If you are looking for opportunities to connect with nature and work on meaningful projects, we’d like to welcome you to volunteer on Fresh Roots’ schoolyard farms in Vancouver and Coquitlam. Being close to the soil, working with plants and connecting with your community can have a tremendously positive impact. Not to mention your help has a big impact on our farm sites!
Our farms and programs are resting for the winter. Check back in late winter for updates on 2025 volunteering!
Want to find out when new volunteer opportunities are added? Join our Newsletter mailing list below to be the first to know, and be sure to follow us on social media.
Join our Field Trip Volunteer Team!
Inspire students with the wonders of our ecosystem and urban food systems with our Experiential Learning team. If you love to help kids dig into learning (literally), join the field trip volunteer team! This is a great opportunity for folks looking to gain experience working with kids outdoors, or for experienced gardeners and educators to share their wisdom. Click the arrows below to learn more.
What do Field Trip Volunteers do?
Volunteers support our Experiential Learning staff to set up, facilitate, and clean up from field trips! This includes:
- Setting up activity stations and tents
- Leading a group of 6-10 kids in an art, farming, or tasting activity
- Helping students during whole-class activities
- Chaperoning students to bathrooms inside the school
- Cleaning up materials, tent, etc.
What kind of training do Field Trip Volunteers get?
In late March, Field Trip Volunteers first attend a 1-hour virtual orientation to learn about the program, Fresh Roots, and Experiential Learning.
In the first week of April, Field Trip Volunteers join us on one of the farm sites for a 3 hour in-person training, to get familiar with the farm, rules and safety policies, and the activities they will do during field trips. For at least one field trip, they will also shadow an experienced volunteer or staff member during the small group rotations. Volunteers can keep shadowing, or working in pairs, until they are comfortable working on their own! After the field trip, we take some time as a team to reflect on how the field trip went and what we can learn as facilitators.
When, where, and how much will I be volunteering?
Field trips happen during school days, with shifts typically 9:00-12:00 or 12:00-3:00, Tuesday-Friday. Rarely, a field trip will be at a different time or on a Monday. Volunteers can choose the shifts that work for them from an online calendar.
Field trips happen at Van Tech and David Thompson Secondaries in Vancouver, and at Millside Centre in Coquitlam. All sites are accessible via transit.
We ask Field Trip Volunteers to commit to at least 6 three-hour volunteer shifts during the 12 weeks of spring field trips (or once every two weeks). We strongly encourage folks to come for at least 10 field trips!
Are there incentives for volunteering?
Beyond the joy of helping kids learn and grow on the farm, volunteers gain valuable experience in education and group facilitation. After you volunteer for three shifts, you’ll get a 10% off card for our markets; volunteer 30 hours in a year and you’ll also get a snazzy Fresh Roots tee! And volunteers occasionally get bonus veggies from the farm. We’re also happy to provide volunteer hours letters upon request.