Enjoy a festive opportunity? Love gardens, plants, and talking to people who love gardens, plants, and MetroParks? Open Door is a program sponsored by the state of Ohio in which people are invited to visit places that are not normally open to the public. Volunteers are needed to serve as hosts to John and Marie's home and garden, welcoming visitors and sharing information on the gardens and history.
Impact
Volunteers help build access, comfort, convenience, and safety into our programs for all interested in learning and exploring. They enable more individualized support for visitors and create a more engaging experience. Volunteers help people make a stronger connection to nature by making it easy to experience the outdoors in fun activities.
Tasks
- Welcome and greet visitors at your station
- Volunteers will be stationed at the parking lot, lower lawn, and upper lawn outside the house to help guide attendees. Volunteers may be inside the house to assist staff.
- Assist in keep the flow of visitor traffic moving.
- Provide excellent customer service and wayfinding.
- Provide a quick orientation to the site and activities being offered.
- Engage participants during the tour by sharing plant knowledge and highlights of the garden spaces.
- Thank visitors for coming to the event and letting them know "we hope they visit the gardens during other seasons too."
Eligibility: This opportunity is open to long-term and short-term volunteers. Learn more about our types of service here.
Additional Notes
- Parking & Meeting Instructions: Click here for a map of Aullwood Garden MetroPark. Volunteers should park at the Aullwood Garden Maintenance Building Parking Lot; 930 Aullwood Rd, Dayton, OH 45414. Volunteers are scheduled 1/2 hour before the event to park, get to stations, and review garden and house highlights.
- Cancelation: If you need to cancel a shift last minute or are running late, please contact staff lead, Beth Langford, 937-718-5658.
- Environment & Physical Demands: This event is indoors and outdoors, so please be aware of outdoor exposure risks or seasonal allergies. Volunteers will be standing for longer periods of time, and may do some bending to point out things of interest.
- Dress: Volunteers should wear their volunteer name badge and t-shirt. If you don't have a name badge yet, please contact volunteer.services@metroparks.org. Volunteers should dress for the weather, wear long pants and closed-toe shoes, and bring a water bottle, sunscreen, and bug spray if needed to be more comfortable. Volunteers should expect to stand for an extended period and wear comfortable shoes.
See the Programming Volunteer Position Description for more detailed information.
