Another site to try: volunteermatch.org
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Another site to try: volunteermatch.org
I used to volunteer at a non-profit public botanical garden. Loved that. If it wasn't for the volunteers, it would be overrun by weeds and grasses.
My DH is a chef at a retirement community; they have an herb garden there the residents putter in, but it always needs help. The community's recreation manager often sets up classes for the residents. They have done gardening workshops taught by volunteers.
I have volunteered for a couple of things by going through the REI site. From their home page I type in volunteer in the search box and am taken to a site partnered with volunteermatch. There's probably other ways about it, but that's how I do it. They have things in categories of interest (all sorts of things, not just outdoor stuff) and distance from home which is sort of neat. My last stint with HawkWatch International doing migratory raptor counts. It was sort of fun and very interesting.
Also try Volunteermatch.org! If you have very specific interests or talents, they often have opportunities for volunteers to do their work from home.
Could you become a master gardener? I believe they have to offer community service hours. It is a great way to share your love/knowledge of plants with others. The local agricultural extension office might have info. Along similar lines, see if there is a horticultural society or organization devoted to particular plants you like in your area. 4-H might be interesting to explore, too. And if there are any farms in your area that participate in WWOOF, that might be another nice way to make a contribution while building your own knowledge/skill set and networks in the community.
If there are nurseries in the area maybe you could start plant appreciation/gardening classes for them -- somethign like that might start as volunteer work, but morph into a job if you become something that draws people in.
lhamo
If you have a VA hospital or medical center near you consider volunteering there. They are always looking for volunteers and they usually will have a hotline to call to see what kind of opportunities are needed. Nice way to give back to those who served.
You started this thread quite a while ago, herbgeek. Did anything pan out? How about the job situation (sorry if I have most likely spaced updates about this already . . . )
Well, Ihano beat me to it but a Master Gardener would fit the bill. Also volunteer.gov/gov and WWOOF.org as well as http://www.squarefootgardening.org/ Square foot gardening, helping others learn about gardening and teaching others about food.
Last one again through SFG: http://www.squarefootgardening.org/teaching#!__teaching
Basically teaching others, but you might actually get extra money for it. Not exactly sure how it all works, but he has been around for a long time and they have great methods.
fidgiegirl: To be honest, I hit a depressed lull after posting this, and did not actively pursue any volunteer work, though its still on my to do list. I would love to become a Master Gardener, but this program is not offered in my area. The closest place I could pursue this is about an hour away, which wouldn't be a problem, but the classes are held weekdays during the day, which would preclude me looking for work.
I am still looking for work- there are typically weeks with a handful of things I apply to, then a few weeks with nothing. I'm pretty annoyed/frustrated at recruiters at the moment. They usually know nothing technically about the position, they only know to match a particular keyword, even when I explain how I have something very similar on my resume. In this market, I guess they look for an exact match. I've had a couple of conversation with recruiters on contract jobs, how the contract is hot, and they call a reference or two, and then they never get back to me or answer my email/phone queries. On one position, I used LinkedIn to find the hiring manager for a position and approached them directly, only to get a nasty mail from HR chastising me for doing so (guess they don't want anyone who shows initiative or persistence ;)). Its quite discouraging and humbling.
I have a couple of degrees, have always been active in relevant user groups related to my profession, I read a lot and participate on mailing lists for technical stuff, take classes, attend conferences, and the like. And I'm considered not employable because I've been out of work for > 6 months, though I know a number of people who just show up and do the bare minimum (sometimes not even that), have a bad attitude, last learned something new 20 years ago, who get to keep their jobs. Its frustrating to say the least. Once I get in front of hiring managers, I usually have a good shot at the position (I'm often in the top 2 or 3 candidates), but there is something very wrong with our recruiting systems that is screening me out.