Horticulture Program for Individuals

Keep Central Park beautiful by maintaining and enhancing Park landscapes by raking, weeding, pruning, mulching, planting, and painting. 

Weekday Zone Gardener Assistant:  Work closely with a Conservancy Zone Gardener and other volunteers to help meet the horticulture and maintenance needs of a zone.  By always working in the same zone, you develop a great deal of ownership.  These volunteer positions require a minimum of garden experience.  All shifts are 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

• Long term:  Volunteers work 3 hours each week, year round for a minimum commitment of 48 hours. 
• Short term:  If you have time on your hands but expect your schedule to change, accelerate your 48-hour commitment by working two 3-hour shifts per week. 
  

Weekday Zone Tidiers: assist Zone Gardeners with their early morning pick up of litter, and if time permits, move on to Park maintenance.  Weekdays from 7:30 am to 10:30 am.  A commitment of three hours per week is required.

• Long term:  Volunteers work 3 hours each week, year round for a minimum commitment of 48 hours. 
• Short term:  If you have time on your hands but expect your schedule to change, accelerate your 48-hour commitment by working two 3-hour shifts per week. 

Saturday Green Team: every other Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm get down and dirty with a group of volunteers to complete large-scale horticultural and maintenance projects throughout the Park.  Projects may include raking, mulching, pulling weeds, and planting bulbs.  For a quarterly schedule that includes a project description, date, time, and location, please click here.  A commitment of 24 hours per year is required. 
 

Pitch In, Pick Up! Help keep the Park clean, green and beautiful on your schedule. Individuals and groups (maximum of four people) can “grab a grabber” and pick up litter in identified “hot spots”.  Work out of one of four locations during their regular hours*: Chess & Checkers House (mid-Park at 64th Street), Belvedere Castle (mid-Park at 79th Street), the North Meadow Recreation Center (mid-Park at 97th Street), and the Dana Center (110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues).  A brief training will be provided at the center.  Must wear closed-toe shoes.  The last shift starts at 3:30 pm; all equipment must be returned to the visitor center by 4:30 pm.
*The visitor centers are open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday-Sunday from April through October, and Wednesday-Sunday from November through March.

Click here to apply online