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Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community, make new friends, cultivate your interests…and even get some exercise! As Forest Lawn expands its interpretive programming calendar of events, there is always a need for volunteers and docents willing to share their time, energy, enthusiasm and knowledge.
Are you a history buff? Maybe you’d like to give cemetery tours. Do you like to garden? Are you interested in genealogy? Or, perhaps you’d like to help with research and recordkeeping.
Forest Lawn has a variety of volunteer opportunities available, including (but not limited to):
- Tour guides
- Event ushers
- Gardeners
- Assistants for genealogical research and archiving
- Administrative support for special projects
- Monument washing, straightening and care
- Assistance with our Landscape Renewal Volunteer Program
Docent Training Program
If you are interested in giving walking tours of Forest Lawn, we encourage you to become a volunteer docent, and we invite you to sign up for our Docent Training Program, which is open to adults 18 and older and is typically conducted every spring. No experience is necessary! Watch this website for details on the Docent Training Program. Or, for more information, contact Sandy Starks, Forest Lawn Interpretive Program Director: (716) 885.1606, ext. 302 or sstarks@forest-lawn.com
Landscape Renewal Volunteer Program
As our Horticultural Manager, Matt Quirey, begins to implement an aggressive Landscape Renewal Plan to “return the forest to Forest Lawn,” we are in need of volunteers who enjoy gardening and working outdoors. Volunteers in this program will assist with planting of garden areas; plant maintenance; route landscape maintenance (such as mulching, weeding, watering, etc.); seasonal pruning of trees and special projects. Gardening experience is helpful, but not required (Master Gardeners are also welcome to apply).
Volunteers in this program will be asked to attend a one-time orientation meeting. Watch this page for a schedule of upcoming orientation meetings. Download our Landscape Renewal Volunteer Program brochure.
If you are interested in taking part in the Landscape Renewal Volunteer Program, complete our Volunteer Application or contact Sandy Starks, Forest Lawn Volunteer Coordinator/Interpretive Program Director: (716) 885.1606, ext. 302 or sstarks@forest-lawn.com
Want to learn more?
Whether you have a special skill or interest or just enjoy people or being outside, chances are there’s a volunteer opportunity at Forest Lawn that will appeal to you. There’s no experience necessary - we'll train you so you’ll be a Forest Lawn expert in no time!
To learn more about becoming a volunteer or docent at Forest Lawn, contact Sandy Starks, Forest Lawn Interpretive Program Director, at (716) 885.1606, ext. 302 or sstarks@forest-lawn.com
Or, complete and return our Volunteer Application.
Volunteers are also needed at The Forest Lawn Group’s Lakeside Cemetery in Hamburg and St. Matthew’s Cemetery in West Seneca. If you’d like to learn more about volunteer opportunities at those cemeteries, please contact Janice Burnett at jburnett@forest-lawn.com or 716.822.1960.
