Native plants serve a crucial role in Metro’s efforts to restore wetlands, oak woodlands and other habitats. The plants provide shelter for fish and wildlife as well as an important food source.
With the help of volunteers, Native Plant Center staff collect seeds and bulbs from the wild, grow them, and coordinate their planting at regional parks and natural areas to support restoration efforts.
There are four ways to volunteer at the Native Plant Center:
Volunteer ventures: The Native Plant Center hosts volunteers two Saturdays a month for Volunteer Ventures. Help out for a day or return as a regular volunteer.
This is a family-friendly opportunity; no experience is needed. Dress for the weather. Gloves, tools, water and snack provided. Wheelchair-accessible with advance arrangements. Upcoming sessions are at the bottom of the page.
Center assistants: Center assistants are long-term volunteers who come in at least once a month on Tuesday mornings. Throughout the year volunteers participate in collecting, processing and planting seeds, harvesting and planting native bulbs, preparing seed beds, transplanting seedlings, collecting data and assisting with nursery operations. This opportunity is always available.
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Office assistant: Support regional restoration projects by helping to organize, update and maintain plant material records and spreadsheets and assist the native plant center’s coordinators. These records track seed collection, seed cleaning and nursery activities.
Time commitment is a minimum of once a month for two to four hours, currently available on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Native Plant Center in Tualatin.
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Seed scouts: Seeds scouts visit Metro sites to monitor native plant populations and collect seed for regional restoration projects. While training is provided, volunteers should have a strong knowledge of herbaceous plants native to the Pacific Northwest and experience using a dichotomous key, collecting field data and navigating in the field using GPS units. This volunteer opportunity is seasonal from March to September.
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