Community Volunteer Work Party Events

January 7, Saturday- 9am-12pm: Overall Gardens and the Mediterranean Garden . 

January 16, Monday – 8:30am-1:00pm: Martin Luther King Day of Service in Lakeside Park and The Gardens at Lake Merritt.  A perfect opportunity to contribute to your community side-by-side with other civic minded neighbors and garden lovers. Join Mayor Jean Quan and Councilperson Nancy Nadel in park and garden beautification projects.  There is a project for all levels, from weeding and mulching to tree planting.

January 21,  Saturday- 9am-12pm: Palmetum, Rhododendron, and Sensory Gardens

In the event of rain, we’ll meet behind the lathe house/Vireya display garden, where we will plant cuttings. Tea and cookies will be served!

Bring a friend and a garden tool. When volunteering, receive a parking pass at the kiosk by telling the attendant you are with the Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt.

Free Tours of the Gardens at Lake Merritt

Tours held Saturday, January 7 and Saturday, January 21 at 10:00am. These free, docent-led tours feature the Gardens’ unique horticultural collections. The 30-minute tours are designed for the entire family.  Kids will love it. The tour begins at the Sensory Garden. For more information about the tours, or to schedule a private group tour, contact Ron at ronele@earthlink.net

Shows and Exhibitions

Bay Island Bonsai will host its Annual Bonsai Exhibition January 14-15 at the Lakeside Park Garden Center from 10am to 4pm both days.  A Bonsai auction will be held Saturday at 1pm (preview begins at noon). This exhibition is free to the public.

For more information call 510-919-5042 or visit www.bayislandbonsai.com

When: Monday, January 17, 2011, 8:30 am to 1:00.

Check-In: Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Bellevue (off Grand by Fairyland) at 8:30 am.

What:  Join with other volunteers to improve these beautiful public gardens.  There’s a project for every level and interest: weeding, mulching, fence building, digging.

Bring: work gloves, small garden tools (if you have), and a desire to “be” part of your amazing  community.

Parking: Free

THANK YOU: 

 Whole Foods Oakland for energizing the volunteers with cartons of fresh fruit. http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/oakland/

Service For Peace for recruiting 100 volunteers for the MLK Day of Service. http://volunteer.truist.com/vccc/org/opp/10443130871.html

Urban ReLeaf for planting trees in the Gardens at Lake Merritt on Monday, Martin Luther King Day of Service.

Martin Luther King, Jr., said ” . . . life at its best is a creative synthesis of opposites in fruitful harmony. “

We had a great work day on Saturday, April 17 in the Torii Gate Garden with volunteers of all ages.

The group was comprised primarily of a team from PG&E.

The major focus of our work was beginning a new stone beach for the pond in the garden.

Volunteers also did some excavation to install some electric conduit, and general weeding.

Everyone pitched in and got a lot accomplished.

And there was still time to take a break and check out the gardens’ newest residents– ducklings!