We did the visitor volunteer guide training for what was then Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens in 2003 and started guiding shortly after.
Shortly after we retired to Berambing we decided to volunteer. Ros is a local and knew the property and the surrounding area as a child. Throughout our working life we and our family regularly came back and enjoyed activities in the area.
During this time Frank became interested in Australian native plants. Frank was in awe of Ros’s father’s knowledge of native plants. This included names, locations, plant characteristics and site characteristics. Many years earlier, he had set himself the task of learning to identify one new plant a week that grew in his rather large backyard.
Volunteering at Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah has had numerous benefits for us including meeting lots of people from different localities here in Australia and from around the world; meeting and getting to know staff; experiencing the wonders of the Garden which are quite different from season to season and even from week to week; seeing plants for the first time even though they have been growing in the Gardens for a number of years; understanding the historical significance of Mount Tomah for both Indigenous Australians and white settlement; and the opportunity to participate in the Gardens other activities.
The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden is a magical place which is living and dynamic and as a bonus has stunning views across the Blue Mountains and Wollemi World Heritage area.
Find our more about the volunteer program at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah here.