Gateway GreeningContact: Hanna Reinhart
Phone: 314-588-9600 Email: hanna@gatewaygreening.org |
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St Louis Master Gardeners can be found volunteering in any of the Gateway Greening projects listed below. Master Gardeners are a vital part this organization's outreach to the local community gardens and on-going projects.
Volunteer Opportunities
Bell Garden, 3871 Bell, 63108
Saturdays 9am-1pm, March through October
Bell Garden is Gateway Greening's demonstration garden and plant distribution site. Community gardeners meet at Bell to pick up reduced price seed and seedlings and to participate in educational workshops. Gateway Greening staff and volunteers maintain 14 demonstration beds that are used to illustrate intensive vegetable growing techniques. Volunteers gain experience in garden maintenance and interact with St. Louis Master Gardeners and Gateway Greening staff who are on the cutting edge of gardening practices. Regular Bell volunteers are asked to pick an area of focus, such as veggie demonstration beds, ornamental beds, seedling sales and distribution or fruit trees.
Bell Garden Volunteer Guidelines
Prior to beginning service, all new Bell Garden volunteers must attend a one-time, on-site volunteer orientation, held monthly on the 2nd Saturday of every month at 10:00am beginning Saturday, March 10, 2012 and ending Saturday, October 13, 2012. Individual volunteers must also commit to a minimum of four hours per month (exceptions made for one-time volunteer groups, service learning students or other special arrangements).
Carriage House Renovation Volunteers
The Carriage House is a historic building located near Bell Garden that is being converted into an indoor community garden resource center. The first floor is and will continue to be used for tool and equipment storage. The second floor is equipped with electricity, HVAC systems, insulation and dry wall but awaits finishing and painting. Volunteers with remodeling and carpentry skills are needed to turn our longtime dream into a reality. Volunteers are also needed to maintian the flower beds on the Carriage House property, a great way to learn some new landscaping skills.
NEW! Flower Berm Volunteers
Tap into your inner flower power! Volunteer at Gateway Greening's flower berms! Gateway Greening is seeking a garden club or team of volunteers to adopt two large berms suitable for cut flower production during summer 2012. Work will involve assistance with berm preparation and primary responsibility for ongoing maintenance. Gateway Greening will provide free seedlings by request, donation of bulbs when available and irrigation. Planning and preparation should begin in early spring and planting completed in May. Minimum volunteer commitment of two individuals (individuals can rotate) once per week. Berms are located at the Carriage House at Bell Garden in St. Louis City near Grand Center.
City Seeds Urban Farm
2200 block of Pine, 63103
Monday-Friday, 7:30am-11:30am, April through October
City Seeds is a 2.5-acre vegetable farm that provides jobs training and horticulture therapy to St. Patrick Center clients. Produce from the farm is sold at local farmers’ markets and distributed through Food Outreach, a nutrition services center serving clients living with cancer or HIV/AIDS. Volunteers are needed to work alongside clients to help with bed prep, planting, harvesting, market prep, general maintenance, and to provide leadership opportunities and increased diversity on the farm. Volunteers are also encouraged to provide educational demonstrations to clients on horticulture-related topics.
City Seeds Volunteer Guidelines
Prior to beginning service, all new City Seeds volunteers must attend a one-time, on-site volunteer orientation, held bimonthly on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month at 8:00am beginning April 05, 2012 and ending Thursday October 18, 2012. Individual volunteers must also commit to a minimum of four hours per month (exceptions made for one-time volunteer groups, service learning students or other special arrangements).
Hub Garden Volunteer at 13th Street
2714 13th Street, 63103
Mondays, 10am-11:30am
Thursdays, 6pm-7:30pm
Saturdays, 7am-9am
The 13th Street Community Garden is looking for extra volunteers through these busy months of weeding and harvesting. We have a good part of our space dedicated to growing produce for the North City Farmers Market; our volunteers make it possible to sell our healthy produce at below market-rate prices. If you are interested in helping please contact Veronica Holden at Veronicasgardengrows@gmail.com to arrange an orientation and discuss scheduling.
Dig Crew Week
Late March/early April
“Digs” involve dividing and potting perennials at private backyard gardeners’ homes. The divided perennials are later distributed to community gardeners through the annual Great Perennial Divide. It’s a virtual crash course in horticulture alongside experienced Master Gardener volunteers! Often, the digs are spontaneously scheduled due to weather conditions. Interested “Dig Crew” participants should contact the Gateway Greening office and request that they be added to the dig crew email distribution list.
The Great Perennial Divide
3815 Bell, 63108
One week in late April-early May
The Great Perennial Divide (GPD) is Gateway Greening’s main plant distribution event that provides donated plant material free to about 75 community gardens each year. Volunteers are needed to prepare the property and transport and organize plant material during the GPD prep week (Tues-Th) and to facilitate plant distribution on the days of GPD itself (Fri-Sat) .
Urban Roots, Market Street Medians & Kiener Plaza Floral Displays
April through October
Major work days for this downtown civic greening program include:
Soil Prep Day (Saturday in mid-April): Mulch medians and prepare Kiener Plaza garden beds
Planting Days (2nd Friday and Saturday of May): Plant tropicals and annual plants that have been selected for the annual display
Maintenance (bimonthly Saturday mornings, May-October): Weeding and trash removal alongside St. Louis Master Gardeners
Fall Clean-up Day ( Saturday in late October): Remove plant material from medians and Kiener Plaza for composting
Community Garden Program (ongoing)
Volunteers are needed to support St. Louis communities by becoming active members of nearby community gardens. Gateway Greening supports a network of more than 120 active community gardens through the Community Garden program, and additional involvement is always needed. Volunteer participation may involve an individual year-long commitment or a one-time/big impact group event.
Youth Programs (ongoing)
Work with teachers, students and community members in one of the more than 60 school gardens supported by Gateway Greening. Volunteers will develop relationships with schools, teachers, students and community members and devote time as needed. Volunteers are also needed to assist teachers in the integration of garden-based curriculum.
This is a 2012 Master Gardener trainee volunteer site.
