Get Involved with
the Japanese Garden!
Pruning pines in a Japanese Garden is not a job for unskilled volunteers. Japanese gardeners build skills through years of apprenticeship often beginning with a background in horticulture and gardening skills finely honed though time. Still--there are many other ways that you and I can be a part of the Garden's future!
If you love the Japanese Garden, join the folks who helped build it. Please fill out an application for membership on the Normandale Japanese Garden Committee. The application describes the
Committee and its sub-committees. Your answers will give us a chance to get to know your interests and skills. This is a citizens' advisory committee that works with college staff to determine the priorities and gather information to repair and replace garden plants and structures as needed.
Help as a volunteer—throughout the year or seasonally: Writer—for our newsletter or our web page --If you
are a writer, we need more help researching and writing the content for the annual newsletter and other publications. If you are adept at social media, you may be able to write content and find opportunities for increasing our use of social media to promote the garden.
Publicist, promoter--We need more help publicizing the garden, events, and our reservations and photography policies. Represent the garden at the state fair or other community festivals; locate places where copies of permanent displays similar to the one inside the square shelter can be shared with the public.
Fundraising—Can you find more sponsors for the festival or generate other ideas about ways to work with the Normandale College Foundation to raise the money to sustain the garden?
Weddings/reservations coordinator's assistant--The coordinator is a Committee member. After training, you can assist the coordinator to provide prompt responses to requests that come in through our reservations telephone line.
Recruit and coordinate other volunteers—Have you coordinated and worked to increase membership for another organization? We need you to help us continue to grow.
Hosts for photo sessions, weddings and events—When the garden is reserved, we provide one or more hosts to greet the
members of the party that has reserved our garden and to explain to the public when the garden will next be open to everyone. It is a pleasant experience and a good chance to share information with others about our reservations and photography policies, garden projects and upcoming activities. Training is provided and the host/hostess typically wears a traditional Japanese Happi coat (open cotton kimono style jacket) over black shorts or pants, red T-shirt and a badge so that the public knows them as the garden's representative.
Tour guides and docents--We get many requests for guided tours of the garden: Adult group tours, family outings, home school and school groups, Scouts and others requests tours and programs in the garden. Volunteer training is provided; we have developed tour scripts and curriculum for programs for a variety of age groups. If you love to teach or love to share the Japanese culture, please consider joining us as an education volunteer. Interpreting is not just a commitment to serve the public; it's a pledge to enjoy what you love! When you commit to guide tours or teach, you assure yourself of an opportunity to spend time and learn more about this amazing garden. When no tours are scheduled, volunteers share information informally with others as garden interpreters. Guide attire is similar to that for hosts.
Summer programs for children—Do you have experience in designing or supervising children's activities related to the garden or expertise in Japanese culture? Activities like our popular Show & Tell Sundays and the Imagine Japan! Family programs are possible through the efforts of volunteers like you!
Festival volunteers--The 2019 festival happens on Saturday, September 21! We help with many aspects of conducting the annual festival. The work on the Festival begins several months in advance of the event. Finding the sponsors, entertainers, speakers, exhibits and volunteers for each year's Festival takes creativity, networking and organizational savvy. On
the day of the event, we need volunteers to help set-up and take-down, collect donations, help out in the boutique, lead tours in the garden, sell the history books and coloring books, and lead children's activities.
How do you want to get involved?_____Fundraiser_____ Festival volunteer_____ Publicist, promoter_____ Event or wedding host_____ Guide, interpreter, speaker, teacher_____ Coordinator, event planner_____ Writer, editor
Call 952-358-8145 or email us at [email protected]
Fill out an application today. Return by email or mail to:
Cece Cope, Chair--Japanese Garden CommitteeNormandale Community College Foundation9700 France Ave SBloomington, MN 55431
