Have you ever wanted to be a matchmaker? Native Here Nursery needs volunteers to help customers find their perfect plant!
We help customers in two ways. Online customers need their orders filled, so we pick out the perkiest, best-shaped plants for them. Then we help walk-in customers get advice on choosing suitable plants for their gardens. Both fulfill our chapter’s outreach and education mission. Your part is learning the cultural needs of our plants (we will train you—see “What do you need to do?” below), knowing the resources available for customers to study on their own, and being a part of the on-site team on Fridays and (mostly) Saturdays. Native plant novices are welcome.
Our customer support team loves helping shoppers, learning about plants, helping each other (because none of us knows everything), and being in our beautiful nursery in Tilden Park.
We are starting a new training series beginning January 16, 2022. This could be for you!
More details of the position
On Friday mornings we fill online orders. On Saturdays, the nursery is open 10 am–2 pm, so online customers pick up their orders while others shop in person. We greet everyone, ascertain their needs, and help them find their perfect plants. The work requires light physical effort in moving container plants, navigating carts over uneven and sloping ground in the nursery, being outdoors (except in very rainy or windy conditions), and cashiering. When we aren’t busy with customer needs, we help with other nursery tasks. You will always work with another customer support team member.
What’s in it for you?
You get the satisfaction of helping people, learning about native plants and horticulture, spending time in a beautiful natural setting, and being part of a friendly team.
What do you need to do?
Attend a series of about eight training sessions on Sunday afternoons, from January 16 through April (schedule to be determined). Sessions will be at Native Here Nursery, in gardens, and on field trips to nearby parks. Registration is $25, but you will get that back later as a gift certificate. We ask that after completing the training you volunteer at Native Here two days per month (Fridays and/or Saturdays) for six months; shifts are four hours.
During training, you will be introduced to many plant information resources and the basics of nursery operations. You will also learn how to handle common nursery inquiries, recognize our plants, use plant terminology, and cashier. In addition, you will find out whom to ask when someone asks you a question that you can’t answer. We are all a team at Native Here, and we are here to help each other!
For more information or to sign up, contact Barbara Leitner at info@ebcnps.org.
— Barbara Leitner, Native Here Nursery Committee, CNPS East Bay Chapter
December 2021
