Volunteer Opportunitiesand Information for 2015

Volunteer Opportunitiesand Information for 2015

FromVolunteer Coordinator Barbara Freeman

Email: , Phones: 239-579-0940 now; 207-633-4333, ext. 125, in the season

Whether you’ve been a CMBG volunteer for many, many years or are just now joining our incredible family of volunteers, welcome! We have an exciting year ahead and need your help to make it all happen. Please read on for the following:

1)Brief introduction to our new (and optional) online scheduling system

2)New hours!

3)Friends and family: You’re our best volunteer recruiters!

4)List of current volunteer-job categories

5)Finding a sub, being a sub

6)Dates for orientations, docent training, and that all-important Volunteer Appreciation Celebration

7)Descriptions of all volunteer programs

NEW FOR 2015: WE’RE ONLINE!

Based on rave reviews by other volunteer coordinators – and thanks to a very generous donation by a CMBG volunteer – I’ve signed up for an interactive online system that will help manage our program. For now, I’m going to enter everyone’s choices for them. Rest assured, though, if online scheduling is outside your comfort zone,I will always gladly enter your volunteering preferences for you. If you choose to use the system, you’ll soon be able to check opportunities, schedule volunteer jobs, manage your profile, and keep track of hours online. As we go forward, I’ll provide information and instructions. I’ll also be available during the coming season to take you step-by-step through the new system. I’m optimistic that it will help all of us!

NEW HOURS FOR HIGH SUMMER, 2015!

In July and August, we’ll be open an hour later, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

FRIENDS & FAMILY?

Do you knowanyone who’d enjoy being a CMBG volunteer? Please feel free to share this list!

CATEGORIESOF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

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Ambassadors – Visitor Center, Shorefront, Roving

Art Reception Caterers & Assistant Hosts

Children’s and Family Programs

Courtesy Shuttle Drivers

Docent Programs (walking tours, Accessible Cart Tours)

Educational Programs for Adults

Gardens Gift Shop

Horticultural Therapy

Horticulture and Grounds Work

Kitchen Garden Dinner Series

Mailings

Membership

Photo Club

Pink Lady’s Slipper Survey

Plant Sale

Plein-Air Painting Days

Portland Flower Show

Special Events

Teas

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SUBSTITUTES– FIND A SUB; BE A SUB

The best laid plans can go awry, and almost all volunteers need a substitute now and then. Ideally, volunteers will try to find their own substitutes. To that end, lists of volunteers including those willing to serve as substitutes and applicable schedules will be available to CMBG volunteers and staff. Of course, we will never share your contact information with anyone outside our organization.Are you available to sub? Please don’t hesitate to sign up; it’s a great option for some volunteers, and you can always say no if you’re unable to fill a particular spot. Subs should take any training necessary for the jobs they do.

DATES & DETAILS FOR TRAINING…AND A PARTY!

2015 DOCENT TRAINING (see “Docents” section on Page 6 for descriptions of opportunities)

NEW-DOCENT TRAINING:

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, June 15, 16, and 17

9 a.m-4 p.m. each day

Education Center Projector Bay and outdoors

Please reserve your space as soon as possible.

You may bring your own lunch or pre-order (details to come) from the Kitchen Garden Café – and enjoy it on your own or in the company of other new docents and your coordinator in the Education Center.

RETURNING DOCENTS’ REFRESHER AND UPDATES

Thursday, June 18

9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Education Center Projector Bay and outdoors

Please notify me that you’ll attend.

You may bring our own lunch or pre-order (details to come) from the Kitchen Garden Café – and enjoy it on your own or in the company of other returning docents and your coordinator in the Ed. Center.

ORIENTATIONS – FOR ALL OTHER NEW VOLUNTEERS

PLUS ALL RETURNING SHUTTLE DRIVERS WHO DID NOT ATTEND AN ORIENTATION IN 2014

Please schedule your date as soon as possible (does not have to be before your first volunteer service)

Where: All orientation sessions start in the EC Projector Bay then proceed to the Visitor Center and gardens.

What: Orientations include a guest-services presentation, updates and information about CMBG, and a tour. Participants receive a handbook full of helpful and interesting information.

Dates/times (choose one session):

Tuesday, May 19, 4-7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27, 9 a.m.-noon
Tuesday, June 23, 4-7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 22, 9 a.m.-noon
Tuesday, August 11, 1-4 p.m.

