden and be available to answer questions or give tours of the garden.

Friday, August 22nd, 5-8pm volunteer session weeding in the Children's Garden. Snacks will be provided for this activity, please bring the family and call ahead to reserve space!

Saturday and Sunday, August 23-24, volunteers are needed to set up and staff the Planes, Trains and Automobiles event in the Children's Garden. Help set up special theme related activities, guide families in activities throughout the garden and be available to answer questions or give tours of the garden. Call for details and times that volunteers are needed.

Friday, September 12th, 5-8pm volunteer session to weed and primp the Children's Garden. Lots of tempting harvest snacks to choose from while you work. Bring the family and some friends!

Saturday, September 13th, 9am-3pm volunteers are needed to staff the Children's Garden for Pet Owner Awareness Day. Guide families in pet related activities throughout the garden and be available to answer questions or give tours of the garden.

Friday, September 26th, 5-8pm volunteer session to weed and prepare the garden for Scarecrow Jubilee. Snacks will be provided, please help the scarecrows!

Saturday, September 27th, 9am-3pm volunteers are needed to staff the Children's Garden for Scarecrow Jubilee. Guide families in activities throughout the garden, help kids learn to make scarecrows, and be available to answer questions or give tours of the garden.

Friday, October 24th, 5-8pm the last volunteer session of the year to primp and prepare the Children's Garden. Snacks will of course be provided as we put up the last minute decorations that make the garden come alive for the Haunted Garden! Please bring family and friends and call early to register.

Saturday, October 25th, 4-8pm volunteers are needed to help staff the Haunted Garden. This is the last event of the year and is always fun! Guide families in scary activities throughout the garden and be available to answer questions or give tours of the garden.

Saturday, November 1st, 10am-1pm volunteer session in the Children's Garden to put the garden to sleep for the winter. This involves putting away signage, removing scarecrows and Halloween decorations, covering many sculptures and cutting back a few perennials. Dress for the weather and call ext. 131 for last minute changes.

Saturday, November 8th, 10am-1pm volunteer session to plant spring bulbs.

There are so many different kinds of jobs to be done through the Leila Arboretum Society!

With a small staff, we are very dependent on the skill and goodwill of our volunteers in making community beautification and environmental education a reality in Battle Creek! We have all kinds of jobs at LAS! Together there are so many things we can accomplish!

Please call Leila Arboretum Society at 269-969-0270 ext.125 for information and to sign up for ALL ACTIVITIES and the day of your scheduled volunteer activity, please call ext. 131 for changes, location details and any other last minute details. Thank you for your support!

An Overview

Outdoor Gardeners---Leila Arboretum Society has a great many opportunities for people to volunteer their time gardening outdoors. Come and help the Society and your community by coming out and joining friends and neighbors in helping to make this area a place of lush and lustrous beauty! Here are our main opportunities. You do not have to be a Master Gardener to volunteer for LAS!

Leila Arboretum Display Gardens---annual plantings around the fountain areas are planted twice each year—once in late Spring and then in late Fall.

BC “Green Teams”--Gardeners volunteer in neighborhood projects as well as some of the park areas in Battle Creek. These teams are supplied by LAS and given support to make sure plantings, mulch and people-power are available in order to maintain neighborhood sites.

Children’s Garden—Gardeners will always be needed to help take care of an acre of plantings in the LAS Childrens’ Garden. This is a wonderful garden containing many small gardens of different themes.

'Lord Baltimore' Hibiscus is amazing in the Healing Herbs Garden.

Specialty Gardens---Throughout the community, there are wonderful examples of different kinds of gardens for those who wish to specialize. There are rose gardens, rock gardens, butterfly gardens, gardens of just annuals, native wild flowers, perennial gardens, Japanese gardens etc.

Business District Plantings---Communities seem more vibrant when their business districts come alive with plantings of annuals, bulbs and trees. Note: the container plantings that you see in the downtown area are planted and maintained by Leila Arboretum.

Greenhouse Gardeners---The LAS Greenhouse offers many opportunities for learning also. Greenhouse gardening is different than gardening outdoors. Greenhouse gardeners learn the fine points of growing plants from seed in a controlled environment, grafting, transplanting, pruning at important intervals, and insect control. The LAS Greenhouse Gardeners go into a “high production phase” starting in mid-January to begin producing plants for the Arboretum, the Children’s Garden, various community locations and the Annual Plant Sale held in early May. Although we don't expect volunteers to help, there are more greenhouse rooves to replace this year and many hands make much lighter work!

Garden & Greenhouse Guides —one of the newest volunteer assignments at LAS. Since the Children’s Garden opening in June of 2003, we have depended on trained volunteers to take people on tours around the Children’s Garden and do hands-on-activities with children. In this children’s learning garden, we show kids how plants effect their everyday lives. There are so many fun and creative ways of educating children. We always concentrate on learning through fun!

Children---For most assignments all children are welcome. We encourage their involvement as positive outdoor experiences early on in a child’s life tend to produce children who are more environmentally aware and more committed volunteers when they grow older. Their participation is our joy! We do ask that parents/guardians participate along with them in any volunteer activity.

Special Skills Volunteers---Like many non-profits, Leila doesn’t have the funding to hire out some of the special tasks that we need done around here. It’s always great to have volunteers who have skills that they are willing to contribute such as carpentry, electrical, mechanical and artistic skills.

Administrative Duties---filing, calling, assembling bulk mail—Most of the mailings that go out through LAS for the Volunteer and Education Departments are made possible by volunteer efforts. The tasks required are inserting, folding, labeling, sealing and organizing these mailings so we can get them out on a timely basis. This task is usually done in a team effort.

There’s always a place for you at Leila Arboretum Society!

For more informtion on any of these volunteer opportunities please fill out the form below, or call (269) 969-0270 ext 125.