March 17, 2014 - 8:00am
Milner Gardens & Woodland in Qualicum Beach, one of Canada’s top 10 public gardens, is recruiting new volunteers.
Executive Director Geoff Ball invites community members to a Volunteer Opportunity Day on Saturday, March 22 from 1 to 3 pm to find out what opportunities are available.
“We invite anyone interested in volunteering to drop in and meet current volunteers and staff, tour the gardens and see how they can help the gardens grow,” says Ball.
“Volunteering at Milner Gardens is a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to meet new friends, learn new skills and participate in making Milner Gardens a world-class venue. All it takes is a few hours of time on a regular basis.”
Milner Gardens, owned and operated by Vancouver Island University (VIU), currently has a core group of about 200 community volunteers.
They assist with a variety of tasks from leading garden tours throughout forested trails in the 70-acre woodland setting, serving tea in the historic Camelia teahouse, staffing the gift shop, working on committees, and tending and maintaining the estate garden.
Other volunteers assist in Milner’s front entrance area where they welcome visitors and drive guests around the property in a motorized golf cart. Volunteers also help with marketing and promotions of the gardens as a tourist destination, assist with public plant sales at the on-site nursery, or prune, tend and maintain the gardens.
“Volunteers play a crucial role in making our special events a success, from Milner Christmas Magic to our spring events,” adds Ball.
“Many of our volunteers also enjoy interacting with school-aged children and serve as mentors for our popular Shoots with Roots educational program,” Ball says. “They love teaching students about how to plant, tend and harvest food and look after other native and non-native plants.”
All new volunteers are given an orientation session, and receive hands-on training. Volunteers enjoy special invitations to events and courses, and gain the satisfaction of being part of creating an exciting community-oriented project.
To become a volunteer, interested parties must fill out a volunteer application form (available online) and either drop it off at the garden or mail it in.
Milner Gardens & Woodland, located between Parksville and Qualicum Beach at 2179 West Island Highway, is home to a protected old-growth Douglas fir forest and an established estate garden which includes more than 400 Rhododendron specimens.
Named one of the top 10 public gardens in Canada by the Canadian Geographic Travel magazine, Milner Gardens & Woodland is also listed as one of the seven wonders of Oceanside/Parksville/Qualicum Beach.
Thousands of visitors come to Milner Gardens each year to attend special events or visit the Camelia teahouse inside the historic Milner home built in 1931.
VIU acquired Milner Gardens in 1996. To learn more about Milner’s history, visit www.viu.ca/milnergardens. For information about volunteer opportunities, call 250.752.8573, extension 226 or view volunteer position descriptions at http://www.viu.ca/milnergardens/get-involved.asp
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MEDIA CONTACT
Janina Stajic, Manager, Communications and Public Engagement, Vancouver Island University P: 250.740.6288 E: Communications@viu.ca
Twitter: @VIUNews
Tags: In the Community
