Volunteering With The Garden

  • Regular Volunteering Opportunities

    During the growing season our volunteers tend to the garden by watering, weeding, cleaning up any trash and filling bird feeders. Most volunteers choose to work alone when they have free time. However, gardening together can be a fun, relaxing way to spend time together with friends after work/classes/on the weekends. Additionally, there are certain times when several volunteers are needed to complete a task, such as a planting lots of donated seedlings and garden clean ups in the spring and autumn. For those occasions there will be an event posted in Campus Groups and/or email calling for volunteers to join.

    If you would like to sign up on our 2026 Volunteer Worksheet click the link to add your name.

    • Volunteers can add their name and email to the list of active volunteers in columns I and J
    • Volunteer are asked to add their first name on days of the year on which they would like to work. Then change the fill from yellow to white.
    • After working please fill out the fields with the number of hours worked and what activities were performed.
    • If anyone has questions or concerns please reach out to the garden chair

  • Watering

    • During the hottest part of summer and early autumn, regular thorough watering is the most important job at the garden. It typically takes a single person about two hours to water all the beds. A good indication of that a bed has been sufficiently watered is a finger check to verify the soil is moist two inches below the surface There are two water spouts on site with hoses for watering the beds.
    • The water spouts on site have relatively high pressure. For that reason the hoses should not be held close to plants or their roots when watering to prevent washing away the soil and exposing the roots of plants.
    • Hoses must be neatly returned to their hangers after watering to prevent damage to hoses and trip hazards for visitors.

    *If a volunteer has questions about proper watering techniques please reach out for further instruction

  • Weeding

    Weeding beds is an "as needed" activity during the growing season. Regular weeding is important to prevent noxious weeds and other unwanted plants from taking over beds by soaking up nutrients, water and space. Weeding can be carried out by hand or using small hand tools available on site. All pulled weeds should either be discarded in the waste pile on site or placed in a nearby garbage dumpster.

    Walkway Clearing: The walkways in the garden were designed to be wide enough for visitors using mobility devices to easily navigate the garden space. Over the years weeds have grown up in the pathways and become trip hazards for visitors. This year (2026) we will focus on clearing weeds from the walkways to improve accessibility and appearance.

  • Trash Removal

    Occasionally small pieces of trash, including food wrappers, papers and bit of plastic, blow into the garden space or are improperly discarded there by passerbys. Trash on the grounds is unsightly, encourages pests and endangers animals. Volunteers are asked to pick up trash and discard it in waste bins when they see it.

  • Personal Safety

    The safety of our volunteers and visitors is our top priority. Please adhere to the below suggestions and policies to ensure everyone continues to have safe pleasant experiences in the garden:

    • If you plan to work alone, tell a friend, roommate or loved one where you will be and when you plan to return home.
    • Try to maintain awareness of your surroundings while you're at the garden, especially if you are working alone.
    • There is a blue light emergency phone in the residential quad near the garden. Familiarize yourself with its location and operation.
    • If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable at any time, leave the garden as quickly as possible, retreat to a dormitory or common space, then contact Case Public Safety at 216-368-3300 (non-emergency) or 216-368-3333 (emergency).
    • There are no known poisonous plants on site, however if you experience an allergic reaction or are stung by an insect and require medical assistance contact the Case Public Safety emergency line.
    • Volunteers should take precautions if they plan to work in the garden when ambient temperatures are above 90 F (32 C). Bring cool water, wear loose fitting clothes, apply sunscreen, wear a large brim hat to shield your face and neck and take regular breaks in the shade as needed. Know the signs of heat exhaustion/stroke and call for help if necessary.
    • Volunteers can expect to see several of Ohio's native fauna visiting the garden space, including cottontail rabbits, fox and grey squirrels, skunks, woodchucks/groundhogs and whitetail deer to name a few. They are all wild animals and should be respected as such. Do not attempt to approach, harass, pet or feed wild animals as they may react unpredictably and possibly cause harm to themselves and/or persons.
    • Volunteers are welcome to bring pets to the garden however, dogs must be kept on a leash and their waste must be picked up and disposed of properly. Pet owners assume all liability for any and all harm or damage caused by a pet while on CWRU property.