Individual training can be arranged for anyone who cannot attend orientations.This can be combined with shuttle-driver training for new drivers.

SAVE THE DATE! VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION CELEBRATION – GOOD FOOD, GREAT COMPANY!

Wednesday, August 19, from 4-6 p.m.

Kerr Hall, Visitor Center

2015VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTIONS

AMBASSADORS – VISITOR CENTER, ROVING, SHOREFRONT

Note: Although docent training is not required for ambassadors, volunteering in this program fulfills docent time-commitment requirements!

VISITOR CENTER – 1 volunteer per shift (occasionally 2)

Offered 7 days/week from May 23 through October 31

NEW shifts: 10:00 a.m.-noon; noon-2 p.m.; 2:00-4:00 p.m.

This is fun for volunteers and helpfulfor our guests and also minimizes lines at the admissions deskduring peak times in the busy season. Ambassadors sit or standin Kerr Hall (or just outside). They help get people started on their visit by explaining the map – paper and/or touch screen – and answering questions. Don’t worry if your time in residence doesn’t cover that entire period.

ROVING AMBASSADOR

Offered 7 days/week from July 1through October 31

NEW shifts: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. AND 1-3 p.m.

As a Roving Ambassador, you’ll spend time in the main campus areas/gardens of your choice. Wearing an “Ask Me” button and your nametag , you’ll talk with guests who have questions about the Gardens, need help orienting themselves, or simply want to tell someone how much they’re enjoying themselves! You may want to spend all two hours in a favorite garden, interacting with guests, or may instead want to walk around and visit several areas during the two-hour shift. There can be more than one Roving Docent per shift.

SHOREFRONT AMBASSADOR

Offered 7 days/week from July 1 through October 31

NEW shifts: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. AND 1-3 p.m.

Wearing an “Ask Me” button and your nametag, greet guests on the Shoreland Trail near The Landing, orient them, and answer their questions. Tell them about our boating activities – brochures provide details, and dock staff make reservations and collect fees. If people have arrived by water, which happens occasionally, staff members at the dock will take care of admissions fees, but you can get them started on their visit.

ART EXHIBIT RECEPTION CATERERS & ASSISTANT HOSTS & TEAM LEADER

10 volunteers to provide 50 bites of their favorite hors d’oeuvre for each of our receptions.

1 “assistant host” for each reception.

1 team leader to coordinate the food contributions for receptions.

Here’s the list of 2015 receptions (choose any or all):

1)Friday, May 1, 5-7 p.m.: Educational exhibit of paintings, “Linda Packard: Intimate Views,” Education Center

2)Friday, June 5, 5-7 p.m.: “Maine Botanicals: Artist's Books, Prints, and Collages” exhibit by Rebecca Goodale, Visitor Center

3)Friday, June 19, 5-7 p.m.: Educational exhibit, “Art of Botanical Herbals” with Carol Govan, Education Center

4)Friday, August 7, 5-7 p.m.: Photography exhibit “Healing Plants of the Gardens,” Photo Club, Visitor Center

5)Saturday, August 15, 5-7 p.m.: Paintings of Jennifer Knaus, Education Center

CHILDREN’S AND FAMILY PROGRAMS

SPRING READINESS

In the spring, are you available and willing to help Erika Huber, Youth and Family Program Coordinator, as she readies the Children’s Garden for its opening?

CHILDREN’S DAY CAMPS

Note: While there are other camps at the Gardens, these are the ones where volunteers are needed.

In accordance with the Gardens’ protocol, anyone working with children in the following programs is required to complete a one-page background check form before commencing volunteer service.

NATURE ILLUSTRATION CAMP VOLUNTEERS (camper ages 7-11)

Monday-Friday, July 6-10

Shifts (1 volunteer per shift): 9:30 a.m.-noon; noon-3:30 p.m.; OR 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Note: Volunteer help is especially needed the latter half of the camp week.

Please volunteer for at least two half-day shifts or one full-day shift during the week:

Naturalist and international-award-winning botanical watercolor artist Hillary Parker will share her knowledge and passion with campers as they take to the Gardens each day to learn the art of nature illustration. Volunteers will assist Hillary with basic camp needs and will receive a brief overview of responsibilities before camp begins. No education experience is necessary; just a love of working with children.

