Now is the time of year for getting back outside, and we need volunteers who may be interested in an indoor/outdoor ongoing project at the Mercer Botanical Center.
Below are three volunteer job opportunities as we march forward with preserving rare and native plants at the Mercer Botanical Center, research arm of Mercer Botanic Gardens. We welcome interested volunteers to visit the Mercer Botanical Center to become engaged in our conservation exploration.
If you would like to become part of this very important program for Mercer’s gardens, please contact Suzzanne Chapman or Anita Tiller by email and we will coordinate training.
Herbarium Volunteer
Do you love learning about plants, taxonomy and record keeping? This volunteer job at Mercer Botanic Gardens (MBG) will support MBG’s herbarium collections. Mercer is the recipient of a long-term loan from the Spring Branch Science Center of their Herbarium collection of 50,000 voucher specimens. Specimens are reviewed and recorded with vital data. Training will be provided for application of BGBase – MBG’s inventory software.
Requirements:
• Strong interest in plants/botany, self-taught or basic botany/natural science training through a citizen
scientist program (TX Gulf Coast Gardener, TX Master Gardener, TX Master Naturalist)
• Enjoy research and review of botanical spelling
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Must enjoy working in an office setting
• Option to work independently, in pairs, or in teams
• Attention to detail and organization
After training, the volunteer will be responsible for updating MBG’s plant herbarium specimen database, using BGBase software. This collection will require research and need labels created for herbarium specimens. Data input will include plant species, collector, date, and collection location information, and geo-referencing. This inventory is essential as the basis for the documentation and conservation of rare, native, and exotic plants housed at MBG and throughout the Gulf Coast area, and for MBG educational programs.
Worksite will be in the herbarium at the Mercer Botanical Center.
Do you love learning about plants, taxonomy and record keeping? This volunteer job at Mercer Botanic Gardens (MBG) will support MBG’s herbarium collections. Mercer is the recipient of a long-term loan from the Spring Branch Science Center of their Herbarium collection of 50,000 voucher specimens. Specimens are reviewed and recorded with vital data. Training will be provided for application of BGBase – MBG’s inventory software.
Requirements:
• Strong interest in plants/botany, self-taught or basic botany/natural science training through a citizen
scientist program (TX Gulf Coast Gardener, TX Master Gardener, TX Master Naturalist)
• Enjoy research and review of botanical spelling
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Must enjoy working in an office setting
• Option to work independently, in pairs, or in teams
• Attention to detail and organization
After training, the volunteer will be responsible for updating MBG’s plant herbarium specimen database, using BGBase software. This collection will require research and need labels created for herbarium specimens. Data input will include plant species, collector, date, and collection location information, and geo-referencing. This inventory is essential as the basis for the documentation and conservation of rare, native, and exotic plants housed at MBG and throughout the Gulf Coast area, and for MBG educational programs.
Worksite will be in the herbarium at the Mercer Botanical Center.
Plant Collections Volunteer
This volunteer job at Mercer Botanic Gardens (MBG) will support MBG’s living plant collections. Mercer gardens routinely receives new plants and additions for intriguing collections. Plant collections are recorded in the specialized botanic gardens database BGBase. The acronym for the process is titled SNAP (pSource, Names, Accessions and Plants). Training will be provided for application of BGBase –
MBG’s inventory software.
Requirements:
• Strong interest in plants/botany, self-taught or basic botany/natural science training through a citizen
scientist program (TX Gulf Coast Gardener, TX Master Gardener, TX Master Naturalist)
• Enjoy research and review of botanical spelling
• Neat handwriting is essential for Accessions log
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Must enjoy working in an office setting
• Option to work independently, in pairs, or in teams
• Attention to detail and organization
After training, the volunteer will be responsible for updating MBG’s plant collections database, using BGBase software. Each new collection will require research of accurate plant names, source or provenance, native range and common names. Accession data and garden plant location will be assigned. This inventory is essential as the basis for the documentation and conservation of rare, native, and exotic plants housed at MBG and throughout the Gulf Coast area, and for MBG educational programs.
