Since November I’ve been volunteering with the Hyde Park Plant Nursery and have been absolutely loving it, so I wanted to share about my experience in case anyone else is interested in this volunteering opportunity!
Application Process:
You do have to apply to volunteer, but it’s some simple questions and you do not need previous plant nursery experience to apply. Even keeping flowers in a vase will give you enough of a background for this experience. The only downside of the application process is that they do not accept volunteers all year round. If you’re looking for a position, you will have to keep an eye on the portal for when they’re accepting. After you do get in, you’ll be brought in for an orientation and safety briefing, then you’re ready to start taking on shifts!
Types of work around the nursery:
Since we are just volunteers, there’s not a lot of super complicated work to do at the nursery, but this also means it’s a very relaxed and supportive environment where you can learn basic gardening skills.
Some of these tasks include:
- Repotting plants
- Potting plant plugs
- Watering, weeding, and pruning
- Designing plant displays around the nursery
- Propagating plants
These are all to do just with the plant nursery, but you can also apply your green thumb at the Hyde Park learning center and help run events for young children or work conservation days and plant around the parks to support the biodiversity! These are just other opportunists that you may need to apply to.
Benefits of being a volunteer:
Along with the traditional volunteering benefits like being a part of the community and getting to interact with nature, there are some fun Royal Parks perks:
- discounts at the Hyde Park cafes
- Access to tours and talks put on by the Royal Parks
- Flexible scheduling
- Prestige of having the Royal Parks on a CV
Transferable skills for jobs:
This prestige brings me to my next section which is how this is a great experience to add as an environmental scientist, botanist, ecologist, or horticulturalist.
It can be used to prove that you have skills in:
- Plant handling
- Field work
- Working in a team
- Plant taxonomy and identification
- Interacting with volunteers
- Floral arrangements
- Safety standards
I’ve already used this experience for three different company’s job applications! One for TfL to tell them about myself, four for Kew Gardens to prove I had plant handling and taxonomy knowledge, and one for the English Heritage Trust to exemplify my horticultural management. If you’re looking for jobs in similar fields, this could be a perfect experience for you!