YOUNG ARTIST WORKSHOP (camper ages: 7-11 in a.m.; 12 and up in the p.m.)

Monday-Friday, July 13-17

Shifts (1 volunteer per shift):

9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (7-11 year olds)

1:30-4:30 p.m. (12 and up)

OR 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. AND 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Please volunteer for at least two half-day shifts or one full day.

Naturalist and international-award-winning botanical watercolor artist Hillary Parker will be sharing her knowledge and passion with young artists as she helps them to develop a great foundation in basic art skills. Students will also learn how to respond artistically to nature by working on location in the garden enplein air. Volunteers will assist Hillary with basic camp needs and will receive a brief overview of responsibilities before camp begins. No education experience is necessary; just a love of working with children.

CHILDREN’S AND FAMILY PROGRAMS - OTHER

In accordance with the Gardens’ protocol, anyone working with children in the following programs is required to complete a one-page background check form before commencing volunteer service.

CHILDREN’S GARDEN STEWARDS

May 18 through the summer, 7 days/week – 1 volunteer per shift

Shifts: 9:30 a.m.-noon; noon-3:00 p.m.; 3:00-5:00 p.m. (May and June); 3:00-6:00 p.m. (July and August)

You’ll thoroughly enjoy your time in this garden where there’s so much for visitors, young and old, to see and discover. Stewards are needed seven days a week to assist with activities, visitor questions, and the daily upkeep of the Children’s Garden structures. Extensive training and staff support assure confidence and enhance volunteer knowledge and skills.

Children’s Garden Stewards implement and assist in the following areas:

• Answer visitor questions and inspire interest in the Children’s Garden.

• Help to create a safe environment for visitors.

• Implement the daily activities in the Children’s Garden: Storytime-10:00 a.m.; Garden Puppet Theater-11:30 a.m.; Chicken Feeding-12:15 p.m.; Nature Investigations-12:45 p.m.

• Tidy the Story Barn and Coloring Cottage as needed.

• Assist in carrying out opening or closing duties such as tidying up the Children’s Garden structures, watering the greenhouse plants, etc.

• If interested, help to care for the Learning Garden and greenhouse.

Please note: If you volunteer on Fridays in July and August, you will be asked to assist with Fairy Friday activities in the Children’s Garden, which include fairy dancing, crafts, games and activities.

All new Children’s Garden Stewards need to complete a two-hour training session specific to the Children’s Garden (dates to be determined).

All returning Children’s Garden Stewards must attend a refresher training and orientation (date to be determined)

Although docent training is not required for Children’s Garden Stewards, volunteering in this program fulfills docent time-commitment requirements!

MAINE DAYS FOR CHILDREN’S GARDEN STEWARDS

Friday-Monday, May 23, 24 & 25

1-2 volunteers per shift – volunteer for one or more):9:00 a.m.-noon; noon-2:30 p.m. 2:30-5:00 p.m.

CIDER SUNDAYS

September 20 through October 11

1 volunteer per Sunday, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Volunteer for one or many Cider Sundays.

During Cider Sundays, visitors help to make cider with an old-fashioned cider press and get to taste the final product. Volunteers help with the demonstration, crowd control, and set-up and take-down of the press.

STUDENT FIELD TRIP GARDEN GUIDES

Start date: Late April-early May (on an “as needed” basis); training: date to be determined

More than 1,800 Maine students and teachers visited the Gardens last year as part of a field trip. Due to these large numbers, we are always on the lookout for volunteers to lead our youth tours through the Sensory Garden and Children’s Garden. If you enjoy working with children and sharing your knowledge of the Gardens, consider becoming a Garden Guide.

Volunteers will receive training on how to lead a tour for children through these two gardens. No prior experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn!

Garden Guides are needed to assist with field trip tours primarily in the spring and fall, with occasional dates during the summer. Erika Huber, the Youth and Family Program Coordinator, will keep Garden Guides up-to-date with scheduled field trips and will contact Garden Guides with advance notice of requests for assistance.

