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Thanksgiving Long Weekend - Oct 11 to 14: RBG Centre, Hendrie Park, and Rock Garden open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with last admission at 4 p.m. Arboretum and trails open 8 a.m. to dusk.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do at the Gardens. RBG volunteers come from all walks of life but share one thing in common; our love of the Natural World and our desire to share it with others.

At RBG, you can choose the volunteer work that best fits your interests, skills and availability.

  • Volunteers and staff Installing Fence Posts on an RBG trail
  • Volunteers Tree Planting In Park
  • Volunteer posing with native plant, ready to be planted in the marsh
  • Volunteers Posing With Tools In Nature Sanctuary
  • Measuring Large Trunk of Tulip Tree
  • Volunteer Gardener Working Base Of Shrub
  • Back To Nature Hike Group On Trail
  • Volunteer Working In Propagation Greenhouse
  • Volunteers At RBG Community Outreach Booth
  • Volunteer Scanning Pressed Herbarium Specimen

Join RBG’s Team of dedicated Volunteers

If you’re interested in volunteering at RBG throughout the year, we’d love to work with you to find a role that matches your interests, background and availability. There is no experience necessary to join this volunteer team, but volunteers are expected to commit to volunteering for at least one year.

By joining our team, you’ll have the opportunity to:

  • work alongside experienced and welcoming staff, students and volunteers,
  • learn from speakers with expertise in the Natural World and
  • make a tangible difference in our community.

Our volunteers are very professional, committed and undergo an extensive onboarding process to join our team.

All community members interested in joining our volunteer team need to:

  • Attend a volunteer information session (focused on providing an overview of the volunteer program)
  • Have an interview
  • Attend a volunteer orientation session (focused on customer service, health & safety and volunteer policies)
  • Attend training specific to their role (for some volunteer roles these are formal workshops, for other roles, minimal training is required)
  • Volunteer several times a month
  • Commit to volunteering at RBG for at least the next 12 months

Apply to join our dedicated team of Volunteers

If you’re interested in learning more about joining our volunteer team, please fill out the Volunteer Inquiry form and we will reach out to you with an invitation to our next Volunteer Information Session.

  • Employee Volunteers Planting Trees Credit Markzelinski.com
  • Volunteers With Gardening Tools In Veggie Village
  • Corporate Volunteers Posing With Newly Planted Tree
  • Corporate Volunteers Passing Buckets Of Soil Down A Line
  • Volunteers Posing With Removed Invasive Species In Natural Lands

Employee Engagement

Engage and recognize your staff team, while giving back to the community.

At RBG we work closely with corporate partners to design a program that matches the needs and interests of your organization.

  • Engage in team building
  • Recognize your staff
  • Conserve the natural world
  • Promote your organization’s commitment to the community on RBG’s social media

Corporate groups participate in a wide variety of volunteer projects at RBG, including:

  • Tree planting days
  • Watershed clean ups
  • Pumpkin carving
  • Landscaping projects

Make a day of it! Ask us about including:

  • Meeting space for corporate retreats
  • Meals and refreshments
  • Tours of our gardens or hikes in our nature sanctuaries

Interested in Volunteering?

Are you interested in volunteering with us? Please complete the form and our team will review and get back to you.

FAQ

How old do you need to be to volunteer at RBG?

  • For most roles and projects volunteers need to be high school aged or older.
  • If you’re looking for a family friendly volunteer experience, consider joining us at our Earth Day Tree Planting Festival each April, or at our shoreline clean-up events in the fall each year. Email volunteer@rbg.ca and we can let you know when the next family project is being held.

Can a high school student work towards completing their 40 community service hours?

Absolutely. Simply email volunteer@rbg.ca when you need to submit your proof of volunteer service.

Are there volunteer positions that are best suited for high school students?

High school students are welcome to join many of our volunteer teams. The three most popular volunteer roles for high school students are:

  1. Volunteering at our summer camp or working as a Camp Junior Staff
  2. High school students often chose to volunteer with our Natural Lands Conservation Project team doing tree planting, invasive plant removals, etc. While a lot of this work does happen on weekdays, we do some events in the spring and fall on weekends.

What if I want to volunteer in a variety of different roles?

There are so many interesting areas to volunteer at RBG that many of our volunteers chose to belong to several different teams and projects. Here is a list of some of our larger volunteer teams. Please note that not all teams are accepting new volunteers at this time. Some positions are seasonal or only offered on specific days/times of the week.

  • Gardening
  • Garden Shop
  • Library
  • Summer Camp
  • Conservation Projects
  • Herbarium
  • Garden & Trail Ambassadors
  • Wedding Assistants
  • Historical Seed Catalogues
  • Nature Interpretation
  • Children’s Programming
  • Memorial Watchers
  • Tour Guides
  • Guided Hikes
  • Plant Documentation
  • Trail Watchers
  • Visitor Information Desk
  • Propagation
  • Special Events
  • Winter Exhibit
  • Fishway Education
  • Community Outreach
  • Office Volunteers
  • Program Facilitators
  • G-Scale Model Train Experts
  • Floral Design
  • Volunteer Social Committee

Do you have to be an RBG member in order to volunteer at RBG?

No. A membership is not required in order to volunteer at RBG.