The docent calendars show who is signed up to work each day the garden is open. We keep the online schedule as updated as possible. Club coordinators, please use the monthly calendars to schedule the docent volunteers from your club.  They will then be integrated with all other calendars received and posted to the web site. There are only 3 days a year that the Garden is closed:  New Years Day, Thanksgiving Day,  and Christmas Day. Any additions or corrections, send an email. Thanks!

Click here to view the docent calendar.

We Love Docents!

What is a docent?  A docent is a volunteer guide in a museum, garden or other public facility and who helps teach the visitors about their facility.

What does a docent do?  At the Garden, a docent will hand out a guide to the trees, be available to answer questions about the garden and bonsai, may personally guide a visitor through the garden, and as time allows, perform light garden and bonsai maintenance, according to the docent’s experience, skill and ability.

How Do I Become a Docent? Fill out a form at the garden office; just ask a current docent for the form and leave it there. You will be contacted by the docent coordinator. Click on the month below to see the Calendar of who is on duty for each month.

Training?  How Long Will That Take?  We are not a large museum with much to learn about; we are a small garden with about 200 bonsai plants.  Docents do not have to memorize facts about the bonsai; there is written material for visitors.  Docents will learn about some of the historical and more significant trees, will learn a few facts about the garden’s history, will be able to answer questions about bonsai creation and maintenance and learn a few simple garden procedures.

What About the C-word, Commitment?  We ask for a minimum one year commitment from our docents and are happy to say that historically our docents have been with us for many years.  We think that reflects the joy of working with these horticultural treasures and the appreciative public that tours our garden.

Volunteers are always needed!

Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt is…..     

• A permanent home assures that these precious trees and stones by outstanding masters and collectors will be preserved for everyone’s enjoyment.
• Finalization of this open air cultural museum has been made possible through the support of the Oakland City council and its Parks and Recreation Department and Golden State Federation officials.
• The enthusiasm of volunteer labor by members of the various Northern California Clubs, their spouses and friends plus the generosity of commercial concerns have been invaluable. The beauty of this garden has been achieved through hard work, success and few failures by a dedicated force of volunteers.
• Trees selected for the Garden number over 250 to supply a rotating display of about 50. These trees require constant care. Tree caretakers will work under Kathy Shaner’s, curator, direction. Volunteers have taken on the duties of garden groundskeepers.  Northern California regional bonsai clubs help in Garden maintenance.