Volunteer With Us

Volunteers are our most valuable resource at the State Arboretum. We are currently looking for enthusiastic volunteers for our weekly garden and native plant trail crews, as well as events that occur periodically throughout the year. All volunteers must be at least 18 years old and covered by a health insurance plan for the duration of their service.

Sign Up For Our Volunteer Opportunities!

Blandy Experimental Farm/University of Virginia Volunteer Terms of Service

Volunteer for Upcoming Arboretum Events 

Check back for upcoming opportunities, like Garden Fair 2026, Mother's Day Weekend.  

Volunteer in the Gardens

Weekly volunteer sessions for the perennial gardens occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 12 pm starting in April and running through October. During these recurring sessions, you will have the opportunity to work directly with the arboretum’s Assistant Curator of Herbaceous Plants, Carrie Whitacre and help take care of various garden spaces throughout Blandy. 

The gardens contain both native and nonnative plants. These sessions are the perfect opportunity to get your hands dirty, meet fun people, and learn a great deal about gardening, plant identification, ecology, and more!

Sign up here or at the link above to hear more about these opportunities.

Volunteer in the Native Plant Trail

Throughout the growing season we host regular native plant trail volunteer sessions on Wednesdays from 9 am to 12 pm. During these recurring sessions, you will have the opportunity to work directly with the arboretum’s Assistant Curator of the Native Plant Trail, Jack Monsted, and help take care of various garden spaces throughout Blandy. 

These sessions are the perfect opportunity to get your hands dirty, meet fun people, and learn a great deal about gardening, plant identification, ecology, and more!

Sign up here or at the link above to hear more about these opportunities.

Record volunteer hours!