Worksite will be at the Mercer Botanical Center.
This volunteer job at Mercer Botanic Gardens (MBG) will support MBG’s living plant collections. Mercer gardens routinely receives new plants and additions for intriguing collections. Plant collections are recorded in the specialized botanic gardens database BGBase. The acronym for the process is titled SNAP (pSource, Names, Accessions and Plants). Training will be provided for application of BGBase –
MBG’s inventory software.
Requirements:
• Strong interest in plants/botany, self-taught or basic botany/natural science training through a citizen
scientist program (TX Gulf Coast Gardener, TX Master Gardener, TX Master Naturalist)
• Enjoy research and review of botanical spelling
• Neat handwriting is essential for Accessions log
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Must enjoy working in an office setting
• Option to work independently, in pairs, or in teams
• Attention to detail and organization
After training, the volunteer will be responsible for updating MBG’s plant collections database, using BGBase software. Each new collection will require research of accurate plant names, source or provenance, native range and common names. Accession data and garden plant location will be assigned. This inventory is essential as the basis for the documentation and conservation of rare, native, and exotic plants housed at MBG and throughout the Gulf Coast area, and for MBG educational programs.
Worksite will be at the Mercer Botanical Center.
Garden Plant Signage Volunteer
Have you noticed the brown and green signs posted in front of Mercer garden plants? The Mercer Botanical Center is looking for volunteers who would like to learn how to make the plant identification signs and accession tags for Mercer’s garden collections. Volunteers may work together in teams of two, or independently, once trained, and be available for sign making 4 hours per week. Volunteers may choose and schedule a weekday depending upon their schedule, anytime between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Volunteers would work with computer programs on the sign-making machine upstairs in the Mercer Botanical Center. Also learn how to monitor the supplies and manage the used-sign files. Sign making is interesting and detailed, and you learn about plants while making the signs.
Requirements:
• Strong interest in plants/botany, self-taught or basic botany/natural science training through a citizen scientist program (TX Gulf Coast Gardener, TX Master Gardener, TX Master Naturalist)
• Work independently or in teams once trained
• Attention to detail, be meticulous with spelling and sign formats as all text and formats are provided
• Must enjoy working in an office or outdoor setting
• Use a simple computer program that operates the sign-making machine
• Be comfortable working with machines and follow safe operating procedures
After training, volunteers may also place signs and attach the tags to the plants. When there are no sign requests, volunteers may review the garden areas and check for signs that need replacing….and get to know the gardens!
Worksite will be at the Mercer Botanical Center.
Have you noticed the brown and green signs posted in front of Mercer garden plants? The Mercer Botanical Center is looking for volunteers who would like to learn how to make the plant identification signs and accession tags for Mercer’s garden collections. Volunteers may work together in teams of two, or independently, once trained, and be available for sign making 4 hours per week. Volunteers may choose and schedule a weekday depending upon their schedule, anytime between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Volunteers would work with computer programs on the sign-making machine upstairs in the Mercer Botanical Center. Also learn how to monitor the supplies and manage the used-sign files. Sign making is interesting and detailed, and you learn about plants while making the signs.
Requirements:
• Strong interest in plants/botany, self-taught or basic botany/natural science training through a citizen scientist program (TX Gulf Coast Gardener, TX Master Gardener, TX Master Naturalist)
• Work independently or in teams once trained
• Attention to detail, be meticulous with spelling and sign formats as all text and formats are provided
• Must enjoy working in an office or outdoor setting
• Use a simple computer program that operates the sign-making machine
• Be comfortable working with machines and follow safe operating procedures
After training, volunteers may also place signs and attach the tags to the plants. When there are no sign requests, volunteers may review the garden areas and check for signs that need replacing….and get to know the gardens!
Worksite will be at the Mercer Botanical Center.