Support
You are invited to become a member of Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden.
There are many ways to support the Botanic Gardens at Burden: enjoying our gardens and trails, using our facilities for your events, attending our educational and recreational activities, spreading the word about us, lending a hand, purchasing our goods, becoming a member and financing our upkeep and efforts. We hope you will find your way to keep this Baton Rouge treasure thriving so that generations to come may enjoy the peace and tranquility available on the Burden property in the middle of our busy city.
Friends of the Gardens
Becoming a member of the Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden is the easiest way to support the gardens while gaining many valuable benefits. As a member, you will receive exclusive members-only discounts, and much more.
Support Baton Rouge's oasis of peaceful gardens, hiking trails and horticulture-based programs that amaze and educate visitors of all ages.
Member Levels and Benefits
| Student* | Associate** | Individual | Family/Dual | Patron | Benefactor | Philanthropist | Sustainer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dues | $20 | $30 | $40 | $70 | $300 | $500 | $1,000 | $2,500+ |
| Number of cards issued | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Admissions to Reflections | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Newsletter | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
| Reciprocal Access to 300+ gardens | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
| Discount to Wine & Roses | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | |
| Early Sale Opportunities | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | |
| Discounted Corn Maze tickets *** | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | |||
| 3 Super Plants Annually | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ||||
| Recognition in Newsletter | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ||||
| Free Poinsettia | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | |||||
| 2 Gourmet in the Garden Tickets | ♦ | ♦ | ||||||
| 2 Wine & Roses Tickets | ♦ | |||||||
| Windrush Garden Luncheon with Director | ♦ |
Membership fees are tax deductible in the amount allowable by law.
*Full-Time students qualify for this category.
**Current members of groups that are affiliated with Botanic Gardens at Burden qualify for this category. See below for a list of affiliated groups.
***Discounted Corn Maze tickets are for Family/Dual members and above; limited to 4 tickets; Night Maze not included.
Volunteers
Become an important part of the gardening community by partnering with the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden as a volunteer. The gardens play an important role in meeting the horticultural needs of Louisiana residents and visitors from the United States and abroad.
We invite you to join the more than 300 active volunteers that share their talents with the Botanic Gardens at Burden. From planting fields and gardens, trimming rose bushes, building enclosures, running attractions, taking admissions to simply answering the phone, the property could not operate without the help of our dedicated volunteers! Please call us at (225) 763-3990 to discuss available opportunities that especially interest you, or sign up here!
The hours you work not only help us directly, but the records of our hours helps us to better manage our resources and qualify for grants. We appreciate your taking the extra step to enter your service hours at our Volunteer Site.
Office
- Receptionist
- Mailings
- Copying
- Setup
Gardens
- Planting & Pruning
- Weeding
- Trail Maintenance
- Propagating
Events
- Planning
- Setup & Take Down
- Registration
- Community Outreach
Children
- Reading
- Docents
- Supervising
- Playing
Affiliated Organizations
Many organizations call the Botanic Gardens their home. Our meeting rooms, gardens, potting shed, greenhouses and other facilities support both Burden activities as well as those of other gardening groups. We invite you to learn more about these groups and take advantage of what they have to offer.
Members of these groups are eligible for discounted membership in the Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden as Associate members.
- BR Camellia Society
- BR Orchid Society
- BR Unit of the Herb Society of America
- Capital Area Bee Keepers Association
- Capital Area Native Plant Society
- EBR Master Gardener Association
Tribute Oaks, Benches and Pavers
Honor a loved one with a name or distinctive message on a paver in the Memory Garden, a beautiful iron bench with a plaque, or even dedicate one of our majestic live oak trees to a loved one.
Tributes will be engraved on a 4-inch-by-8-inch paver for $200 or an 8-inch-by-8-inch paver for $500. The iron bench will have a permanent 9.5-inch-by-3.5-inch engraved plaque for $5,000. If you would like for your tribute gift to support one of the beautiful live oak trees on the property, you can select an oak in the Botanic Gardens for $10,000 or an oak in historic Windrush Gardens $40,000. Email Bridget LaBorde, Director of Development, at blaborde@agcenter.lsu.edu for more information.