This is the area in which we need the most dedicated, excited, and passionate volunteers! Our youth education programs serve over 40,000 children from the Metro area each year. Former teachers are encouraged to apply and additional training will be offered for each program. On-site adult education engages artists and experts on many different plant-related topics and volunteers often play a role. Classes and programs are offered throughout the Arboretum campus at the Learning Center, Red Barn Farm, Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Center, and the Horticultural Research Center.

Learn more about our education programs!

This is the area in which we need the most dedicated, excited, and passionate volunteers! Our youth education programs serve over 40,000 children from the Metro area each year. Former teachers are encouraged to apply and additional training will be offered for each program. On-site adult education engages artists and experts on many different plant-related topics and volunteers often play a role. Classes and programs are offered throughout the Arboretum campus at the Learning Center, Red Barn Farm, Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Center, and the Horticultural Research Center.

Learn more about our education programs!

Our horticulturists and grounds crew work with hundreds of volunteers each year to plant and maintain many types of gardens. Each of our gardens serves a purpose. Some are for ornamental display, others are for growing crops and education, and others have culturally relevant plants for particular types of gardening. Come find your passion!

Guest Services volunteers act as Arboretum Ambassadors, hosts, greeters, and help in many other ways.

The annual Gala in the Gardens and Taste and Toast are our two largest summer events. The rest of the year, we host 5K walks, holiday markets, art fairs, and more. For every event, we ask for help with registration, greeters, and behind-the-scenes preparation.

Located in the Leon Snyder building, the Andersen Horticultural Library is the largest horticultural library in the upper Midwest. Part of the University of Minnesota Libraries, AHL is a reference and special collections archive, and items cannot be checked out. 

There are a variety of opportunities available with the Andersen Horticultural Library (AHL). These include reference desk and clerical work, special research projects, event support, and collection support activities.

 Like most non-profits, we sell memberships and host events that help with fundraising. Each year, several times a year, we send out large quantities of mail. We also have opportunities to assist with website maintenance, editing, and more.
This is perfect for anyone who prefers the indoors.

Special assignments can vary greatly! We have a phenology program at the Arboretum that collects data on specific plants throughout the year. Volunteers monitor our bluebird feeders, duck houses, help with pest control in the greenhouses, and more.

Our two largest summer events are the annual Gala in the Gardens and Taste and Toast. The rest of the year, we host 5K walks, holiday markets, art fairs, and more. For every event, we ask for help with registration, greeters, and behind the scenes preparation.

Our Art Curator, does an excellent job of preparing her volunteers to hang art shows, clean sculptures, act as docents for incoming exhibits, and to assist with Adult Art Education. Often, volunteers on the Arts and Literature team get an opportunity to meet the artists that show their work at the Arboretum.

Enjoy assisting with cooking classes, off-site events, helping with public horticulture conferences, and learning more about nature and horticulture.

Our Red Barn Farm campus is exploding with fruit, vegetables, and other carefully chosen landscape materials during the growing season. Help us maintain this gem by working with our Adult Education, Interpretation, and Gardens and Grounds teams.

Nature-based Therapeutics takes place primarily off-site and is part of a larger program that works with various centers and locations to maintain plants. Opportunities are rare but do arise.

We're the home of the Honeycrisp, Sweet Tango, and First Kiss. In addition to our apple breeding programs, we have a robust trial garden of cold-hardy grapes and grow nearly 300 varieties of pumpkins, gourds, and squash annually. We need help maintaining these fields and sometimes collecting data.

Do you love numbers and spreadsheets? Or maybe you have beautiful penmanship and like to write thank-you notices. Whatever you enjoy, our Advancement team would like to get to know you.