Pinecrest Gardens Thanks Its Volunteers

From Pinecrest Gardens:

August 27, 2020

Hip, Hip....Horaayy!

Today we're cheering for our Garden Volunteers! Pinecrest Gardens is constantly on the hunt for dedicated volunteers to welcome to our humble, hardworking family. We're a very small staff consisting of only three full time gardener positions (!). Considering our size and how lush our gardens are, I honestly find it a small miracle that we're able to keep up with our tropical paradise, and keep it looking this good.

So, with only three full time gardeners, and the rest of staff pulled in a million directions, how do we ensure our beloved plant babies are fully cared for and looking their best? Um..well, the formula is a ton of hard work, and reliable consistent help from volunteers! While we don't have a large army of volunteers, the dedicated individuals who spend their time with us make an enormous impact on our work load. We really couldn't do it without them.

So before I start rambling about what it means to be a volunteer at Pinecrest Gardens, let me just take a moment to say thank you. Thank you to the volunteers who show up weekly, get their hands dirty and accept only our smiles and gratitude as payment. Thank you to the volunteers who go nearly unnoticed, quietly toiling away in the nursery in the behind the scenes action. Thank you to the greeters, the seaters, and the ushers who welcome our audience to performances or help guests find their way at an event. And, thank you to the groups of students, plant societies, and organizations that support us in massive "work parties" for rather intense days of service, like building our Trolls, and big garden projects. To any volunteer past or present, young or seasoned, I personally thank you for your time spent at the Gardens. We just love ya!

Big thanks to UM's Hope team for their time in The Garden!

People like you, who take an interest in our mission, property and exhibitions allow us to continue our programs and work towards being the best Pinecrest Gardens we can be. With that said, today I want to highlight some of the people that make this magic happen, as well as highlight a few of of the 'jobs' a volunteer may choose from. We're always looking to add eager-to-learn individuals to our family, so if you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands, want to exercise your green thumb, or simply want to give back to the community and meet some new people, please consider applying to become a volunteer with us. We'd love to have you!

This is Eve. She joined as a volunteer this summer, and now works closely with staff in the display gardens, in the nursery and in Learning and Sensory Garden. Eve is a Master Gardener and she started working with us to further her experience, and of course practice her skill. We're so lucky to have her!

The volunteers at Pinecrest Gardens come from many different backgrounds, and work on many different tasks, garden-wide. Currently, we as an organization are mostly focused on volunteers to assist with gardening and nursery work. During the times of heightened health concerns, our priority is offering safe and pleasant volunteering opportunities. These opportunities include working in the interactive Learning and Sensory Garden, alongside our garden team in the main display gardens, or in our plant nursery propagating and taking care of the plants that are not yet on display. Right now, these are the areas that need the most attention and provide the safest space for volunteering.

Here is a video of Tim, one of our volunteers. He's been a dedicated volunteer with The Gardens since 2018, and has put in countless hours of work alongside our garden team. His positive attitude and dedication to our community makes us so proud to call him part of the Pinecrest Gardens Family. Also, he works SO hard in the garden, his help is invaluable to us!

As the health of our community improves, we will be looking for volunteers with interests in performing arts, education, events and festivals and general tasks. In the past, our volunteers with performing arts assist with shows in the Banyan Bowl, helping guests find their seats, providing information about the performances, and have been a welcome addition to our tightly staffed Banyan Bowl crew. Did I mention they get to attend the Banyan Bowl Events (hello, perk)! Volunteers at our festivals and events may also assist with way finding, set up and breakdown, helping staff and vendors, and get will some great experience learning how events work at a public park. Volunteers in the education department enjoy being a tour guide or docent, assisting with programs, helping out with program prep (yes, I mean arts and crafts) and making memories with our visitors! The opportunities here are endless, and our goal is to make sure that the time that our volunteers share with us, align with their interests and passions. Its a win-win.

If you still need convincing or you would like to learn more, just visit our website Here. To become a volunteer with us, you must fill our an application which includes a background check. Currently, we have volunteer opportunities are for those 16 years and older. Our horticulturalist, Harvey Bernstein manages the volunteers, so if you have any further questions just send him a note at hbernstein@pinecrest-fl.gov and he would be happy to help!

Happy Digging!

Lacey

This press release was produced by the Pinecrest Gardens. The views expressed are the author's own.