Volunteer Opportunities
Gateway Greening is a non-profit organization dedicated to community development through gardening partnerships. Our extensive use of volunteers keeps productivity high and costs low. As a volunteer, you can enjoy the tangible results of your efforts as you watch gardens grow. Please join us in making St. Louis a healthier, greener place to live.
Below is a description of the many ways in which you can help. For specific dates for volunteer opportunities in the near future, please check the Upcoming Events page. If any of these opportunities sound interesting, click on the Volunteer Information Form
Bell Volunteers
Bell Community Garden is Gateway Greening's Demonstration and Distribution site. Community gardeners meet at Bell to pick up free and reduced price seed and seedlings and to participate in square foot gardening demonstrations. Gateway Greening maintains six demonstration beds that are gardened throughout the year by volunteers and are used to illustrate intensive gardening techniques. Volunteers are needed to do general gardening tasks every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. between March and November. Volunteers can choose to work a few times throughout the season or can make a long-term commitment.
Neighborhood Greening Project Volunteers
Gateway volunteers make it possible for community projects to receive extensive volunteer assistance. Volunteers are utilized to assist gardeners in collective workdays throughout the growing season. A typical workday will be 4 hours long. Gardeners at the project site will determine tasks to be completed (i.e. weeding the garden beds, wood- chipping garden pathways, installing benches, planting trees and shrubs) then volunteers and gardeners will work together to complete that project. During the spring and summer months, approximately 4 - 6 workdays are scheduled per month. Work days are usually scheduled during times when a large number of gardeners can participate - typically, weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.
School Program Volunteers
Gateway School Program Volunteers are used for the grow lab, vermicomposting (composting with worms,) and outdoor garden programs. Volunteers can participate in grow lab building and can provide support to teachers who receive grow labs. Volunteers in the vermicomposting program will work with teacher(s) in certain schools, assisting in the implementation of the vermicomposting curriculum, ensuring that vermicomposters are being used properly and providing support to teachers. Volunteers who wish to work with teachers and community members in maintaining an outdoor garden will develop a relationship with the school.
Great Perennial Divide Volunteers
The Great Perennial Divide (GPD) allows community gardeners to benefit from contributions of perennial divisions made by city and county residents. Held annually, the GPD requires the efforts of many volunteers if it is to be successful. Some tasks which volunteers can do include working at collection sites, digging and potting perennials, transporting divisions, working on the day of the event so it runs smoothly, or assisting in the organization of the event in the months prior to it.
Downtown St. Louis Urban Roots Project Volunteers
Gateway Greening's participation in the downtown St. Louis Urban Roots initiative includes tropical colors planted in the Tucker Boulevard and Market Street medians, the landscape border at Kiener Plaza and the St. Louis Planters. In April we prepare the soil in the beds, in May the plants are installed, and dead-heading and weeding occurs in summer and fall. In late October plants are removed, recycled and replaced with winter displays.
Carriage House Renovation Volunteers
The Carriage House is a historic building located near Bell Garden. The first floor is a garage we currently use to store tools and equipment. The second floor is a vacant shell. Our vision is to turn the space into a gathering place, office, and demonstration kitchen. Volunteers with skills in carpentry, masonry, electricity, and plumbing are needed to turn our dream into a reality. Work begins in January 2006.
Gateway Special Event Representatives
Gateway Greening representatives regularly attend group meetings and events in order to get the word out about programs. Examples of the types of events which representatives attend are: garden club meetings, neighborhood association meetings, and church group meetings. They also include Earth Day, the Great Garden Contest, the Urban Garden Contest, the Chefs in a Garden event, and the Harvest Fair Celebration.