Volunteer at The Whiteside Gardens

Volunteer Opportunities at The Whiteside Garden

Please dress for being outdoors and bring a reusable water bottle if you'd like one. Meet at The Whiteside Garden. Parking is available across from the garden on the west side of the road. Registration required in case programs are changed or cancelled due to inclement weather. Youth under 13 years must be accompanied by an adult. Please scroll down for Docent programs.

Conservation Opportunities

Whiteside Wednesdays

Every Wednesday, Year Round
Join us every Wednesday from 9-11 am or 1-3 pm and help with a variety of garden tasks and projects, Plus, it’s a great opportunity to learn about interesting horticultural plants at the same time!

Adopt-A-Bed Program

Help us take care of one of Dr. Whiteside's historic garden beds. Choose your bed from the one's we have available and come around your own schedule to work on it. Bed maintenance may include weeding, mulching, planting, and other miscellaneous projects depending on the bed and the need. To sign up please email volunteer@dhnature.org or call 217-235-4644.

Email Volunteer Coordinator

At-Home Projects

Adopt-A-Bed Program

Email Volunteer Coordinator

Adopt-A-Bed Program

Email Volunteer Coordinator

"Docent" Opportunities

Welcome Center Host

This position is for those who are interested in watching over the Whiteside Welcome Center. Time slots are Friday and Saturday 9-12 or 12-3. Caretakers would open or close the welcome center, answer questions, and assist with caretaking tasks such as light weeding or disinfecting. Caretakers will be trained on how to answer certain questions and thus, caretakers will need to attend a three-hour training as well as a couple of other informative meetings to stay up to date throughout the year. Caretakers must pass a background check and attend training.
Next training will be announced soon.

Interpretive Guide

This position is for those who want to give guided tours for The Whiteside Garden. Tours last for about one hour and may include a short welcome and media presentation and a forty-five-minute guided tour of the grounds stopping at certain points based on the season. Interpretive guides would be responsible for being at The Whiteside Garden from 9:30-11:30am for giving tours at 10 am on Saturdays and/or by appointment for specially scheduled tours. Guides will be trained on the history of the garden, a few special interest garden beds, and frequently asked questions. Being so, interpretive guides will need to attend a three-hour training and a couple of other informative meetings to stay up to date throughout the year. Interpretive Guides must pass a background check and attend training.
Next training will be announced soon.

For both the Welcome Center Caretaker and the Interpretive Guide the following exactions and skills are required to be followed:

Attend mandatory docent training (available online or in-person)
Shadow one tour in-person
Commit to at least one shift a month from April to October (preferred)
Attend meetings as needed to stay updated on seasonal changes, events, and programs
Must be 18 years old or older
Pass a background check
Abide by the Douglas-Hart Foundation's Volunteer Policies and Procedures Manual
Be able to work respectfully with a diverse group of people
Ability to adapt to different situations
Ability to work independently

For Tour Guides there are a couple more expectations:

Possess an outgoing personality to lead charismatic tours with humor, storytelling, and personal facilitated experiences
Ability to walk over rough terrain and stand for long periods of time