Volunteer Program
The volunteers at the Scott Arboretum are an integral part of our organization. They help us to maintain our gardens and plant collections and help us provide over 80 horticulture-related, educational programs to the public each year. We invite you to become a volunteer to meet "plant people" and to learn about gardening in the Delaware Valley.
Our volunteers have described the programs as follows:
- "It is such fun to work with everyone — thank you!" —Ann Ainsworth
- "I've loved being a part of this growing, people, and beauty-focused garden endeavor." —Margo Coffin Groff
- "I've really enjoyed working and learning at the Arboretum. I hope I'll have the opportunity to come back and volunteer again." —Rita Welsh
There are two major ways to volunteer with the arboretum, as an Arboretum Assistant and/or as an Event Volunteer.
Event Volunteers
Event volunteers aid the Arboretum's many educational and entertaining horticultural events, such as: Garden Day, Members' Plant Exchange, Plant Sale, and the Perennial and Woody Plant Conferences. These opportunities are ideal for volunteers who can only give weekend or weeknight hours. For this type of volunteer work, we ask that you be a member of the Scott Associates (the friends organization for the Scott Arboretum). For more information about the volunteer activities and how you can help, contact Becky Robert, Member and Visitor Programs Coordinator, at 610-328-8023 or via e-mail at scott {at} swarthmore (dot) e d u.
Arboretum Assistants
The Arboretum Assistants consists of over a 100 active volunteers who play a crucial role in helping to maintain the Arboretum’s collections. Volunteers are asked to give two mornings per month (9 am to Noon), from March through November. These hours can be completed working outdoors on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays or Wednesday working indoors.
To become an Arboretum Assistant individuals need to be a member of the Scott Associates (the friends organization for the Scott Arboretum) and complete the Arboretum Assistant Training Course. This course equips volunteers to perform a variety of gardening tasks.
The Arboretum Assistant Training Course is generally held biennially in February. To receive notification when the next class will be held or for an application form, you are invited to contact Becky Robert, Member and Visitor Programs Coordinator, at 610-328-8023 or via e-mail at scott {at} swarthmore (dot) e d u.