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Volunteering

Events like Apple Festival wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers. Help with selling apples and trees, apple cider, apple pies, the apple display, the Tasting Tent and more.


If you are interested in being a part of this year’s festival, please sign up here:

volunteer for apple festival

Overview

As a UBC Botanical Garden Volunteer, you have opportunities to gain knowledge, share your skills, meet other nature and plant enthusiasts, and meet people of all ages. From students to seniors, we welcome all ages and abilities to come to the Garden to make a meaningful contribution to this amazing place. We have opportunities for many talents and interests and training is provided. We look forward to seeing you in the Garden.

Please note that all planting and gardening at our UBC Botanical Garden is done by staff Horticulturists and Gardeners. If you are looking for hands-on gardening projects, please see Friends of the Garden (below).

Volunteer Opportunities

Discover diverse ways to contribute, from hands-on gardening with the FOGs to helping run our key events and media support.

Held rain or shine each year on the Saturday and Sunday following the Thanksgiving weekend (October 17 and 18, 2026), the Apple Festival celebrates the variety and bounty of BC apples. The festival includes the sale of thousands of pounds of fresh BC apples, brought from the Okanagan growers directly to the UBC Botanical Garden. There are also apple trees for sale, apple pies and apple cider, food trucks, music, a children’s play area and lots more.

Hundreds of volunteers are needed to make the Apple Festival a success each year. We welcome individuals, groups, university and high school student volunteers.

As an Apple Festival Volunteer, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Join the Apple Festival, be part of history, and enjoy free entry—explore before or after your shift.
  • Meet others like you who love to volunteer in their community
  • Learn some new skills
  • Make a meaningful contribution to raising funds to support UBC Botanical Garden

What types of volunteering opportunities exist? 

There are all types of volunteer roles, but here’s a brief sample of five areas.  To see all the opportunities and openings, please register as a volunteer.

  • Apple Sales – As an Apple Seller, you will be given information about the varieties and their characteristics, so you can help customers choose new varieties and help them find their favourites as well. As apples are sold, you also help keep the area tidy and the apples nicely displayed.  If you enjoy apples and enjoy talking to people, this is a great area for you.
  • Apple Sales Payment Table – This is where people buy their bags of apples and pears and potatoes. You will be given training to use a TD debit/credit machine. You need to be a quick thinker, service-oriented and you need to be able to add/multiply small numbers (e.g. what’s 8 x 4, plus 1 x 7), and you’ll need a phone you can use as a calculator to assist.  
  • Volunteer Table – Come and help us welcome and assign hundreds of volunteers over the weekend.  It’s a busy, fun area that requires friendly, outgoing people who can be on their feet.  We have 10-4pm shifts and if you can volunteer both Saturday AND Sunday, we’d love to have you help us.
  • Children’s Area – It needs no explanation!  If you love crowds of happy kids, this area has your name on it! We have lots of activities here, so we need lots of volunteers.
  • Tasting Tent – The Apple Festival is famous for the Tasting Tent.  You’ll be cutting and serving apple samples to hundreds of people. You need to be outgoing to talk to people, and you need to be able to use a sharp knife to cut apples. This is a busy place to volunteer, as it’s one of the most popular events at AF.

    This is just a sample of opportunities. Come on out and join us.  AF is a great place to volunteer!

Volunteer Sign Up

This is a specialized group of volunteers interested in learning and working together to support the Garden. This is an advanced program with special training and unique opportunities to support and plan events, attend lectures and work on horticultural projects in the Garden. Events such as Apple Festival, and Wreath Making as well as Committee and Shop activities keep this robust group active year round. A significant commitment in hours and interest level is required to join this established group of volunteers.

As a FOG volunteer you will have the opportunity to:

  • Increase your botanical knowledge at weekly meetings with guest speakers
  • Contribute to committees and participate in a wide range of duties
  • Make a meaningful impact as part of a historic and invaluable volunteer group
Learn More

Our Healthy Harvest program typically runs on Wednesdays 9:30-11:30am from end of June to October, and involves processing and occasionally helping to harvest the produce that is grown at the Garden. As a volunteer, you would assist with cleaning, weighing, and packaging the produce which is then delivered to food groups on campus. Volunteers assist once a week throughout the growing season, during which up to 1850 pounds of produce is harvested and processed!

As a Healthy Harvest Volunteer, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Sort, clean, weigh and organize the produce harvested from the Food Garden
  • Take some of the produce home with you!
  • Engage with likeminded UBC students and volunteers who want to make impactful change around the issue of food insecurity on campus
New Application process 2026:
Sign up to be a Healthy Harvest volunteerLearn More about Healthy Harvest

The Garden hosts annual events that engage our community, particularly Tourism Challenge in April and May, and Biodiversity Days in May. As a volunteer, you would help with registration, set-up, directing guests, engaging them in hands-on learning opportunities and be a friendly go-to for our visitors.

As a Community Events Volunteer, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Attend and engage with Garden guests at unique events
  • Learn behind-the-scenes organizational skills
  • Increase social interactions and enjoy satisfying work

Garden Media Support volunteers practice their photography and video skills to capture the beauty of the Garden. We need volunteers to photograph and record plant species, spaces, and other features in the Garden for use promotionally and to share publicly.

As a Garden Media Support volunteer you will have the opportunity to:

  • Improve your nature photography aptitude
  • Expand your portfolio

We are looking for enthusiastic individuals to help with various tasks such as admissions, Green waste management, greeting guests, facilitating workshops, education and flower sales. As a volunteer, you will also have the opportunity to explore the market for free before or after your shift. This is a fantastic chance to contribute to a vibrant community event and help us celebrate the year of the Dragon. Don’t miss out on this exciting volunteer opportunity! Learn more about registration and each volunteer position below.

Become a Volunteer

Ready to start making a difference at the Garden? Click on the link below to apply for our current volunteer opportunities.

Apply now