Native Plant Center

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COVID-19 update

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Thank you for your interest in supporting Metro’s work with native plants as a volunteer. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Metro is taking steps to protect its staff, the community and you. Metro is working closely with regional and state health agencies to respond in the right ways to this unique, quickly changing health crisis.

At this time, we are not offering any volunteer opportunities. If you see a volunteer opportunity on our website that interests you, we would love for you to fill out the interest form for that opportunity. As soon as we begin offering volunteer opportunities again, we’ll reach out to you via email to invite you back.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and we hope to safely see you in person someday soon.

Support regional restoration projects by caring for rare native plant materials at Metro’s Native Plant Center in Tualatin. Four different opportunities are available.

photo of volunteers at the Native Plant Center

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.

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.

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.

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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Upcoming Volunteer Ventures

Current volunteers

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