City of Saratoga

Heritage Orchard Ambassadors

The weather is warming and the Heritage Orchard is blooming. The City of Saratoga is hosting the apricot and prune harvests this summer. Read more about the heritage orchard and past community harvest days.

NOTE: Signing-up as an Orchard Ambassador Volunteer does not provide an opportunity to pick fruit. To participate in the Community Harvest, sign-up for the interest list to learn about the chance to participate on designated harvest days.

What’s an Orchard Ambassador?

Community members who will be present in the orchard at various times while the fruit is ripening. Greet visitors, share information about the heritage orchard and the upcoming community harvest, and explain how to register to participate when the fruit is ready. Note: Allowable harvest days are announced only to those Saratoga residents selected at random from the registered interest. Volunteering as an Orchard Ambassador is NOT a harvest list registration.

Ambassadors are comfortable and confident speaking with the public, talking about the upcoming event and how to join the interest list, explaining the Harvest program guidelines, and are able to move about the orchard on uneven ground. Volunteers need to be age 16+ to volunteer on their own, volunteers ages 12-15 are welcome with a volunteering adult (over 18) partner (both youth and adult must be on schedule).

When will Orchard Ambassadors be needed?

1-2 volunteers are needed for 2-hours shifts on weekday afternoons (approximately 2-8 pm) and weekend days (approximately 9 am-5 pm) while the fruit is still blooming, tentative dates are mid-June through mid-July for the apricots, and mid- to late-August for French prune plums. Most ambassador volunteer shifts will NOT be on designated harvest days. Similar opportunities may be available on designated harvest days, TBD.

NOTE: Signing-up as an Orchard Ambassador Volunteer does not provide an opportunity to pick fruit. To participate in the Community Harvest, sign-up for the interest list to learn about the chance to participate on designated harvest days.

ONLY SELECT SHIFTS YOU WANT TO SCHEDULE AND SERVE AS A VOLUNTEER. You will be automatically assigned all open shifts you select to the maximum allowed. Volunteering as an Orchard Ambassador is NOT a harvest list registration.