Become a Volunteer
Volunteering at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens can be a rewarding and stimulating experience: learn new skills, make new friends, and become a valued member of the extended volunteer staff. The Morris could not accomplish all that it does without the help of its volunteers who play an integral role in the organization.
"Volunteering gives me the opportunity to get visitors excited about the Morris. Every turn of the path holds a different story or interesting nugget that I get to share.
I visited the Morris dozens of times before I became a volunteer—turns out I knew nothing. Volunteering has given me tons of knowledge and information that turn the Morris into a compelling story about people, stewardship, nature, and the beauty we are able to enjoy thanks to John and Lydia Morris."
Listed below are our current volunteer opportunities. For more information contact Apprentice and Volunteer Coordinator Jenny Rajotte at jrajotte@upenn.edu.
Garden Educators
Trained on a variety of topics, our Garden Educators engage visitors in the rich history and exciting future of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens, while sharing their enthusiasm for the environment and knowledge about our plants and gardens.
The Morris is currently seeking Weekend Garden Educators to volunteer for a regular monthly (Sat/Sun) shift during high season, March through November.
Please note that Garden Educators work through multiple seasons, and need to be adaptable to providing services during various weather conditions ranging from hot to cold, drizzly to dry.
Weekend volunteers are a welcoming presence, providing orientation, enthusiasm, and general garden knowledge, and need to complete a four-session training course on Saturdays in March. Weekend Educators volunteer for one day a month, and are included in continuing education and volunteer gatherings.
Requirements to be a Garden Educator
- Enthusiasm for the Morris and sharing with visitors of all demographics
- Ability to be self-sufficient and act independently for regular duties
- Ability to walk at least one mile over hilly terrain while talking and actively engaging visitors
- Comfort with presenting to a group, projecting your voice, and interacting with visitors from different racial and cultural backgrounds
- Ability to communicate comfortably using a computer: email, opening documents, using a shared calendar/scheduling process
- Attendance at all relevant training sessions in March (see below)
- Successfully complete a three-tier background check
2026 Training Dates
Saturdays • 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
February 28, March 7, March 14, March 21 (Snow date: March 28)
To be considered as a Garden Educator, please fill out the application form below. A member of our Education team will be in touch to schedule an initial phone call after applications are reviewed.
Garden Education Application →
Horticulture
Garden Volunteers
Volunteers assist in garden maintenance throughout the grounds, working in small teams with Horticulture staff to tackle a number of physical gardening tasks such as weeding, digging, mulching, and pruning. They meet once a week on Wednesday mornings, 8:30 am – 12 pm, from March through mid-December.
Volunteers work outside in varying weather conditions and an array of uneven terrains. Previous gardening experience is helpful but not required, and you must be able to bend, stoop, and lift at least 10 – 15lbs. Before you begin volunteering you must submit an application, attend an orientation session, and sign a waiver.
2026 Horticulture Volunteer Application →
Natural Areas Volunteers
Volunteers in Natural Areas meet on Tuesday and/or Thursday mornings year-round (as safety permits). Working with the McCausland Natural Areas Manager, they help care for the approximately 35 acres of Natural Areas as well as areas of the Bloomfield Farm property of the Morris. Terrain encompasses forest, meadow, and wetlands, and tasks range in physicality and use a range of tools with a sensitivity to the multitude of ecosystems and their needs.
Previous gardening/land managing experience is helpful but not required, and you must be able to bend, stoop, and lift at least 15–20lbs. Before you begin volunteering you must submit an application, attend an orientation session, and sign a waiver.
Natural Areas Volunteer Application →
Greenhouse & Nursery Volunteers
Greenhouse & Nursery volunteers assist on a weekly basis with a variety of propagation and nursery tasks, March through November (with occasional winter projects, as available). Volunteers are trained on procedures with staff oversight but should be comfortable working semi-independently once trained. Tasks vary throughout the year, and might include:
- Pot-washing and organizing
- Weeding (in glasshouses and outside in nursery and display beds)
- Hand-watering
- Potting plants
- Plant care and grooming
- General greenhouse support
Volunteer activities may involve standing for extended periods, walking on uneven surfaces, bending, kneeling, lifting pots and trays, and working in warm greenhouse conditions. Some tasks, such as weeding and grounds maintenance, require frequent bending or kneeling. Seating and anti-fatigue mats are available for many greenhouse tasks. Volunteers are encouraged to discuss any physical limitations in the application so we can help match them with appropriate activities. Plant knowledge is preferred, but willingness to learn and adapt to needs is essential.
Current volunteer shifts include:
9 am – 12 pm, Tue, Wed, or Thu (preference for a weekly commitment, min. availability twice/month)
All volunteers are required to meet with Greenhouse staff and sign a waiver before service.
2026 Greenhouse & Nursery Volunteer Application →
Garden Railway
Garden Railway Welcomer
The Garden Railway is a whimsical miniature landscape and immensely popular among guests who return again and again to explore new themes and magical miniature trains. Welcomers are a pleasant presence in the garden, ready to greet guests and answer basic questions about the garden and the Morris.
Welcomer volunteers should be able to stand for long periods of time in most weather, be comfortable with learning about the Garden Railway, enjoy sharing with guests of all ages and backgrounds, and commit to a weekly shift.
Current Volunteer shifts include:
- Monday-Friday
- 10AM – 1PM
- 1PM – 4PM
Garden Railway Welcomer Application →
Volunteer Train Conductor
The Morris cares for a third of a mile of miniature train track, featuring seven loops and tunnels, fifteen rail lines, two cable cars, and nine bridges, as well as many fleets of specialty trains. Train Conductors are a friendly presence in the Railway Garden and work with the Head Train Conductor to learn the ins-and-outs of maintaining and running the railway. They assist in array of tasks including starting and turning off trains, attending to derailed trains or malfunctioning engines/trolleys, general track maintenance, and securing trains during inclement weather.
Volunteer Conductors assist Monday through Wednesday in shifts from 9 am – 5 pm. Conductors should have some knowledge of trains (and willingness to learn), regular availability, ability to work on uneven terrain, and are required to sign a waiver.