Volunteers and staff mingling at the 2026 Volunteer Appreciation Party.
BY ALICIA HAMILTON
On Monday, August 31, volunteers from across Seattle Botanic Gardens came together at the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH) for our 2026 Volunteer Appreciation Party—a celebration of the people whose time, knowledge, curiosity, and support help make our gardens and programs possible.
This year’s theme, “Growing Connections,” felt especially meaningful as we begin this new chapter as Seattle Botanic Gardens. Volunteers came from programs and sites across the organization, bringing together people who may work in very different places and roles but are all contributing to the same growing community.
Throughout the afternoon, volunteers were invited to explore the CUH campus through a custom bingo activity created by Garden Stewards Assistant Erica Fong. The activity sent volunteers in search of gardens, collections, landmarks, and people across the campus. It was a playful way to discover something new and gave volunteers who may spend most of their time at another Seattle Botanic Gardens site an opportunity to experience more of CUH.
Guests checking out the bingo game table in the McVay Courtyard.
And because a good gathering deserves good food, DeezDogz brought exactly the cookout atmosphere we hoped for, serving some of the best Seattle Dogs around to celebrate the newly established Seattle Botanic Gardens. Add in giant Jenga, a sunflower seed guessing contest, wildflowers, and plenty of cake, and the afternoon felt less like a formal event and more like a garden cookout with a very big extended family.
But some of the most important parts of the celebration weren’t simply about looking back. In advance of the party, volunteers were asked to share what keeps them volunteering, what they value about their community, and what they hope to see as Seattle Botanic Gardens grows. Their collective responses became part of the event itself, appearing throughout the space and helping us better understand what our volunteers want us to carry forward.
Volunteers and Seattle Botanic Gardens pose in front of the live illustration screen.
A live illustrator captured moments, conversations, ideas, and themes as the afternoon unfolded, creating a visual record in real time, projected onto a large screen in NHS Hall. The finished illustration will become a traveling representation of how volunteers across our many programs and sites are collectively shaping the future of Seattle Botanic Gardens.
That feels particularly fitting for this moment. Seattle Botanic Gardens may be a new name, but the community behind it has deep roots. Our volunteers bring years of knowledge, relationships, stewardship, education, and creativity to this organization. As we grow, their experiences and voices aren’t simply part of the history we’re bringing with us. They’re helping us imagine what comes next.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, everyone who helped make the afternoon possible, and all of our volunteers whose contributions continue to grow connections across Seattle Botanic Gardens.
Alicia Hamilton is the Volunteer Programs Manager at Seattle Botanic Gardens.
Volunteers and staff in the hot dog line at the party.
Volunteers and staff mingle in NHS Hall.
Volunteers and staff mingle in NHS Hall.
Close up of the bingo game exploring the Center for Urban Horticulture.
Volunteers mingle at NHS Hall.
