Volunteers - The Gardens at Texas A&M University

Department of Horticultural Sciences students in the Gardens. (Courtney Sacco/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)

Volunteer Program

Volunteering at The Gardens offers a unique opportunity to connect with nature, build new skills, and make a meaningful impact in the community. As a volunteer, you can meet new people, develop lasting friendships, gain hands-on experience, share your interests with others, and enjoy working in a beautiful and inspiring environment.

Most importantly, volunteers play a vital role in helping The Gardens fulfill its mission of providing engaging programs, educational opportunities, and valuable resources for students, gardeners, nature enthusiasts, homeowners, professional horticulturists, and visitors from across Texas and beyond.

Volunteers are essential to the success of The Gardens. Whether you have years of gardening experience or are just getting started, we welcome volunteers of all backgrounds and skill levels. Our goal is to match your interests, talents, and availability with opportunities that support the needs of The Gardens.

Volunteer Opportunities

Our Gardens Maintenance & Restoration volunteers are the backbone of The Gardens. Working alongside staff, volunteers help with planting, pruning, weeding, mulching, and other hands-on horticultural tasks. Activities vary throughout the year based on seasonal needs and ongoing garden projects.

Plant Propagation & Production Assistants help support the growth and diversity of The Gardens’ plant collections. Volunteers assist with seed propagation, vegetative propagation, container production, and other greenhouse-related activities while learning about plant production and cultivation techniques.

Tour Docents serve as ambassadors for The Gardens, leading visitors through the landscape and sharing information about our collections, history, and mission. Ideal volunteers enjoy interacting with people and are comfortable with public speaking and group engagement.

Throughout the year, The Gardens hosts and participates in a variety of community events and outreach programs. Volunteers may assist with educational activities, crafts, visitor engagement, event support, and volunteer recruitment efforts, helping connect people of all ages with The Gardens.

Youth Education Guides help bring learning to life by supporting educational programs for students from Pre-K through high school. Volunteers assist with hands-on activities and guided experiences that encourage curiosity, discovery, and appreciation for the natural world. A passion for working with young people and strong communication skills are helpful in this role.

Accurate documentation is essential to maintaining a world-class plant collection. Curation Assistants help record, label, and update information related to plant identification, classification, location, and origin, ensuring the integrity of The Gardens’ living collections.

We currently have internship opportunities in the areas of Horticulture and Public Garden Maintenance, and Education. If you are interested in hearing more about our internships, please contact us at [email protected].

Group Volunteer Opportunities

Looking for a meaningful team-building experience?

Volunteering at The Gardens is a great opportunity for student organizations, staff units, departments, and community groups to work together while giving back to campus. Group volunteer projects are currently offered on Wednesdays and are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

If your group is interested in volunteering, please complete the volunteer group request form linked below.

Class Assignments & Community Service Hours

If you are seeking a one-time volunteer opportunity to fulfill community service hours for a class assignment or other project, please register on Aggieland Serves.

Listed below are available service-learning workdays, which are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If the posted dates and times do not fit your schedule, you are welcome to explore our other volunteer opportunities throughout the semester.

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 :: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Thursday, October 8, 2026 :: 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Friday, October 23, 2026 :: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Monday, November 2, 2026 :: 10:30 am – 12:30 am
Friday, November 20, 2026 :: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Individual VOLUNTEER form

Group volunteer form

Service-Learning Volunteer WORKDAYS

Upcoming Volunteer Events

If you are interested in volunteering for any of the events below, please reach out to The Gardens at [email protected].

Volunteer FAQs

Where do I go to do my job?

Depending on what type of job you will be doing, you may meet at different places around The Gardens, AgriLife complex, and / or HortTREC. The Gardens team will be in contact with you about where to meet, where you will be working, and what to expect for the day.

Where do I park?

Parking is FREE on the weekends, excluding game days,in any of the unnumbered spaces in Lot 97 (AgriLife) or Lots 100a–f (Reed Arena). During the weekdays, if you do not hold a TAMU Parking Permit, you can prepay or use a kiosk to park. You can use either of these to park in Lots 100a–f (Reed Arena) or designated visitor spaces in Lot 97 (AgriLife). Rates start at $3 per hour (if using the app or kiosk) or $5 per day (if prepaid online). See current rates here: https://transport.tamu.edu/Parking/visitor.aspx#hourly

Lot 97 offers the closest accessible visitor parking to The Gardens. These spots are $2/hour for visitors, and require a government-issued handicapped tag or plate. For TAMU Permit Holders, vehicles displaying an A&M permit plus a government-issued handicapped tag or plate may park in accessible spaces in Lots 96, 100c, 74, 122d and 122b near The Gardens.

If you are on campus, you can ride your bike, and park in the plentiful bike racks near the Outdoor Classroom in The Gardens, or VeoRide bike rentals cost about $0.50 per 15 minute ride. You can also hop on a FREE AggieSpirit bus. Take Routes 5 (Bush School), 8 (Howdy), 35 (Hullabaloo) and 40N (Century Tree) to one of our closest bus stops, AGLS or PEAP.

I work Monday through Friday. Do you have volunteer opportunities on the weekend?

Yes, some volunteer opportunities are available on the weekends and in the evening, but most are available only Monday through Friday, during daylight hours.

Can my volunteer hours count toward maintaining my Master Gardener certification?

As long as the volunteer is serving in an Educational capacity, and not in a service or maintenance-type capacity, then volunteer hours can count towards maintaining the Master Garden certification.

What do I do if I’m sick or can’t work my scheduled day for other reasons?

Call one of The Gardens Team to let them know as soon as you know you will not be able to come in.

What if the weather is bad? Do I report to work as usual?

The Gardens Team will keep an eye on forecasts and communicate with volunteers regarding changes in schedule due to weather. Volunteers should use their best judgment in deciding whether it is safe to travel when inclement weather occurs. If you feel it is too risky to drive, notify The Gardens Team that you will not be coming in.

Whose tools do I use?

The Gardens have a supply of tools, and volunteers will be given a quick demonstration or training on best practices for using the tools before getting started.

Can I take home any plants or plant materials?

No plant materials of any kind are to leave the premises without the express consent of the Gardens Manager or Director of the Gardens.

Can I be fired?

As a volunteer, you can not technically be fired, but in the rare instance that a volunteer is exceptionally disruptive, uncooperative, or otherwise proves more damaging than helpful, they may be asked not to return.

How much “authority” do I have in the garden when it comes to dealing with visitors?

As a Gardens volunteer, you are an integral part of The Gardens and are authorized to care for and protect the Gardens’ collection. You have the authority to ask visitors to discontinue any activity that is damaging to the collection or the structures in The Gardens. If you encounter a visitor who is doing something inappropriate, ask the visitor in a professional and non-confrontational way to stop. It is extremely rare to find someone behaving in a malicious manner, and most of the time, visitors simply don’t realize they are damaging anything. Try to educate the offender(s) by telling them why it is important for them not to do what they are doing. If you are reluctant to approach the offending visitors for whatever reason, notify the Gardens Team. In the event the visitor does not desist in the undesirable activity, notify The Gardens personnel or in the event of a safety related emergency call 911 and report the incident.

Volunteer Program

Volunteer Opportunities

Group Volunteer Opportunities

Class Assignments & Community Service Hours

Upcoming Volunteer Events

Volunteer FAQs

Newsletter Sign-up

Contact Us

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Volunteer Program

Volunteer Opportunities

Group Volunteer Opportunities

Class Assignments & Community Service Hours

Upcoming Volunteer Events

Volunteer FAQs

Newsletter Sign-up

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