Arboretum seeking volunteers

UC IRVINE — Marti Hood of Irvine is looking for a new volunteer opportunity and her budding interest in plants led her to the UC Irvine Arboretum on Saturday morning to learn about how she could help out at the nursery.

Just about every month, UC Irvine Arboretum nursery manager Laura Lyons holds a new volunteer orientation for people who are interested in volunteering in one of the arboretum’s different programs.

On Saturday, Hood was the sole participant in the orientation, but Lyons proceeded as usual with a tour of the arboretum and an explanation of what volunteers can do there.

The UC Irvine Arboretum was founded in 1977 and specializes in mainly South African and California native plants.

The arboretum has only one full-time staff member, two part-timers and some student assistants, so volunteers are absolutely necessary, Lyons said.

But her goal is not just to get some free labor from volunteers who help out or to only accept volunteers who have a green thumb.

Lyons does not require volunteers to have any gardening experience. She sees it as an opportunity for her to pass along her gardening knowledge so people can use the skills they learn in their own gardens.

“The training gives you the opportunity to learn about plants you’re interested in, plus you provide the assistance we desperately need,” Lyons said after she gave Hood a tour of the arboretum grounds.

Although Hood said she might not be able to dig deep into the program right now — she has a child who is a senior in high school and another volunteer commitment is tapering off — she plans on helping when she can.

“I like plants ... I was looking for something else and this is really in line with my interests,” Hood said. “It seemed perfect for me.”

The arboretum and nursery holds plant sales periodically, which is how Hood originally found out about the volunteer opportunities.

“It’s fun to find things you can’t find in regular nurseries, so I’d come to the plant sales and it was fun to walk around and look at the arboretum,” Hood said.

“So I guess I came here as a consumer and I’ll leave a volunteer.”

Hood hopes to work with the arboretum’s California natives group and she’s also interested in possibly working with the perennial garden group.

Each group has set meeting times, so Lyons likes to help people find the group they’re most interested in that works for their schedule.

Some volunteers come every week like clockwork, and others come when they can — Lyons doesn’t require any set commitment from volunteers’ she just wants to see them there.

The UC Irvine Arboretum will be holding its next plant sale April 14 — April Showers of Flowers — and the next volunteer orientations will be held at 2 p.m. May 2 and 5.

For more information on volunteer opportunities or for more information, call (949) 824-5833 or e-mail ldlyons@uci.edu .

The UC Irvine Arboretum is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.