The nursery loves and welcomes involvement from everyone! Whether you’re a UW students, community members, school groups, or interested nursery professional, we welcome you to reach out to us.
Check out the various ways to get involved with us below!
Volunteer
Every quarter, dozens of UW students & local community members enjoy participating in work parties held at the SER-UW Native Plant Nursery, where they learn about general horticultural practices and the value of native plants in urban and wild landscapes.
Our work parties are open to anyone interested in supporting our nursery. Activities vary each week and might include seed cleaning and sowing, invasive species removal, up-potting, or vegetative propagation. Check out Events Calendar for specifics of each week’s activity.
Volunteer Frequently Asked Questions
How do I sign up?
Just send an email to sernursery@gmail.com! You can also be added to our email list, where we send out notifications about our work parties or other nursery events, by signing up through our Volunteer Interest Form.
I’m not available for the work parties. Are there other ways to volunteer?
Go ahead and send us an email at sernursery@gmail.com! We may have other opportunities throughout the week. The SER Student Chapter at UW also has multiple work parties each week. You can view their calendar at https://sites.uw.edu/seruw/calendar/
What should I wear?
Please wear long pants and close-toed shoes, and weather appropriate clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. It’s helpful if you are able to bring a pair of gardening gloves, but we have spare gloves. We will provide other tools.
How do I get to the nursery?
The SER-UW Native Plant Nursery is located at the Center for Urban Horticulture, and we meet at the Douglas Research Conservatory. You can walk to CUH from campus by crossing the Union Bay Natural Area. There is also a bus stop at NE 45th St & 36th Ave NE that’s only a 5 minute walk away. If you drive, there is a free parking lot on site.
If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to us at sernursery@gmail.com.
Nursery Internship
Every quarter, the nursery hosts UW student interns of a variety of different backgrounds and experience levels. Our student interns help support the missions of the nursery while gaining hands on horticultural experience with native plants. Our nursery team strives to deepen our interns knowledge and appreciation for the world of native plants.