Volunteer on Our Grounds

Our grounds, Hauck Botanic Gardens, is a 10-acre public park featuring a wide variety of demonstration gardens and a collection of old trees. Volunteers play a crucial role in the ongoing restoration and maintenance of the entire park. We host weekly events that focus on different projects throughout the park, depending on the season. Spring and fall are often the busiest seasons because of our Annual Spring Plant Sale and Fall Native Plant Sale.

A group of volunteers stands together.
A group of regular CGC volunteers arranges plants for a new rain garden.
Volunteers dig holes for plants in a new rain garden on Civic Garden Center grounds.
A group of volunteers spread mulch near a new rain garden on Civic Garden Center grounds.

Opportunities include:

  • Hands On at Hauck: On Friday mornings throughout the growing season, volunteers gather with CGC horticultural staff to work on our grounds. Tasks vary with the season as we move throughout the park, tending to different gardens. To get involved, make sure you’re registered and then sign up for our monthly volunteer email or visit our calendar to see details about upcoming events. Over the summer, we sometimes meet at other CGC locations around Cincinnati, so be sure to read event descriptions!

  • Dirt Crew: Every Wednesday, this group of passionate and knowledgable gardeners comes together to help us maintain our grounds under the guidance of CGC staff. Members meet in our parking lot at 9am and generally wrap up by 11:30 am for lunch. Dirt Crew is an ongoing commitment, and we’re always looking for new members! Please email our Community Engagement Coordinator, Brandon Reynolds, for more information: volunteer@civicgardencenter.org.

  • What works for you? On our grounds, we grow native plants, educate students and residents about the natural world, and promote urban biodiversity. We’re always looking for volunteers interested in developing their own schedule based around a project that fits their interests. For example, some volunteers commit to weekly watering, while others take responsibility for a garden bed. Reach out to our Community Engagement Coordinator, Brandon Reynolds, to discuss opportunities: volunteer@civicgardencenter.org.