Working at Brookside Gardens

By MG Alison Edwards

Brookside Gardens is an oasis of beauty in the heart of Montgomery County and a center for educating the public about natural ecosystems. As such, it is a major attraction for MGs who want to contribute to the missions of both Brookside and the MCMG program. Here is some basic information that you need to know about volunteering there.  

Up front you need to know that, whether you volunteer at Brookside Gardens in your capacity as an MG or on your own time, you will be required to set up a Montgomery Parks volunteer account and get a free Montgomery Parks background check. Montgomery Parks, which is a department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, does not accept other background checks and the MG program has no control over this. These requirements are usually very easy to carry out and you will see instructions about what to do when you sign up.

How to earn MCMG volunteer hours at Brookside Gardens

• Brookside Gardens Plant Clinics are MCMG-sponsored activities that Brookside allows us to carry out on their grounds. They are held three times per week during the growing season.

As an aside, I served at just one MG plant clinic at Brookside Gardens last year, but that was enough for me to be included on a list of Brookside volunteers who get invited to special volunteer-only events! So far these have included a preview night for the Garden of Lights on the Tuesday before last Thanksgiving, a spring brunch in March, and a plant exchange planned for May.    

Other ways to work with Brookside Gardens

Montgomery Parks, and Brookside Gardens in particular, welcomes volunteers for many other types of activities. Anyone is welcome to join in as they are able; however, none of the activities below may be claimed on VMS for MCMG volunteer hours. If you participate, you will be expected to enter your time into the Montgomery Parks tracking system. Such activities include:

• Butterfly Experience Docent

• Earth Month Family Celebration, Garden of Lights, and other public-facing activities

• General gardening/planting/weeding

MGs often wonder why these activities may not be counted toward their yearly MCMG volunteer hour obligation, especially since there has been some ability to do that in years past. The concern is that some MGs would choose to work many—or even all—of their required hours at Brookside Gardens. Volunteers for the Butterfly Experience in particular must commit to a minimum of 10 visits of three hours each. That could potentially cause staffing shortages for major MCMG education events such as the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, Garden Discovery Day, Harvest Festival, and Close Encounters with Agriculture.

If you are ever unsure about whether your Brookside Gardens volunteer hours can be counted for MCMG credit, be sure to direct your question to MCMG Coordinator Steve Dubik, and not to Brookside Gardens staff.

All photos: MG Len Friedman