It wasn’t until Steve DuBose retired after 27 years of teaching and coaching in Gilmer County, Georgia, that he discovered his inner green thumb.
The Georgetown, Tennessee, resident wasn’t the type to sit around and rock away his new free time when he left the classroom six years ago. Since he had an interest in the Tennessee Aquarium, he looked up the attraction online, saw volunteers were needed, and thought it would be a good opportunity to learn something new.
“When I went in, the only choices available were food preparation or horticulture. I opted for horticulture,” he says of his volunteer placement. “They trained me, showed me how to water all the plants, how much water each needed, and pruning. They were very good and very patient.”
Now he spends seven to eight hours a week taking care of all the plants in the downtown attraction and its greenhouse on Amnicola Highway. With no previous experience, he has become quite knowledgeable about the plants he tends as well as the Aquarium’s conservation programs, and says he is glad he chose to lend a hand.
DuBose is part of the 10,000-plus adults – hundreds of them age 55 and older – who help keep Chattanooga’s social service agencies, nonprofits, arts organizations, tourist attractions and educational outreaches humming along.