VOLUNTEER - Bellevue Botanical Garden

Join hundreds of volunteers who provide over 15,000 hours each year supporting the Bellevue Botanical Garden and Garden partners.

The generous support of Bellevue Botanical Garden volunteers plays a crucial role in the success of the Garden. There are many volunteer opportunities available, from participating in educational programs and helping with special events, to assisting with outreach and providing horticultural assistance—all essential in enriching visitor experience. Whatever your passion, the Garden can use your interest and talent!

Requirements for all Volunteers:

Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age.
Background checks are required for most positions.

CURRENT VOLUNTEERS: Login to Volgistics

We onboard new volunteers as needed.

Please complete an application if you would like to be contacted about volunteer opportunities when they are available.

This application is only for individuals who would like to regularly volunteer at the Garden. If you are a member of a group looking for volunteer opportunities, please refer to the Volunteer Opportunities section below.

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Volunteer Opportunities

See below for ongoing volunteer opportunities. Opportunities are organized by primary focus area. Please note that these opportunities are not always available, as volunteer needs vary throughout the year. Please contact us for more information about current volunteer needs.

Visitor Experience Teams

Docent
Lead tours of the Garden. Stroll the Garden with visitors and share interesting information about the Garden and its history. Training classes are provided annually.

Garden Beautification
Help clean signs and benches and pick up trash around the Garden. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the whole Garden, while making an impact.

Garden Greeter
As an ambassador of the Garden, welcome visitors, answer questions, and help provide the best guest experience possible for our over 425,000 annual visitors.

Master Gardener Foundation Clinics
Help visitors achieve their home gardening dreams by answering plant and soil health questions and providing science-based ideas for sustainable garden design and maintenance.

Special Event Support
Ensure special events, like Arts in the Garden and Garden d’Lights, run smoothly and safely. Assist visitors, patrol the grounds, and help Garden staff with operational duties.

Trillium Store
Assist shoppers, work as a cashier, and provide inventory support.

Outreach Teams

Event Hospitality
Help plan and execute a wide range of community-building and fundraising events produced by the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society.

Education Teams

Adult Education
Help design, coordinate and host our adult education programs. Identify and recruit speakers on a broad range of gardening and garden-related topics. Requires monthly meeting.

Children’s Programs
Assist with botany, biology and horticulture related programs for children ages 3-12 years old, including Living Lab, Kids in the Garden, and Scouts programs.

Garden d'Lights Teams

Build & Repair Team
Build, renovate and repair the light displays that illuminate the Garden every holiday season. The team meets weekly on Thursday.

Installation & Take Down Team
Participate in set-up and installation of light displays from the last week of October until the Monday of Thanksgiving week. Take-down is the first week of January.

Horticulture Teams

Dahlia Display Assistant
Work with the Puget Sound Dahlia Association.

Exotic Inspiration Garden Assistant
Work with the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society.

Fuchsia Garden Assistant
Work with the Eastside Fuchsia Society.

General Garden Assistant
Assist Garden grounds staff in creating, planting, pruning, weeding, and maintaining garden beds on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Native Discovery Garden Assistant
Work with the Washington Native Plant Society.

Perennial Border Assistant
Work with the Northwest Perennial Alliance on Thursday mornings.

Rock Garden Assistant
Work with the NW American Rock Garden Society.

Waterwise Garden Assistant
Participate in a work party with Bellevue Utilities on Wednesday afternoons, spring to fall.

Organization Support Teams

Content Creation
Write for the Bellevue Botanical Garden’s blog or quarterly BUZZ publication.

Garden Society Administrative Assistant
Work in our office to support Bellevue Botanical Garden Society operations.

Librarian
Help maintain and organize our Gardening Resource Library.

Photographer/Videographer
Take pictures and videos of our beautiful gardens, programs and events for use in promotional and educational materials.

Group Volunteer Opportunities

The Garden offers volunteer opportunities for groups on most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9-11 a.m., March through October. Depending on the gardeners’ priorities, groups may help with weeding, cut-back, removal of invasive plants, or trail maintenance. Group size is limited to 20 people or less. Please request group volunteer days at least three weeks in advance by emailing us with your preferred date(s).

Accepted group volunteers may be asked to complete the Volunteer Waiver, if instructed by the BBG Volunteer Program Coordinator.