Volunteer With Us!
We have many events throughout the year that require the support of volunteers. These events are fun ways to meet fellow Wild Ones members, and to be able to chat and share your love of native plants with gardeners and our local community.
Upcoming Events
- Tabling Event- Illinois Extenstion Nursery School, February 22nd, 8:00 am – 2:30 pm. Offer information & conversation to attendees. Answer questions about Wild Ones and native plants.
- Tabling Event- Flower and Garden Show, March 21-23rd. Offer information & conversation to attendees. Answer questions about Wild Ones and native plants. Volunteering for any amount of time at this event will grant you admission as well!
- Spring Symposium at Hauberg Estage, April 11th, 4:00 – 10:00 pm. Help with set up prior to the event, greet attendees and direct them to the information they need, answer questions at our Wild Ones table, clean up.
- Native Plant Sale at Hauberg Estate, May 17th – 18th. Set up & organize plants the Friday prior to the event, assist during the sale by providing native plant information and help finding plants for buyers. Organize pick-up of our garden kits to those who have pre-ordered.
Annual Events
- Hauberg Estate Plant Sale: help unload and organize hundreds of seedlings and other native plants to fill the carriage house, breaking down boxes, making our presale flats, and answering questions & helping shoppers on the day of the sale.
- Spring WIU Symposium: Plants, Paths & Pizza: set up tables and chairs, help organize food purchasing and organization, assisting speakers, answer questions at our table, clean up.
- Fall Seed Swap: volunteers needed to bring seeds, set up tables, organizing seeds and supplies, clean up.
- Year End Potluck: volunteers help with set up, clean up, bringing supplies, and cooking food.
- Table Events: several volunteers are available at our Wild Ones table at local events throughout the year to offer informational brochures and answer questions about native plants and our organization. Volunteers may also help with transporting supplies to and from the event, set up, and clean up.
- Native Plantings: consultation with site owners, plant selection, putting plants in the ground on planting days.
Opportunities with Nahant Marsh
Wild Ones Quad Cities has a partnership with Nahant Marsh, located in Davenport, IA, in the form of an annual sponsorship. We love supporting Nahant’s mission to protect, enhance, and restore the marsh through education, research, and conservation along with their vision to foster wonder, appreciation, and stewardship of the natural world.
Volunteer opportunities with Nahant are vast. Choose your own journey! Care for a turtle or a snake as an animal care assistant. Work as as a bird survey volunteer. Become a Docent or an educational program assistant. You could lead a field trip or camp program. Need something a bit tamer? Greet the public in the education center on Saturdays or work at Nahant’s booth for public events. There are also opportunities to maintain and tend the native landscape around the education center. This could include removing weeds, harvesting seeds, and diversifying the garden. A fan favorite are the fall seed collection days, working and learning from the amazing staff. Another favorite activity is the fall Monarch Release Day! To learn more, check out Nahant’s volunteer website and see our own Paul Crosser eradicating invasive species.
Open Positions and Ongoing Committees:
We are always looking for willing volunteers to offer their time and talents in creative ways! Please contact us if you have an interest in helping with events, giving native plant presentations, caring for our native gardents around the Quad Cities, writing blog posts, or contributing to our social media pages.
How to Volunteer
Please email us at [email protected] and let us know which volunteer opportunity you would like to help with. You can also email us to sign up to be on a volunteer email list to be notified of future opportunities. Thank you for your consideration!