LEARNING GARDEN HELPERS (CHILDREN’S GARDEN)

Start anytime between April and October

Assist with the care and maintenance of the Learning Garden, a vegetable patch in the Children’s Garden that is used for various youth programs, including Little Diggers, Garden Explorers Camp and Growing Up Green. Simple garden tasks such as seed starting, planting, watering and weeding are needed to ensure a successful outdoor classroom for programming and to keep this demonstration garden looking great for visitors.

Learning Garden Helpers can set their own schedule throughout the growing season, from April through October, although they do not have to commit to the entire season. Ideally, a volunteer would commit to an hour or two each week or every other week for at least a month assisting with garden tasks. Guidance will be given as to what aspects of garden maintenance to focus on each week.

THE GREAT PUMPKIN HUNT

Saturday, Oct. 24, 12:30-4:00 p.m.

Volunteer needs: 26 volunteers from 12:30-4:00 p.m. (allows for some set-up and take-down).

If you are only able to volunteer for part of the shift, please let us know.

The first Pumpkin Hunt, with an estimated 1,100 visitors, was so successful that we are going to do it again in 2015, but we need your help! Assist with games, contests, food, prizes, the welcome table and, last but not least, parking! Volunteers who sign up for the day will also be asked to help with clean-up afterwards.

1)10 game station volunteers (facilitate seasonal games such as Scarecrow Bingo, Pumpkin Broom Race, Harvest Toss, etc.)

2)3 pumpkin-carving contest volunteers (supervise the carving tables to ensure safety, help with clean-up, share contest rules with participants)

3)2 food station volunteers (help to keep the food table stocked, serve snacks as needed)

4)2 prize table volunteers (oversee the prize table; help children choose a prize after they complete four games)

5)4 Parking lot volunteers (volunteers will be stationed throughout the parking lot to help with the flow of traffic before and during the event)

6)2 Parking shuttle volunteers (volunteers are needed towards the end of the event to take guests back to the parking lot, especially since everyone gets to take a pumpkin home)

7)3 welcome table volunteers (pass out activity cards and briefly explain how the games/contests work)

COURTESY SHUTTLE DRIVERS

All shuttle drivers should attend one three-hour orientation, if they haven’t already done so (see Page 2 for dates and times). With advance notice, driver training can usually be done on the same day as the orientation.

Docent training is not necessary to drive the Courtesy Shuttle.

7 days/week, 11:00-5:00 (to 6:00 p.m. in July & August) – May 1 through October 31

Shifts:

May & June: 11:00-2:00 and 2:00-5:00
July & August: 11:00-1:30; 1:30-4:00; 4:00-6:00 (NOTE changes due to 6 p.m. July & August closing time)
September & October: 11:00-2:00 and 2:00-5:00

# of drivers: May 1 through May 22 and September 8 throughOctober 31– 1 driver per shift (exception: 2 drivers/shift on Mother’s Day (May 10); May 23 through September 7 – 2 drivers per shift

Courtesy Shuttle Drivers transport guests to several specific stops. They meet and greet visitors, taking them on a leisurely ride amidst some very beautiful parts of the Gardens. Driver training and practice time with the instructor acquaint drivers with the route and the electric-carts.

NOTE: In 2015, staff members will provide the late-day parking-lot shuttle service on the “Pollinator.

DOCENT PROGRAMS

CMBG docents serve in just about every volunteer capacity, but only docents can provide walk-in and reserved guided walking tours and lead Accessible Cart Tours (ACTs).

All new docents are comprehensively trained by staff members through a series of classes and tours that acquaint them thoroughly with the Gardens and prepare them to guide tours and answer many of our guests’ questions (of course, you aren’t expected to know everything!). ACT guides receive special instruction in driving the designated shuttle and giving those tours that are so appreciated by our guests.

All returning docents are expected to attend an annual one-day training session to reinforce their original training and provide helpful and essential updates.

2015 TRAINING DATES & TIMES (additional details about training sessions on Page 2):

New-Docent Training:Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, June 15, 16, and 17 – 9 a.m-4 p.m. each day

Returning-Docent Training: Thursday, June 18 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)

COMMITMENT: In addition to completing the new- or returning-docent training, docents are expected to provide at least 10 tours per season or serve in non-tour positions every week or every other week.

Hours served as Tour Guide; Visitor Center, Roving, or Shorefront Ambassador; Accessible Cart Tour Driver/Guide; or Children’s Garden Steward count towards the time commitment.