Friends of Boone County Arboretum, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, established to provide community support for the Arboretum. Because of their dedication and strong support of the Arboretum, many Friends members are also regular volunteers with us.
Many Ways To Share Your Talents
Whether you are interested in "getting your hands dirty" in potting soil, love hosting successful public events, have a knack for grant writing, are experienced in business/ non-profit operations, or simply want to get involved in your community, there are many ways you can support the Arboretum with your time and talent.
Our "Helping Hands" volunteers assist the Arboretum horticultural staff maintain the grounds and plant collections at the Arboretum itself. The non-profit organization, Friends of Boone County Arboretum (FBCA), hosts many feature events throughout the year and each one of them has a committee of volunteers organizing and running the event. Educational volunteers help present lessons to school field trips and Arboretum on Wheels appointments.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Arboretum, please fill out the "volunteer interest form" linked below, and our volunteer coordinator will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
"Helping Hands" On-site Volunteers
A team of volunteers, from seasoned master gardeners to plant hobbyists, gathers at the Arboretum on Tuesday morning during the growing season to help maintain and beautify the grounds. The Arboretum will provide the tools needed for the task of the day, which could include planting annual displays, maintaining perennial gardens, tending to the vegetable garden, tree and shrub care, records collection, or label/ signage installation. Volunteers may bring and use their own hand tools if they wish (please label with your name); typically useful are hand pruners, garden trowels, weeding tools, shovel/spades, pitch forks.
Several of these volunteers, after first completing the necessary training with us, have adopted a specific garden or special highlight area to come out and maintain on their own schedule.
Volunteers also help with the planning and construction of special projects and "hardscape" upgrades throughout the Arboretum.
We sincerely appreciate the countless hours our volunteers and members have selflessly donated to our cause, and look forward to their continued support.
Scout Troops
Through the years, many Boy and Girl Scout Troops have participated in service days at the Arboretum. As these young men and women help beautify the grounds, they are learning the value of service to their community, and the importance of public horticulture. The Arboretum has also been the site of many Eagle Scout Projects, where the Eagle candidate leads other youth in a service project as one of the steps toward earning Boy Scouting's highest rank. Examples of these projects include creating our various woodland trails, building foot/ utility bridges, construction of informational kiosks and bird houses, and several other additions to our facility.
Community Service Groups
Church youth groups, corporations, high schools and other community organizations are invited to participate in a volunteer project. Hundreds of hours are donated to the arboretum each year by groups looking to give back. When your entire group gets involved, everyone has fun working together! Plan your next volunteer outing at the Boone County Arboretum.
Want more information?
For more information how you can contribute to the growth of Boone County Arboretum, please contact Bridget Tymensky, Volunteer Coordinator, or fill out the Volunteer Interest Form.