A Day in the Life of a Zero Waste Ambassador 

Events at Missouri Botanical Garden all start in a similar way: cool, dark, and calm before thousands of visitors arrive to enjoy the day. Staff and volunteers arrive early to the quiet grounds of the Garden to prepare, including the Zero Waste Ambassadors team of volunteers dedicated to reducing the waste sent to the landfill…

Storm Drains are for Rain

This year, many of us have been cooped up at home and are looking for new and interesting ways to get outside and help our communities. One Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) project, coordinated by the EarthWays Center, is providing scouts, families, municipalities, and just about anyone in the area with just such an…

The Garden Events Green Team

Zero Waste Ambassador volunteers help reduce the “waste line” of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s signature events. You can join this movement as a volunteer. It’s educational, impactful, shady and fun! Signature events like Japanese Festival and Best of Missouri Market are among the most popular activities at the Missouri Botanical Garden, offering thousands of visitors…

SAGE: Connecting Young Adults to Nature Through Service

The bitter cold is still hanging on for now, but preparations for summertime will be underway before we know it. Warmer weather means countless chances to get to the Garden, and for young adults interested in the natural world, the SAGE (Students as Garden Educators) program offers an opportunity to spend a productive summer out…

Dedicated Volunteers Build the Orchid Show

Every year, visitors flock to the Garden during cold winter months to see the splendor of the annual Orchid Show, which fills Orthwein Floral Display Hall with the tropical, exotic flowers. But before the crowds stream in, volunteers spend weeks turning the Hall into an orchid paradise. The dedication of the volunteers is impressive, and…

Ever-greener Garden Events

In 2011, Garden events went super-green, adding food waste composting to our garden-variety recycling. This fall’s Best of Missouri Market® will mark seven years of evolving our sustainability efforts, as we host tens of thousands of guests. Recycling has long been standard practice for Garden signature events, including Chinese Culture Days, Green Homes Festival, Japanese…

The Masterful Work of Master Gardeners

With the glare of the summer sun permeating the grounds and the air practically dripping with humidity, one would almost expect the Garden to be rather empty. However, each day Master Gardeners file through its gates to cultivate magnificent plant life, no matter the weather that greets them. Currently, 430 Master Gardeners log hours at…