on backroads, the gardens, and cleaned
up goldfish in the back pond. He’s also
working to regain approval to reopen
Dinosaur Walk; limiting it to small, private,
docent-led tours through the area for safety
reasons because it’s close to a lake. “It’s a
beautiful place,” he said.
Respect and Freedom
Something about the docents’ visible
commitment and joy when they speak
about Gilroy Gardens make this volunteer
program stand apart. “I guess you’d have to
ask the docents,” said Trenbreth. “But
I think part of what makes the program
so successful is the respect from the
administration.”
Nunes said the park gives the docent
panel a $10,000 pre-approved annual
budget to use for decisions about purchases
and improvements. “We decide how to
spend it and what to spend it on.”
Becky Brondos, a docent in charge of the
popular Monarch Butterfly Garden, said,
“Docents drive the program.” For example,
originally the park only grew milkweed—
the monarch’s food source—on the out-
skirts of the monarch garden. Growing
milkweed inside monarch garden where
the caterpillars could sit on it, and visitors
could see the whole life cycle, was Brondos’
idea. Finally, Bonfante saw her vision. “The
administration values what we’re bringing
to the table. It made a big difference to feel
like I’m being valued.”
In another instance, the head gardener
gave Brondos the go-ahead for a project
without ever seeing the idea. “That’s the
kind of thing that helps volunteer programs
really thrive,” Brondos said. “Not being
micromanaged. The staff seeing your worth.”
Learning Triumphs
While respect and autonomy in their work
may keep the docents thriving, most all
agree they were drawn to the program by
their desire to work with children. Many
are retired schoolteachers, grandparents
whose children have outgrown the park,
or people who simply want to pass on
their own knowledge. What most didn’t
expect is that they would learn as much
as they’d teach.
Brondos will receive her 10-year docent
pin this year after retiring as a government
employee from Ames Research Center.
When she joined the docent program, she
said, “I had no interest in the monarchs,
and didn’t know a thing about it.” But
then she met another docent running the
program. “I liked her and started hanging
out with her and helping her run the
program.”
Becky certainly caught the monarch
fever. As she speaks about the butterflies,
her voice softens like a yogi: “They’re just
fascinating, the life cycle, migration, their
beauty. They make people feel good. When
you see a butterfly, to see them through
a life cycle, to see one come out of it’s
chrysalis or egg, it’s a great experience.”
“…I think part of
what makes the
program so successful
is the respect from
the administration.”
The kind of peer mentoring Brondos
received is a common theme among the
docents. Perhaps it breeds a kind of empow-
erment and ownership within the program
because Becky has since taught others,
including Sue Johnston, about the mon-
archs. In fact, that’s
how docents are
trained. Each year,
they sign up for their
areas of interest and
learn new skills from
other docents for
helping out in other
sections of the park.
Because docents
work with children,
safety is also a
primary concern.
They are finger-
printed and given
a credit check each
year, said Johnston.
Docents are
often responsible for
teaching over 800
children per day on
Natural Science days.
Students travel from
as far as King City
and Fresno for three
hours of hands-on
learning in six science
stations, led by
docents using school-
based curriculum.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
JULY / AUGUST 2016
Johnston is Coordinator of the Food
Chain presentation during Natural Science
Days and also teaches classes with Bob
Nunes on California Redwoods.
At first, Johnston had no interest in
redwoods. She thought they sounded
“boring.” But another docent said, “Come
let me teach you about redwoods.” Now,
she’s so interested, she has a Powerpoint
presentation she developed with her
husband and uses for teaching. Her
husband is also a docent.
Johnston’s docent work has become a
leaping-off point for learning everything
she can about her new areas of interest.
Imagine how a visit to Gilroy Gardens and
an inspired docent could affect a child in
much the same way.
Johnston said, “The park was designed
to cater to education when Michael
Bonfante placed circus trees there.”
She added, “To me, education never
ends until the day you die. The biggest
joy is to teach a kid. I say, ‘Want me to
give you a 10 -second education about
a redwood?’ I teach them to count the
rings, and their eyes light up. And that’s
the biggest joy I get: the little things that
kids discover.”
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