Hard Working? Motivated to learn about medicinal plants? Want an opportunity to live and work on United Plant Savers’ Botanical Sanctuary in Ohio?
2024 Volunteer Opportunities
We are looking for hard-working and motivated volunteers to come stay and work with us at the UpS Botanical Sanctuary.
Volunteers would have the opportunity to live on the sanctuary for 2-weeks at a time and be engaged in the day-to-day work of a botanical sanctuary. In exchange for your time volunteering, you will receive some educational opportunities either through direct work/learning with UpS staff or by the ability to participate in any educational events, workshops, or outings that may be taking place throughout the season. Volunteers will receive a complimentary one-year membership.
Volunteer opportunities begin on April 29th, 2024 and run through September 2024
Volunteers may have access to limited lodging options or may be required to camp during their stays here. Lodging will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and may include a dorm room, primitive cabin, or yurt. Volunteers have access to a kitchen, shower, and laundry room throughout their stay. Ample opportunities and spaces for camping including 1 screened in shelter house, several fire pits, and outdoor grills at a variety of locations on the Sanctuary.
Volunteers would be expected to contribute 25 – 30 hours a week of volunteer time.
If you are interested in volunteering for less than 2-weeks we would still love to hear from you! We would like to have at least 1 and up to 2 volunteers on the sanctuary throughout the entire growing season and are willing to work with individuals’ schedules and timing to offer these opportunities.
This is a unique opportunity for intensive learning and the program generally fills up quickly.
Applications are being accepted now for the next session. For questions email Chip Carroll, manager@unitedplantsavers.org.
Program Details
Participants will be responsible for all personal expenses including transportation and food.
- The typical group size is 1 – 2 participants.
- Applicants must be at least 21 years of age.
- We will begin scheduling interviews around the end of 2023 and into early 2024. We will accept applications until all slots are filled. Any applications received after slots are filled will be considered for the following year.
- We are in a rural area, so having your own form of transportation is very beneficial, but not required. If you do not have personal transportation, public transportation can be taken to Athens, Ohio and we can plan to pick you up there.
Participants will be doing medicinal plant conservation and cultivation work, building and maintaining trails, maintaining and improving the Sanctuary landscape, assisting in developing signage and interpretive materials, general farm work, maintenance and upkeep, invasive plant removal or management all while immersed in the biodiverse landscape of the UpS Botanical Sanctuary. In addition to identifying and learning about the medicinal plants that live here at the Sanctuary, volunteers will have the opportunity to learn from sanctuary staff as we work on a variety of projects.
Much of the work is physically strenuous and participants will be expected to be self-motivated. During the program, folks will live on the Sanctuary property in various structures with a shared shower room and composting toilets. Many participants choose to camp for part or all their time here.
Please note that this program is cohort-style and requires much teamwork. Due to the nature of this, we believe that solid, effective communication is very important to make this program run smoothly.
Participants will be living in a community and sharing living spaces. We want everyone to feel safe and comfortable. We ask that all applicants please keep an open mind and heart.
