Summer is a busy time for volunteer groups at the Arboretum, with at least one service project each week from June through August. Corporate groups, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, civic clubs, and youth programs have sent or will send a team of volunteers to care for the gardens or tend restoration areas.

These motivated folks are making an impact. They choose to volunteer here for myriad reasons and engage in an array of physical tasks that often, but not always, revolve around a common theme: weed suppression. The end results are improved tree health, enhanced prairie and oak savanna diversity, advancement of long-term restoration goals, stewardship of research sites, and stronger connections among volunteer team members and between service groups and the Arboretum.

Group projects usually start with an email message such as “I’m helping organize my company’s annual service day, and we’d love the opportunity to work with you to set up a volunteer opportunity. . . ” or, “we are looking for group volunteer opportunities to support our organization’s mission of service.”

For example, when Amelia Hayden emailed to set up a service project in Madison for high school students attending the Wisconsin FFA State Convention, she wrote, “Wisconsin FFA Day of Service . . . was designed to give members an opportunity to serve and give back to the Madison community. FFA members are grateful for the hospitality that Madison has provided Wisconsin FFA while hosting our State Convention for over twenty years and enjoys paying it forward to the Madison community through community partners and service sites.”

Other summer service groups want to: learn how the Arboretum’s volunteer program operates, build tangible skills in ecological restoration, foster camaraderie among employees, and promote stewardship of the Yahara River watershed.

Advance planning and preparation are important for successful group projects. A week or two before the project date I send the group leader information on where to meet, what to wear, who they’ll work with, what they’ll be doing, and what happens in case of rainy weather. For restoration projects, Marian Farrior, restoration outreach coordinator, develops and shares a work party plan with team leaders to give them full details on group projects they will lead.

Before the volunteer group arrives, staff members or volunteer restoration team leaders gather supplies: loppers, trowels, shovels, weed wrenches, snacks, gloves, safety glasses, and – crucial this summer! – insect repellent. They tote the supplies to the meeting location, get the volunteers signed in, orient the group to the Arboretum’s mission and place within the University, describe the project purpose and task, go over safety instructions, hand out tools, and then get to work.

This summer, service groups have moved mountains of mulch in Longenecker Horticultural Gardens (LHG) and pulled or cut over a dozen different invasive species in restoration sites. They will also collect seed in restoration sites and the Native Plant Garden.

LHG curator David Stevens says, “Volunteer service groups offer a great opportunity to accomplish large projects that help Longenecker Gardens and give the group a true sense of accomplishment. From mulching plant collections to weeding flower beds, service groups can complete tasks in a few hours that would take our limited staff days to finish.” David also shares that “so far this season, the Longenecker Gardens have had two fun and highly engaged groups helping. The first was thirty-one Wisconsin FFA students, in town for the state convention, who wanted to do a day of service to give back to the community. The second group, professionals from Exact Science, also wanted to give back to the community and do some team building. Both groups literally moved mountains of mulch to help maintain the hawthorn and oak tree collections while also learning about them.”

If you spend time this summer in Longenecker Horticultural Gardens, the Native Plant Garden, Wingra Woods, Lost City Forest, Curtis Prairie, Teal Pond, the Grady Tract, or Spring Trail Pond, know that volunteer groups are an important part of caring for these sites.

Our goal when organizing and hosting volunteer service projects is to facilitate a good experience for the participants in the few hours they spend here. We want them to be safe, learn something, and have a good time.

“While summertime can be really hot and mosquitoey at our work parties, it is a spectacular time to enjoy the beauty of the prairie and oak savanna. We’ve had some fun work parties with BIPOC students, community groups, and UW Office of Sustainability interns, and we look forward to working with more groups this summer,” says Marian Farrior.

In addition to short-term fulfillment, the volunteer groups support longer-term Arboretum goals and sustainability. Seeds collected this summer will be sown in restoration sites over the winter to enhance species diversity and expand oak savannas and prairies. Removing invasive trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous plants will open space for indigenous grasses and forbs to grow, which will help carry prescribed fires through the restored ecosystems. Caring for Longenecker Horticultural Gardens enables visitors to experience the beauty and diversity of woody plants from Wisconsin and around the world.

If you are part of a scout troop, faith group, civic club, area business, neighborhood association, large family, or pack of friends looking for a way to learn, serve, explore, and give back, email me at judith.kingsbury@wisc.edu about opportunities for fall service projects.

—Judy Kingsbury, volunteer program manager