The Gardens at Yanney Volunteer Program

Flexible Volunteer Scheduling:                                             

Help the Gardens look their best this season by watering, weeding, deadheading, pruning, or raking with other volunteers at times that work best for YOU. Volunteers will be trained in gardening techniques and maintain various plants in the Gardens at Yanney Park and Harmon Park.  You will meet with the horticultural staff to set up flexible volunteering. Contact Coelette Gruber to schedule your flex volunteer meeting at 308.320.5362 or horticulture@kearneygov.org.

Group Volunteer Opportunities:                                           

Have your group plant annual flowers at a park entrance, pick up trash, spread mulch, clean up a landscape bed, transplant plants in the greenhouse, gather produce from the edibles garden, or do any other team-building activity.   If you're a group looking for volunteer opportunities, please email horticulture@kearneygov.org for project information and to set up your group activity.

How to Become a Volunteer

There are three types of volunteers - Seasonal, event, and group/organization volunteers. Seasonal volunteers can sign up for events and other volunteer opportunities like weekly horticultural activities and educational programs.  Event volunteers can only sign up for events like Spring Clean-up, The Big Dig, Heritage Days, and Greenhouse Events.   Group/Organization Volunteers set up their activities by contacting Coelette Gruber at horticulture@kearneygov.org or 308.320.0968 

There are two steps to becoming a volunteer: 

A. You apply to be a volunteer. 

The volunteer application only needs to be filled out once as long as the individual volunteers once a year. 

Seasonal volunteers have to complete a more in-depth application which includes a liability waiver, a background check, and volunteer orientation.  The seasonal volunteer process allows the individual to sign up for both events and other garden opportunities. Click on this Seasonal Volunteer Application link (1) to apply to be a seasonal volunteer.

The event volunteer application is short and requires volunteers to sign a liability waiver. Click on the Event Volunteer Application (2) link and then click on the link in the top right corner of that page.  The next volunteer event will be held in the fall when the Gardens are cleaned up for winter.

B. Sign up for event volunteer activities from your Volunteer Page after applying to be a volunteer. 

Seasonal Volunteers opportunities will be opened to volunteers after they complete orientation and pass their background check

1. Click on the Opportunities tab and select the opportunity list.
2. Look through the volunteer opportunities offered and click on the icon next to the position title for more information.
3. Click on the volunteer opportunity title that interests you. 
4. Don’t forget to push the sign-up button under the action heading at the bottom of the page.
5. You can find more information about the event position you volunteered for by clicking on the Schedule tab of your volunteer page and clicking the orange information icon next to the activity title.

Contact me if you have any questions about applying to be a volunteer or signing up.

Coelette Gruber, AICP | Horticulturist

Kearney Parks & Recreation |P.O. Box 1180 |Kearney NE 68848

308.320.0968 | cgruber@kearneygov.org