So I'm sure you've been looking at the site and looking at all those vibrant pictures of food, and fun, as well as reading all the current goings on at the garden.
I'm sure you've probably asked yourself "What can I do or how can I get involved?" Well rest assured the garden needs your help with many things. First the volunteer positions and descriptions, if you're interested in helping out the garden in the long term. Training will be provided, no expierence nessicary unless otherwise noted. The positions and their duties and availability are as follows:
Irrigation- Volunteers support the groundskeeper in maintaining the irrigation system, ensuring that it runs efficiently. Irrigation support is needed a month or so before the growing season (April 15th) and throughout the season when problems arise.
Riparian/ Arboretum/ Butterfly/ Demonstration/ Children's Garden- Volunteers suppot the maintenece through weeding and plantingin and around these areas,including maintaining the plants already thriving in the area. Gaining knowledge of these plants in these areas (why they are used etc.) With the collaboration of the WCG Planning Committee, volunteers will also plant approved vegetation for the selected areas. Maintenance of specialized garden areas is needed throught the WCG growing season (April 15th-November15th)
Interpretive Trail-Volunteers support and become involved in the interpretive trail program. This includes participation in trail maintenence, assuring stops are clearly marked, as well as becomeing familiarized with the interpretive trail program. Volunteers will also have a chance to act as tour guides for the trail. Volunteers for the interpreteive trail will be needed throughout the growing season.
Construction- Volunteers will be crucial in the construction and repair of new and existing garden structures, including plot borders and compost areas. Construction crews are needed on a case by case basis throughout the year.
Composting- Volunteers support the Winnemucca Communty Garden's Green Waste Recycling Program in preparing our compost by turning it and making sure that proper compost procedures are being practised. Compost preparation is needed two months before the growing season, all the way through the end of the growing season.
Farmers Market- By representing the Community Garden, volunteers support the effort to keep a local farmers market going during the growing season. Volunteers will help with the set up and tear down of booths at the farmers market, harvesting produce to sell. Interested people who wish to sell their produce at the farmers market should call the Garden Office at 623-2333. The Farmers Market operates during the summer months (June-August)
Office Work- Volunteers will support the garden staff in office work, based on skill level and familiarity of office technology, organization, and other office skills. The WCG office is open throughout the year.
Advertising- Volunteers support the WCG mission by playing a crucial part in community outreach. Volunteers will be closely involved in ad design and marketing process as well as distributing approved materials to local institutions, organizations, buisnesses and pertinent media channels. The WCG tries to hold monthly events throughout the year of which the public needs to be informed.
Education- Volunteers will help staff and program leaders in the development of curricula that relate to either the Children's Education program or the Health, Hunger and Nutrition program at the WCG. Volunteers will also help coordinate between the various educational instituions/facilities and the WCG to expand and implement the educational programs the garden sponsors. The educational matierials are constantly being updated, reviewed, and created throughout the year. Program implementation usually occurs during the growing season.
Special Events- Volunteers will support and play an active role in any or all of the Garden's events. Duties include participating in the event by having a themed booth, hosting workshops, acting as a tour guide to take people around the garden and educate community members on the WCG, as well as being involved in the planning committe as a consultant. Special Events occur maintly during the growing season, the three big special events the Garden puts on are the Annual Friends of the Garden Meeting (February), The Earth Day Festival (April), and the Harvest Festival (September-October). It is recommended to start planning for these events three months in advance.
Greenhouse- Volunteers help with space management/organization in the green house as well as green house preperation. The green house should be operational around February till the end of the growing season.
Cooks- Volunteers will be cruicial in maintaining a happy and well fed group by supplying and serving food and drink at any of the garden events. Food and drink will be payed for through the WCG budget, but may require indepentent investment. Volunteers are encouraged to utilitze their cooking talents. Garden events start in February and go thorughout the growing season.
As far as specific projects we need immediate help with:
-Up Turning the Rain Barrels (white) for capturing rain water
-ditch digging
-Shed organization, material relocation
-plot border repair
-plot improvement on strawberry patch
-Entry Way beautification
-Greenhouse (construction of shelves, and systerns)
-Butterfly Garden- fence repair
- Annual Meeting
-Spreading mulch
-compost preparation
-trimming the hollyhocks
-clearing and adding definition to the interpretive trail path
-Weed whacking around boulders/rocks
-digging around trees to create reservoir's
-moving hoop houses
-pond improvement
If you are interested in lending a helping hand to the garden for any of these projects please call the Garden Office at 623-2333 or email us at winngarden@yahoo.com (copy and paste, I'm too lazy to add a hyperlink)
Several primary classes from Winnemucca Grammar School, Sonoma Heights Elementary School, and a cadre of home schooled students visited Winnemucca Community Garden to learn about many aspects of our environment. Fifty-four volunteers from around the community taught kids about the water cycle, art in the garden, the food web, and made pine cone bird feeders. Kids raced to pick up trash and put the litter in the proper recycling bins. They also learned about Sun safety by making sun bonnets and weed warrior helmets. Children learned about the importance of nutrition by making “munching bunny” salads, and even Smokey the Bear showed up to hug the kids and teach them about fire prevention.
If you heard that great whistling on Wednesday April 15th, it sounded like a train whistle, only a bit different. The Union Pacific Railroad's historic Steam Engine 844 made a short whistle stop in Winnemucca to dedicate the new safety fence around the tracks by Haskell Street as well as bestowing grant awards to local community organizations.
