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2026 Native Plant Garden Tour - May 17

Volunteer Coordinator: Laura Yates

DETAILS:

The St. Louis Audubon Society and Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter are once again partnering to present the annual St. Louis Native Plant Garden Tour on Sunday, May 17, 2026 from 9am to 4pm. Featuring nine gardens selected for their variety of styles and maturity, this year's tour is focused in Olivette and Ladue. In addition, Missouri Wildflower Nursery will have native plants for sale at the tour info stop at Five Oaks on Warson, 1200 N. Warson Rd., Olivette, MO 63132.

In order to put on a successful tour, we need LOTS of volunteers to help the homeowners and event organizers with tour activities.  Volunteers can sign up to work as a docent or greeter at host gardens, or a native plant ambassador at the tour info stop for a single shift only, AM or PM, so that you are able to tour the gardens for FREE during the half day when you are not volunteering.  This year the shifts will run from 8.30 AM to 12.30 PM and 12:00 PM to 4 PM.  

Greeter responsibilities:

- Station yourself near the best entry point to the garden, according to the host.
- Welcome people and tally attendance.
- Check that each party/group has a Tour booklet (their “ticket”). If not, explain that advance registration was required. In the event they are a “relative, friend or neighbor,” welcome them. You are not a policeman.
- Direct them to the garden entrance(s) or “route”, as identified by the host.

Docent responsibilities:

- Help tour attendees with questions about plant I.D, preferred growing conditions, and garden features.
- Provide any other help needed, according to the host.

Native Plant Ambassador Responsibilities:

- Help answer questions about plant traits, preferred growing conditions, etc. for shoppers at the native plant sale.
- Assist with assembling native plant tag orders.
- Provide any other help needed at the rest stop by the event organizers. 

About two weeks before the tour, volunteers will receive the address for their assigned host garden along with additional information about volunteer roles and benefits.

We are giving out the same St. Louis Native Plant Garden Tour t-shirts as last year.  Please wear your tour t-shirt if you previously received one.  New volunteers are asked to provide their size (Men's and Women's sizes will be available instead of unisex sizes).  Donations for your t-shirt are appreciated.

Signup is first being opened up for Wild Ones chapter members and Bring Conservation Home advisors, and then will be sent out to other groups. If you are interested in volunteering, don't delay!

With your help, this year’s tour will inspire even more people in our community to include native plants in their yards to bring more birds, bees and butterflies! 

Any questions or concerns? Contact Laura Yates using the Contact Us – Wild Ones St. Louis (stlwildones.org), choosing her name from the drop down. 

!Important! Signing up for this event means that you agree to the LIABILITY WAIVER & PHOTO RELEASE:  

Tour gardens may include wet or slippery surfaces, steps, or other trip hazards and other situations which the tour hosts have attempted to minimize and/or call to your attention. Your participation in the Tour recognizes the minor, but real, risk of these and other potential situations.

By submitting my volunteer signup form, I agree to hold harmless and indemnify St. Louis Audubon Society, Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter, Wild Ones Natural Landscapers, tour partners, sponsors and hosts, their agents, volunteers and employees from any and all liability, actions, causes of actions, claims, demands for suits whatsoever resulting from or arising out of personal injuries, loss of, or damage to property, or involving any impairment of, or damage to any right because of or in any way related to the parties above resulting from my participation in the 2026 Native Plant Garden Tour, excepting claims arising out of willful misconduct or gross negligence. I also authorize any photos or video taken of myself, and/or the participant, to be used wholly or in part, in perpetuity for any business purpose by the Event Coordinators. I also agree that this Liability Waiver and Photo Release is intended to be as broad and inclusive as is permitted by the laws of the state of Missouri and that if any portion thereof is held invalid, I agree that the balance shall, notwithstanding, continue in full legal force and effect.

Thank you!

 

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