Volunteer Opportunities on L.I
This is a running list of gardening-related volunteer opportunities across Long Island, NY.
**** NASSAU COUNTY ****
ReWild Long Island – Port Washington
Who they are: an nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable landscaping practices with a focus on native perennials, growing organic food and reducing waste.
Where they are located: Based in Port Washington but often assist with projects all over Long Island.
What they need help with: Weeding, watering, harvesting, native plant sales, and more.
How to get involved: Visit their website (https://www.rewildlongisland.org/get-involved) and sign up for announcements to stay up to date about new volunteer opportunities.
Plant A Row for the Hungry, Port Washington
Who they are: Plant A Row for the Hungry, Port Washington delivers fresh, nutritional produce to hundreds of families in need living in our community. It is inspired by a national program that is working at a grass-roots level to end community hunger.
Where they are located: Port Washington
What they need help with: gardening, programs, and more.
How to get involved: Contact them through their website (https://www.plantarowforthehungry.org/volunteer) to find out about volunteer opportunities.
Friends of the Hempstead Plains – Garden City
Who they are: a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Hempstead Plains and to offering educational programs about this special and rapidly vanishing ecological and historical habitat.
Where they are located: The Hempstead Plains are located on the campus of Nassau Community College in Garden City.
What they need help with: Weeding, mowing, seeding, invasive plant removal, and more.
How to get involved: Visit their website (http://www.friendsofhp.org/site/index.php?id=7) to see volunteer opportunities.
Village of Valley Stream Beautification Committee – Valley Stream
Who they are: a committee formed to beautify the village with litter clean up and planting projects.
Where they are located: Valley Stream
What they need help with: Litter; weeding and watering a native planting at AJ Hendrickson Park & they will need help in the near future as they establish a new orchard at Arlington Park.
How to get involved: Join the VS Beautification group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2426377377486818). If you are interested in assisting with weeding/watering at AJ Hendrickson Park, email me directly at Rebecca@realisticgardening.com.
Centennial Gardens – Floral Park
Who they are: a bird Sanctuary and gardens with a children’s garden, a vegetable garden, a remembrance fountain, gazebo, stage, and dedicated areas.
Where they are located: 251 Floral Pkwy, Floral Park, NY 11001
What they need help with: weeding and planting
How to get involved: Visit their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/floralparkcentennialgardens) or website (https://www.fpgarden.org/) for information about volunteering.
North Shore Land Alliance – Oyster Bay
Who they are: an organization that works to protect and preserve the green spaces, farmlands, wetlands, groundwater and historical sites of Long Island’s north shore for the enhancement of quality of life and the benefit of future generations.
Where they are located: 1395 Planting Fields Road, The Manor House, Oyster Bay, New York 11771
What they need help with: invasive species removal, habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring.
How to get involved: Visit their website (https://northshorelandalliance.org/volunteer-open-space-program) or call 516-922-1028 to inquire about volunteering.
Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Bird Sanctuary – Oyster Bay
Who they are: the nation’s first songbird sanctuary (established in 1923). Their mission is to connect people and nature through hands-on experiential education programs.
Where they are located: 124 Cove Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
What they need help with: Gardening, beach clean up, and education.
How to get involved: Visit their website (https://ny.audubon.org/TRSAC). Download their volunteer brochure here (opens a PDF)
Baldwin Community Garden
Who they are: community garden
Where they are located: Baldwin
What they need help with: Gardening tasks and events.
How to get involved: Join their Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/332656120216240) to find volunteering opportunities.
**** SUFFOLK COUNTY ****
LINPI (Long Island Native Plant Initiative) – Brentwood
Who they are: an all-volunteer cooperative effort of over 30 non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, nursery professionals, and citizens. The mission of this organization is to protect the genetic integrity and heritage of Long Island native plant populations, and thus biodiversity from a landscape to genetic level, by establishing commercial sources of genetically appropriate local (ecotypic) plant materials for use in nursery, landscaping, and habitat restoration activities.
Where they are located: Brentwood at Sisters of St. Joseph (1725 Brentwood Road, Brentwood, NY)
What they need help with: Potting/repotting plants, greenhouse tasks.
How to get involved: Visit their website (https://linpi.org/volunteer) to see volunteer opportunities.
The People’s Food Forest – Brentwood
Who they are: A project that aims to grow fresh, local, organic fruits and veggies to distribute to the Brentwood community.
Where they are located: Brentwood at Sisters of St. Joseph (1725 Brentwood Road, Brentwood, NY)
What they need help with: Various gardening tasks.
How to get involved: Visit their website (https://www.facebook.com/ThePeoplesFoodForest) to see volunteer opportunities and donate.
Port Jefferson Pollinator Gardens
Who they are: Pollinator gardens that were recently removed by the parks department due to complaints by some residents. This caused an outcry and a small group of people are now committed to maintaining the remaining gardens.
Where they are located: Port Jefferson Village Center
What they need help with: Clean up and maintenance.
How to get involved: Email kassay@portjeff.com to inquire about volunteering.
Bethel Hobbs Community Farm – Centereach
Who they are: organic community farm run by volunteers. Donates to local residents in need.
Where they are located: Centereach
What they need help with: Gardening, harvesting, and farm stand.
How to get involved: Visit their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/bethelhobbs) or email them at ann.hobbsfarm@gmail.com .
Good Ground Heritage Garden- Hampton Bays
Who they are: they provide community members with the opportunity to learn hands-on organic gardening skills. Volunteers learn how to plant, cultivate, harvest, and preserve produce in a cooperative learning environment. They donate produce and host farm to table dinner events.
Where they are located: Hampton Bays
What they need help with: Gardening, harvesting, composting, seed saving, kitchen, and farm stand.
How to get involved: Visit their Facebook page (https://eciny.org/volunteer).
Cornell Gardeners in Riverhead
Who they are: volunteers meet Tuesday mornings to work the wide variety of gardens at Cornell’s LIHREC (Long Island Horticulture Research and Extension Center, including a native garden, pollinator garden, herb garden, cottage garden and more.
Where they are located: Riverhead
What they need help with: Gardening
How to get involved: Contact Mark at 631-921-4941.
Long Island Conservancy
Who they are: an organization dedicated to preserving and restoring Long Island’s wild places.
Where they are located: They are based in Sayville but they do restoration projects across L.I.
What they need help with: invasive plant removal, community plantings.
How to get involved: Visit their Facebook page to find out about current projects and to get involved.