You don’t need to be an expert gardener to volunteer and get your hands dirty. Just bring your enthusiasm and a sense of wonder to growing spaces around our city – many here on Capitol Hill. (See end of article for volunteer information.) Even if you don’t have your own outdoor garden, there are many ways to gather with friends and neighbors to beautify city blocks or enjoy producing the fruits of urban farming. Spend some time around plants and trees and see if you don’t feel a mood uplift.
Around Capitol Hill
Jim Guckert, founder of the all-volunteer led Guerrilla Gardeners on Capitol Hill states, “Gardening is good for the soul,” and notes, “It’s a way to improve areas around you, while sharing positive values of community.” His not-for-profit organization exists with no paid staff, and the money raised goes back into the ground and into the community.
Guckert says Guerrilla Gardeners has ongoing projects, and laughs “We have one that is in the sixth year of a five-year commitment.”
Throughout the years, the Guerrilla Gardeners have dedicated time in places like Potomac Gardens – a great green space and community resource that goes beyond plants to activities like yoga, fitness classes and children’s book readings. Other projects include Tulipalooza (both in the fall for planting and celebration with the blooms in spring), and perennial attention has been given to Winston Park, the Navy Yard Triangle and Margaret’s Garden at Marion Park.
The Sasha Bruce Youthwork operates multiple residential facilities, addressing youth homelessness, and offering counseling and classes that lead young people back to a more stable and ive family situation, or a path to independence and self-sufficiency. Given the rise in homelessness throughout our city (and the nation), this work is critical to this population needing shelter.
lovely messages of encouragement.
Through their “Love Rocks” initiative, volunteers can participate in a different type of garden – no plants required – but a rock, some paint with a drawing or encouraging message. After the rocks are decorated, they are placed at the entrance on a hillside to a Sasha Bruce residence and provide a charming welcome.
Says Leigh Bailey, Assistant Director of Institutional Partnerships, “Love Rocks are such an important way to show the young people Sasha Bruce serves that they are cared for, loved, and seen. They are also really fun to make!”
SW Community Garden has been growing ever since its inception in 2013 and is the only community garden located in the southwestern quadrant. They have a robust volunteer program, open Wednesdays 6-7pm, and Sundays 4-6pm until the end of October, unless there is inclement weather.
Says SW Community Garden President, Pamela McKinney, “We give away all of the produce that we grow, so folks can stop by to see what’s available during communal hours.” During the spring, they had seasonal produce like strawberries, mulberries and arugula, and she states that later into the season they will have blackberries, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, figs, collards and more.
Says McKinney, “Growing food together reminds us of how connected we are to each other and the impact we can make in our community when we work together toward a common goal. We build connections across difference to be able to nourish our community without any expectation of payment. The only payment is your time and labor.”
Landmark and Historical Spaces
How many people beyond those of us who live in the District can boast the ability to volunteer in such iconic and beautiful spaces?
The US Botanic Garden is the oldest continuously operatin public garden in our country. People interested in volunteering here have options: either public engagement, where you help connect visitors with the plant collection; or hands-on gardening.
Training is offered in a combination of self-guided online lessons that volunteers can complete on their own time and pace followed by in-person on-the-job training. You can sign up to volunteer via the online interest form. They expect public engagement volunteer applications to reopen beginning July 1 and hands-on gardening, August 1.
“Volunteers bring such joy and enthusiasm,” said Elizbeth Barton, the US Botanic Garden’s volunteer coordinator. “They share so much care and time, and we appreciate it immensely. They allow us to offer so many engagement opportunities to visitors and help us care for and showcase our plant collection.”
Congressional Cemetery volunteers are always welcome at the site of “DC’s Greatest Undertaking” – and you can also participate in their Adopt-a-Plot program to care for a family plot. Volunteer assistance (thousands of hours of work each year) helps keep the cemetery going for people of all ages and abilities, keeping it clean and secure. If you’re participating in any of their innovative programs or volunteering with grounds care, you might also see Jim Guckert (the founder of Guerilla Gardeners), as he serves as the new Director of Facilities and Grounds at Congressional Cemetery.
As part of the National Arboretum and Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) you’ll find the Washington Youth Garden.
Started in 1971 to teach local elementary students horticulture and life skills, the one-acre Washington Youth Garden is known for bringing together the DC community to learn and grow through a pollinator garden, sensory garden, food production area and Nature Explore classroom. These spaces are a great space for visitors of all ages to engage with agriculture, farming and environmental education.
Says Anne McGarvey, FONA’s Marketing and Communications Manager, “Volunteers work in the garden, some field trips and others participate with hands-on gardening tasks maintaining, planting and harvesting. The volunteer commitment is very strong – people come back week after week.” She notes, “Volunteers bring a great energy to the space and allow us to do more – adding capacity through donated manpower hours.”
They host regularly scheduled volunteer hours in the garden on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from April through mid-November. Check out the different types of volunteering available from individual to teen to group.
Gardening in Educational Institutions
The University of the District of Columbia is known for its stellar agricultural programming – from research around sustainable farming techniques at the Firebird Research Farm to their Master Gardener Program and hands-on programming at the East Capitol Urban Farm. We are fortunate to have a land grant university as a rich resource in our urban setting.
This summer, the University of the District of Columbia’s programming for educational growing will expand beyond their well-known Beginning Farmer’s Program and famers’ market at the East Capitol Urban Farm to the Lamond Riggs campus.
At the Lamond Riggs campus, Che Axum, the UDC Agronomist Director of Urban Agriculture and Gardening Education says, “In July we’re launching an Urban Citizen Science Project where people will assist in growing, and they don’t have to be enrolled in the Beginning Farmers’ Program to participate, either.” He notes, “The people who sign up to volunteer will be assisting with growing varieties specifically bred to grown in containers – from vegetables to fruit trees – and we will be collecting valuable data on this experiential initiative to share with the community.”
For this first season, the program will be for residents in Ward 5, with expansion to other wards happening later in 2026. To stay informed about these programs and volunteer opportunities, sign up for their newsletter at the UDC-CAUSES website.
FreshFarm is known regionally for work connecting farmers and producers with markets throughout the DMV. And the FreshFarm Foodprints program partners with DC public elementary schools for food and garden education. Their curriculum is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core, DC standards and national food education standards – connecting growing with healthful cooking and eating.
While not all partner school campuses have volunteer opportunities for the public, you can assist at the Francis Education Campus in Foggy Bottom. No special skills are needed, but children must be accompanied by an adult. You can sign up by ing an email list of Foodprints educator, Ibti Vincent ([email protected]) and be alerted to ‘open hours’ times each week.
Volunteer or for More Info:
Congressional Cemetery:
congressionalcemetery.org/volunteer
FreshFarm’s Foodprints:
email Ibti Vincent at [email protected] or freshfarm.org for general info.
Friends of the National Arboretum / Washington Youth Garden:
fona.org/jobs-volunteering
Guerilla Gardeners:
guerrillagardenersdc.org/volunteer
Sasha Bruce Youthwork:
sashabruce.vomo.org/opportunity/sashabruce-loverocks
SW Community Garden:
swgardens.org
University of the District of Columbia:
udc.edu/causes/news/newsletter-hub
US Botanic Garden:
USBG.gov/volunteer
Annette Nielsen, a writer and food systems advisor, returned to Capitol Hill from New York where she served as the executive director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center.
