The Genkan
RoHoEn's Volunteer Gateway
Online Volunteer
Training Courses
Interested in a role that requires some learning before you can sign up? Take our online training courses to help in a specific role at the Garden. See the descriptions below and click on the link to begin your course.
Benefits & Appreciation
JFG provides many benefits for our volunteers. Aside from the obvious benefits you will receive from simply spending time in the serene environment of the Garden, below are other ways JFG is dedicated to giving back to our greatly appreciated volunteer community.
Enrichment Program
Our way of investing in our volunteers, helping you grow and learn how to appreciate Japanese gardens and culture on an ever deepening level here at RoHoEn.
Level System
There is a level system in traditional Japanese culture based on the Three Friends of Winter", the plum, bamboo and pine. In this three-tier ranking system the pine (matsu, 松) is the highest, followed by bamboo (take, 竹) and plum (ume, 梅). A pine tree's roots secure it to the sides of ragged rock and its needles remain vibrantly green even in the coldest of winters, bamboo also maintains its color through winter and grows incredibly tall, flexing without breaking, plums endure long winters, pushing out the very first symbol of spring as they bloom even in the snow. These three “Friends of Winter” essentially provide an allegory for weathering hard times through their various attributes. In Japanese this motif is called the Shōchikubai (松竹梅) and is used in everything from art, song, celebratory gifts, New Years decorations and Ikebana arrangements.
Using this beloved trio here at RoHoEn, there are three levels iin our Enrichment program.
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Ume (Plum) - Level 1
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Take (Bamboo) - Level 2
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Matsu (Pine) - Level 3
How To Advance In Levels
Volunteers move up in level when they have taken enrichment courses and spent a certain number of hours volunteering with us.
Our Enrichment system is a combination of in-person workshops and online content that can further educate you on various subjects related to your volunteer role. You can receive in-depth training on Japanese culture, garden designs and techniques, history and myths as well as many intriguing traditional Japanese arts.
Our Online Volunteer Portal Page and our Online Volunteer Training project were funded, supported, and made possible by a grant from Arizona Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities

