Finally, we’ve got snow at the Gardens, so everything is cloaked in white and looking magical! Our new shipwreck is looking ghostly and surreal so make sure to take a walk and get a photo this week.
Speaking of ships, the crew of our “ship” that is the operations of the Gardens is surprisingly small for the diverse multiple jobs involved in running things. From our executive leadership to fundraising and memorials, from designing and running programs for adults and youth to managing and teaching in our Sprouts Garden Preschool. There is also managing and directing all of our facilities, growth, and 30 acres of grounds, handling the finances, social media and rentals, and finally actually growing and maintaining our beautiful gardens. Our ship’s crew keeps us afloat because of the “wind in our sails” provided by our many volunteers.
Even in winter, volunteers have been involved in many ways. A volunteer who loves succulents helped with a Hands-on Plants class. Another donated and installed additional lighting in our greenhouse while others sterilized planting trays and cleaned. Some vegetable gardeners helped with plant selections and design for the Kitchen Garden while a horticulturist teamed up with our horticulturist to schedule our greenhouse planting plan. But you don’t need any special skills to volunteer! Everything from greeting at an event, taking tickets, planting annuals, or throwing mulch is available for your participation and we always train and entertain you!
Megan Johnson (mjohnson@wausaubotanicgardens.org), our Volunteer Coordinator has us, and you, ready to start our season!
We will have our Kitchen Garden Volunteer Orientation on March 6, from 5:30-7:00 pm for anyone interested in growing one of our Kitchen Garden plots, helping with a plot, or being a “floater” to help in the Kitchen Garden generally. Contact Megan at the email above so that she can send you the Kitchen Garden signup form, or call her with questions at 715-261-6309.
Earth Day, April 22, will be a big day for volunteers to come out and help with garden cleanup from 9:00-11:00 or 1:00-3:00 and do a little bit for the world at large. The signup is already available on our website.
Then just a short while later is our Kickoff Volunteer Orientation on May 2 from 5:30-7:30 pm. This is for new and returning volunteers. If you are interested in joining our volunteer crew this season, let Megan know so that she can send you the RSVP form when it is available.
This summer we will again have Monthly Scout Volunteer Days at the Gardens! These are the third Monday of the month May-September from 5:00-7:00 pm. We welcome up to four troops to help out in the Gardens. The details and signup are on our website.
Three Saturdays in June, June 1, 8 and 22 we will have volunteers from 9:00 -11:00 am when we will accomplish cleanup, planting (hopefully) and garden maintenance. Our weekly work sessions will begin some time in May or June on Tuesdays from 4:00 – 6:00 pm and Thursdays for “Coffee and Cultivating” from 9:00 -11:00 am when our volunteers will be kicking Miss Pat to get to work and stop drinking coffee and chatting, but of course that’s part of the fun of being a Monk volunteer!
All of the information you need is available on our website so put us on your schedule and know that we can’t “sail forward” without you!
Written by Pat Witt, Garden Supervisor
