From garden caretakers to trained docents, Sunken Gardens volunteers help preserve and enhance this historic locale and provide opportunities for the community to enjoy this educational and cultural center. Sunken Gardens volunteers make new friends, participate in unique projects, and gain knowledge from their volunteer efforts.

Sunken Gardens volunteers lead tours, perform garden care, assist the animal care team, help out at special events, and more. Complete the below volunteer application and our Volunteer Coordinator will respond with next steps depending on available slots and compatibility.

Sunken Gardens docents have a passion for gardening and history and feel comfortable speaking in front of groups. Interested applicants should have a love of the environment, a willingness to learn, a reliable nature, and basic knowledge of tropical plants.

Docent training spans Sunken Gardens’ history, horticulture, and animal information, docent best practices, role-playing, and tour shadowing to provide a complete, well-rounded learning experience that prepares docents to lead tours with confidence. Training also requires spending a minimum of 10 hours outside of class getting familiar with the gardens, reviewing class information, and studying reading material. Once trained, docents will lead our education coordinator through the Gardens before becoming an official docent. All docents are asked to lead at least one hour-long tour per month for groups of 10 to 20 people and may do so during a time that is most convenient for them.

Check back for future docent training dates.