Garvan Woodland Gardens

 Hot Springs     Arkansas

http://www.garvangardens.org     << Visit Website

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Categories:  Environment, [ View All ]

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Garvan Woodland Gardens Charity Profile

She made a wise decision in 1985 to donate the land under a trust agreement to the University of Arkansas School of Architecture. She maintained control of the property and continued to develop it until her death in 1993 when the U of A department of landscape architecture, a division of the School of Architecture, began the daunting task of documenting every plant species and the quantity of each. In the years to follow, work began on a strategic 10-year master plan that has served as a road map for existing and future expansion at the Gardens. Construction on what is now visible in the Gardens began in 2000 with a much-celebrated grand opening held in April 2002.

Garvan Woodland Gardens is an example of The Natural State at its best: a canopy of pines reaching skyward providing protection for delicate flora and fauna, gentle lapping waves that unfold along the 4 ½ miles of wooded shoreline, and rocky inclines that remind us of the surrounding Ouachita Mountains. The Gardens are a beautifully crafted response to those who may have doubted one determined woman's vision for a world-class botanical garden.

Garvan Woodland Gardens Volunteer Information

Admissions/Front Door Cash Register - Work in the Welcome Center greeting visitors and taking admission fees.

Selling Memberships - Help visitors and the Gardens by explaining the benefits of becoming a Garvan Woodland Garden member.

Gift Shop Assistant - Assist the staff in the Gift Shop by straightening merchandise, dusting shelves, and helping customers.

Customer Service/Outdoor Retail Garden - Volunteers in the retail garden make sure that the plants stay watered and well cared for and assist customers in find the perfect plant or flower pot.

Greeter (Tour and Map Assistant at Door from Welcome Center to Gardens) - Greet visitors who come to visit the Gardens. Interpret the Gardens' map for self-guided tours.

Planting - Volunteers help plant new flowers, trees, and shrubs as they are acquired by the gardens. There are day-to-day plantings, as well as occasional large projects, such as planting tulips.

Weeding - Like every garden Garvan Woodland Gardens has weeding that has to be done. Volunteers are always welcome.

General Garden Labor - Volunteers also can help with such things as watering plants during the dry season, deadheading flowers, and picking sticks up off of the trails after storms.

Golf Cart Tour Guide - Volunteers who choose to be golf cart guides are trained to drive visitors around the Gardens and to share interesting information with them about the Gardens, both its history and the plants it contains. Requirements: All golf cart tour guides must have a driver's license and attend the proper training.

Special Events - The Gardens hosts a variety of special events throughout the year. Volunteers are needed to help staff with set up, hosting, serving, and break down.

Bird Feeding - The Gardens are fortunate enough to have 71 acres devoted to nature preservation and bird habitats. Volunteers are needed to assist with cleaning and filling the many feeders on the property.

Anthony Chapel Docent - Home to Arkansas's newest architectural feature, the Anthony Chapel, we are in need of volunteers to greet guests and provide information about the Chapel.

Petal Pushers - We rely on our talented Petal Pusher volunteers to help us gather and arrange flowers for the many special events and functions at the Gardens.

Model Train Garden Volunteers - One of the most fun and unique features of the Gardens is our model train garden. Volunteers are needed to provide supervision of the model train garden and its trains as well as interact with our guests.

Docent Guide for Group Tours - Docents lead group tours. They are expected to be friendly and have above average knowledge of the Gardens and of plants in general.

Holiday Lights Display One of the biggest events of the year is our annual holiday lights season. In order to make it a memorable experience year after year, requires preparation that begins in August with sorting lights and culminates with serving hot chocolate, roasting marshmallows and giving golf cart tours.

Occasionally there is a need for a volunteer to help by public speaking or by staffing a booth at a convention or home & garden show. If a volunteer has a particular area in which he or she is especially knowledgeable then he or she might be asked to teach a workshop.

In the administration offices volunteers are needed to prepare large mailings, contact members, schedule volunteers, perform data entry and do general clerical work.