What can a small group of committed individuals accomplish? A lot! What can a large group accomplish? Even more! When the group is 970 people who volunteered at the Arboretum, the results can be seen indoors and out, in gardens and prairies, by visitors, program participants, and staff.

Here are some notable achievements from 2024.

Twenty-one welcome and information desk volunteers fielded countless phone calls and welcomed more than 45,000 people into the Visitor Center. Each person coming through the door got a friendly smile and a greeting, was offered a map or other information, and had the opportunity to ask all manner of questions about the Arboretum from routine to completely novel. Desk volunteers are often the first point of contact for visitors, and they create a welcoming, informative environment for all – so successfully that reviewers on Yelp and Google wrote “The volunteers at the Visitor Center really know their stuff,” and “the volunteer staff made it a pleasant spot.” An exemplar of welcoming and informative volunteer staff is Tricia Gavin, who joined the team in March. She jumped in, learned the ropes quickly, and now shows up reliably on weekends to adeptly handle the high volume and high energy that Sunday visitors bring.

Bookstore volunteers, in collaboration with staff, handled a record number of sales in 2024. This small team brings deep interest in books and nature, enabling them to connect with a variety of customers.

Behind the scenes, volunteers in the Visitor Center managed the research library, tallied volunteer data, and served on the Friends of the Arboretum (FOA) board and committees, and at their biggest  event – the Native Plant Sale. Volunteers contributed 1,700 hours to FOA, extending the Arboretum’s reach and impact in myriad ways. One data point illustrates that impact: more than 1,000 people bought pollinator supporting plants through the Native Plant Sale in 2024!

Speaking of gardens: volunteer impact is also key in the Wisconsin Native Plant Garden (WNPG) and Longenecker Horticultural Gardens (LHG), where volunteers contributed 553.5 and 729.5 hours, respectively. In Longenecker, volunteers joined a regular weekly crew or came with an organized group. In a 37-acre garden with approximately 4,000 specimens and two full-time staff, volunteers play a crucial role in enhancing the beauty and health of the collection by weeding, spreading mulch, installing and removing seasonal fences, and pruning.

Longtime volunteer Fran McGuire exemplifies the dedication and integral role of LHG volunteers. Curator David Stevens says, “Fran has single handedly done the fine detail hand shearing of the boxwood collection and other hedges, from arborvitae to yews, for over twenty years. He spends more than 50 hours a year meticulously shaping them and has come up with his own pruning shear modifications so he can trim even the largest specimens to his high standards. Fran shies away from public recognition, but I think it is high time to publicly acknowledge his incredible work and amazing dedication.”

2024 was a milestone year for the Wisconsin Native Plant Garden, bringing to 800 the number of individuals who have volunteered there over its nearly twenty-five-year history. One of those individuals is Bob Roden, who has volunteered in the WNPG since 2009, contributing over 400 hours. Garden curator Susan Carpenter says, “I am so grateful to Bob Roden for his sixteen years of valuable service as a native plant garden volunteer. A member of the Tuesday morning group, Bob consistently arrived early for each session. He collaborated with staff, students, and fellow volunteers to plant, weed, edge, and trim the gardens. Even when faced with summer heat and mosquitoes, Bob made the garden a better place. Thank you, Bob!”

It can be a challenge to describe the value the work of garden volunteers. Weeding, edging, and planting may sound like mundane tasks, but the impact is big. It includes:

• Creating and maintaining habitat for rare and endangered species
• Tending a space and collections that educate people of all ages
• Fostering a sense of connection between people and the rest of the natural world
• Demonstrating positive actions that many people can take to address significant environmental challenges

Education team volunteers support night walks and Earth Focus Day Camp (EFDC), helping these events go smoothly for participants and staff alike. Community education coordinator Maddie Smith says that the volunteer EFDC assistant naturalists really connect with campers (more than 175 last year!) and support the wonder and interests of these budding nature lovers.

Volunteer stewards rove far and wide across the Arboretum. These intrepid folks walk the trails in all seasons, keeping an eye on trail conditions and phenological happenings while engaging with visitors about programs and policies. They also extend the capacity of the ranger team.

One standout steward is Lisa Vogel. Ranger Stephanie Petersen shares that “Lisa has been a dedicated steward since she completed her training in 2023. Last year she volunteered 126 hours – that is about 2.5 hours a week on the trails. She has been a tremendous help with visitor engagement and her reports have ensured that our staff can quickly response to trail hazards.”

The largest number of volunteers are involved with the restoration work parties. This makes sense, given that restoration work occupies the majority of Arboretum land. According to recently retired restoration work party manager  Marian Farrior, in 2024 there were 61 work parties in 17 locations, involving 35 volunteer groups and 863 individuals! The drop-in work parties are led by restoration team leaders, who collectively volunteered 619 hours. Restoration volunteers cleared invasive brush in Wingra Oak Savanna, central Curtis Prairie’s south firelane, Juniper Knoll, Teal Pond, the parking lot prairie, the golf course fence line, Wingra Overlook Prairie, northwest Grady Tract, the Grady Tract kettle hole, Evjue Pines, the Lost City, and Harvey Schmidt Park. They hauled out over eighteen truckloads of brush.

Work party volunteers also removed 286 bags of garlic mustard, dame’s rocket, Japanese hedge parsley, burdock, and other invasive herbaceous plants from Wingra Oak Savanna, the Cedar Woods by Wingra Park, the cherry woods along Monroe Street, Marion Dunn Prairie, Parking Lot Prairie, the golf course fence line, Noe Woods, the Grady Tract, and Longenecker Horticulture Gardens.

In the gardens, on the trails, and in restoration areas, volunteers are stewarding valuable sites for wild beings and hundreds of thousands of visitors, researchers, and learners each year. They are reaching visitors indoors and out, educating folks and enriching the lives of all who come to the Arboretum.

We are honored to share the list of all who volunteered here in 2024. Thank you to each person and group! If you volunteered in 2024 and don’t see your name on the list, please accept our apologies for the oversight and email Judy Kingsbury to be added.

– Judy Kingsbury, volunteer program manager