By Lauren Miller, volunteer coordinator and Kate Randall, marketing and PR associate for Red Butte Garden

Nearly 300 diverse, smiling volunteer faces graced Red Butte Garden in 2015.

From the beginning of March through the end of October, Red Butte Garden is abuzz with volunteers’ energy and talent. Whether they are tending gardens, imparting environmental education to children or burning the midnight oil at special events, volunteers take part in everything we do.

For the past 27 years, Red Butte Garden volunteers have provided vital assistance in maintaining the garden’s 100 acres and engaging directly with the visitors who come here. Many volunteers have become close friends with each other and with staff who have the pleasure of working with them. The volunteers are a significant reason Red Butte Garden is as incredible as it is today.

In early spring each year, we excitedly welcome back approximately 150 horticulture volunteers who plant, prune, weed, mulch and tirelessly attend to everything else required to maintain Red Butte Garden all spring, summer and fall. Many of these volunteers have been maintaining the garden for years, but every year we welcome new volunteers to our horticulture teams.

There is much to do besides horticulture. Garden guide volunteers lead private and public garden tours and serve as program hosts for classes and workshops. School programs volunteers work with school children, leading them on educational field trips through the garden while teaching them about the magic of simple botany and ecology.  Volunteers are also needed to work alongside Red Butte Garden staff at our popular summer camps. These weeklong camps spark kids’ curiosity for plants and the natural world through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math).

Best of all, depending on the position, Red Butte Garden provides training to volunteers through lectures, tours and hands-on experience. We want you to learn, succeed and find your service valuable.

Consider becoming a Red Butte Garden volunteer. Join us at our first ever Volunteer Fair Open House on Saturday, March 5, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.. This will be a great opportunity to meet the staff and learn about the volunteer positions that might be right for you — or for your teenagers, age 14 and up.

If you are looking to meet new people, gain unique experiences in an outdoor setting, and become a part of a wonderful community, Red Butte Garden could be your perfect fit. And who knows? You may end up coming back to volunteer every summer — just like so many others do.

For more information visit redbuttegarden.org/volunteer or contact Lauren Miller, volunteer coordinator at volunteer@redbutte.utah.edu.