Sharon Chang

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a botanical garden often overlooked by the Austin population. The garden offers a variety of volunteering, educational and outdoor opportunities with free entry for UT students. 

Students should consider volunteering at the Wildflower Center, specifically the gift shop, to obtain a skill set for future careers, gain a new life experience or pursue a unique pathway they’re interested in. 

“(Volunteers) learn customer service, how to speak to customers and how to deal with all walks of life,” said Ruth Martinez, the Wildflower Center’s gift store manager. “When you work at a place like this that gets different people from all walks of life, from everywhere, you learn how to talk to them and deal with them and be understanding and respectful.”

The gift store offers opportunities for students to explore the Austin community. 

“I think that taking time away from your own things and taking yourself out of your personal life to give to other people really makes you realize the whole world’s not about you and kind of pulls you out of yourself a little bit,” said Alyssa Murphy, an ecology, evolution and behavior sophomore. “The world’s a big place, and a lot of people and things need help. So, it’s good to take some time out of your life to give to other people and other things.”

However, the importance of volunteer work can extend beyond work experience and provide students an outlet to enjoy something new.  

“We are great not just for people that want to get work experience, but for people that want to learn more about horticulture and want to learn more about our native plants,” Martinez said. “We do a lot here. We do research here. We have something for everybody here at the Wildflower Center. So, it’s not just the store but it is a great experience, not just for work and not just for your future, but it’s a great life experience.” 

The Wildflower Center is a space to contribute to regardless of whether students want to commit to volunteering. There’s more than one way to donate, and the center is a great place to look into. 

“(The) Wildflower Center is really beautiful and if you could, spend time going there and donate to them as well, like buy something at the gift store or donate your time to volunteer,” Murphy said. “It’s a fantastic place to contribute to.” 

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a beautiful space for students to walk around, take a break from the busy school environment and engage in outdoor volunteering opportunities.  

Rail is an English sophomore from El Paso, Texas.