Volunteer Voices

Volunteers are an important and imperative piece of everything we do at Reiman Gardens. We are so thankful for our volunteers and grateful to them for their ongoing support during this difficult time. Despite all the challenges and setbacks, our volunteers accomplished so much. From helping with projects from home, to planting […]

While this past year brought many challenges, it also provided us with opportunities to engage and support our volunteers in new ways. These shifts have not been easy for anyone, but our volunteers persisted, and for that, we are grateful. When our doors closed this past spring and summer, volunteer […]

When I moved to Ames eight years ago I had plenty to keep me busy. A new home and yard always needs some attention when you move in. Generally, the colors in the house aren’t quite right so get out the painting materials. There were boxes and boxes of everything. […]

Hello, my name is Lori Underwood.  I am an Iowa State alumni.  I moved back to the Ames area almost two years ago.  You may currently find me helping out in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing or with Caterpillar Club. There are many reasons that I enjoy volunteering at Reiman […]

My favorite aspect of volunteering is interacting with our guests, especially our youngest visitors. The enthusiasm they bring into the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing lights up the space, and they always have the most interesting questions! On days when visitors are sparse, especially frigid winter days, relaxing in the Butterfly […]

I started visiting Reiman Gardens shortly after it opened twenty-five years ago. It was always a place to relax and enjoy the plants and grounds. Sometime after the Butterfly Wing opened, I began to volunteer as a docent there. I got to know other volunteers and the names of some […]

My name is Katie and I have been a volunteer at Reiman Gardens for around 7 or 8 months. I went a lot as a kid with my family to the Gardens, but only recently was I introduced to the opportunity to volunteer by a friend. Over the summer I […]

What would we do without volunteers? We used to only theorize, but now we know the true answer: We would be sad and go crazy! We love and appreciate our volunteers so much, but we did not realize how much until they were gone. It is pretty ironic that we […]

Hey, all you cool cats and kitten! I hope I am not the only person obsessed with Tiger King during this period of quarantine. Reiman Gardens may not have exotic animals, but they do have some pretty cool people working and volunteering. Here is a little bit on why I […]

I first started volunteering with Reiman Gardens because I wanted to work with the plants and butterflies. I had a friend at home that had a hobby of hatching butterflies over the spring and summer and it made me curious about the entomology lab at Reiman Gardens. While I never […]