Volunteer
Australian National Botanic Gardens extended temporary closure
The Australian National Botanic Gardens will be temporarily closed to visitors until 18 June 2020.
Our Gardens are treasured by locals and visitors alike, and we understand many people would have been looking forward to visiting, however the health and wellbeing of our staff, visitors and local communities is our utmost priority. We all have a role to play in minimising the risk of COVID-19.
Our thoughts are with the community during this difficult time and we encourage social interaction with the Gardens via our website and social media platforms. Please join our online community via Facebook and Instagram as we’ll continue to share stories and provide updates as they come to hand. We also encourage everyone to share stories, special memories and photographs of the Gardens through these platforms.
We will continue to care for our precious living collections and seed collections during the temporary closure.
We look forward to seeing you again in our beautiful Gardens in the future.
The Australian National Botanic Gardens has a range of volunteer positions available.
Front of House Roles
Visitor Information Centre Volunteers
Provide a warm welcome and information to our visitors. Engage with visitors to provide highlights of the garden.
Volunteer Guides
Lead our 1 hour daily walks, special interest walks and Flora Explorer electric bus tours throughout the Gardens.
Back of House Roles
Herbarium Mounting Volunteers
Mount herbarium specimens and prepare scientific samples of plant material for storage and future use in our herbaria.
Seed Bank
Process and prepare native seeds for archiving in the National Seed Bank.
Seed Bank Data Basing
Enter information on archived seeds into data base.
Seedy Volunteers
Seasonal activity undertaking field work to collect seeds that become part of the National Seed Bank.
Nursery Pot Recycling and Flowering Recording
Assist in the Gardens’ Production Nursery with pot sterilization and recording flowering of nursery plants.
Seed Orchard
Seasonal position to collect seeds from orchard plants in the nursery growing areas.
Orchid
This program is designed for people with previous experience with propagation and maintenance of orchids. Assist the head of Orchid Research in maintaining the orchids in our glasshouses.
Education
Help to set-up and prepare for the school education programs.
Administration
Assist with Administration tasks in areas such as Market Research, Public Programs, Events, Marketing and Social Media
Library
Support the Gardens’ librarian in loans and maintenance of the Gardens’ library.
Photographic Collections
Support the maintenance and data basing of the photographic collections.
Stocktake
Support the stocktaking of gardens’ living collection.
Cryptogam Garden
The newest of the volunteer positions at the Gardens. Volunteers assist maintain the Cryptogam Display Garden in the Visitor Information Centre.
Volunteer Recruitment
Volunteers are recruited based on the requirements of the participating sections of the Gardens. There are currently no volunteer opportunities directly related to gardening and horticulture.
There are no prerequisite qualifications other than an interest in people, botanic gardens and our work.
Associates undertake specific research projects and are selected on the basis of their technical experience and the projects they wish to undertake.
Volunteer Insurance
Registered volunteers are deemed to be employees under the Commonwealth Employees Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1998 and are insured by Comcare, subject to the conditions of these Acts.
Volunteers are protected from liability claims under the conditions outlined in the Commonwealth Volunteers Protection Act 2003.
How to volunteer
For further information on volunteer opportunities at the Gardens contact:
- Natalie Aked
Volunteer Coordinator
Australian National Herbarium - Phone: (02) 6246 5127
- Email: Natalie
