This has been a remarkable summer for the docent program. This season, we successfully hosted a dozen Wildflower Walks at the Lily Pool and North Pond and offered a sold-out Summer Food Tour Series in the Conservatory.
The docents took a field trip to Garfield Park Conservatory to visit their collections and learn more about their volunteer programs. Docents also enjoyed the perks of a free film screening courtesy of National Geographic and a Sound Bath Meditation experience with candles to take home sponsored by Virtue Alchemy Candle Company. We’re looking forward to offering more educational and social activities throughout the fall and winter seasons.
One of our biggest volunteer events of the year, honoring our docents as well as our stewardship volunteers, is the Volunteer Appreciation End of Summer Picnic, which was held on the lawn of the Conservatory in late August. More than 40 board members, docents, Gala committee members, North Pond gardeners, and staff convened to celebrate our volunteers’ hard work and dedication.
I’m into my second year as manager and have trained one new class of Conservatory and one new class of Lily Pool docents. We had a record number of applicants for this fall’s upcoming Conservatory docent training and so much to look forward to in 2024. It’s been such a joy to meet so many wonderful people and reignite the docent program with our seasoned docents, who contribute so much to volunteering with us!
