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Volunteer of the Year

April 13, 2010

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John Barnes Volunteer of the Year 2010

John Barnes Honored as a Volunteer of the Year

Arboretum volunteer John Barnes was honored as a Volunteer of the Year at the County of Los Angeles "Volunteers Build Bridges Day" Recognition and Awards Ceremony on April 12,2010.

A volunteer since 2000, John Barnes has volunteered 4,200 hours in a number of capacities.

John's experience in market research and sales serve him well as a Plant Information Specialist. Although he came to the position with limited knowledge of plants, he quickly rose to the challenge, assisting guests with their botanical inquiries.

He served on the Los Voluntarios Executive Board as First and Second Vice-President, and as High School Volunteer Chair, working closely with the staff Volunteer Coordinator on all aspects of a program that, with his assistance, grew from 15 to 200 students.

As Telephone Reservation Docent and Volunteer Chair, John works with volunteers who assist schools in arranging field trips focusing on either California history or plants. John shares his extensive knowledge of The Arboretum as a Field Tour Docent for California History, and Depot Docent at our Santa Anita Depot.

His presence is felt throughout the year, in particular at the annual Baldwin Bonanza/LA GArden Show and the Los Angeles Environmental Education Fair.

An Arboretum treasure, John generously supports volunteers, guests, and staff, and we are deeply grateful for his service.