doe bay resort and retreat on orcas island

Doe Bay is pleased to welcome individuals and groups to live, learn, and work at our island resort. As of Autumn ‘08, we became an official WWOOF site (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). Volunteer work centers on the organic garden, grounds work, and group projects.

The Doe Bay Garden’s vision is focused on creating a model of sustainability that is beneficial to both the environment and the business. We do this mainly through the roughly one acre organic garden and surrounding heirloom orchards.

Beginning in 2009 we started working on our goal of sustainability by providing the on-site Cafe a “Seed to Table” menu to minimize our ecological footprint, learning about the state of our soil in order to build and healthfully maintain it, and to create a business model that is ecologically sound and profitable. Since that time, we are continually striving to reach these goals and feel successful in our efforts thus far.

The garden also serves as a welcoming place to learn and teach, get and give ideas, watch the birds, and share the human experience with the other people we are working around. We have hosted Orcas Island school groups, offer produce to our employees and resort guests, and participate in the Orcas Island Farmer’s Market.

I believe that we are equally a product of nature and nurture. Out in nature we find our fundamental and spiritual beings, and by sharing this with others we nurture both ourselves and them.

My goal as a volunteer coordinator is to help facilitate an experience for each volunteer that matches their own personal vision for wanting to come and feel the sunshine or rain on their faces and the dirt between their fingers. I strive to make the garden a place that is positive and healing if necessary. I hope that all the volunteers I work with leave feeling a sense of accomplishment, empowerment, and ownership.

Keep on the sunny side,
Heather Watts
Garden Manager/Volunteer Coordinator

WWOOF Program

The majority of our garden volunteers come to Doe Bay as WWOOFers. They work closely with the garden manager and have various learning opportunities.

The WWOOF Program is ideal for those wanting to volunteer for 6 weeks to 3 months. Early inquires are recommended, and serious applicants are considered. The limited spots in 2009 and 2010 filled up months ahead of arrival dates. In order to be considered for a WWOOF position, the individual must be a WWOOF member.

To sign up or find more details about WWOOF opportunities at Doe Bay (full details are only available to WWOOF members), please visit the WWOOF-USA site (http://www.wwoofusa.org/).

Short term volunteer opportunities

Doe Bay invites volunteers from the greater Puget Sound Community to participate in 2-4 day service learning retreats. These arrangements are dependent on the season and how much work is available, and this work centers mostly on grounds projects.

All short term volunteers are coordinated on an individual basis according to the needs of the resort and volunteer(s). Most arrangements are made as a trade of work for accommodations.

Typically a 6 hour work day is expected. For serious inquiries, please send an email with your individual/group interests and time frame. We cannot usually accommodate these trades during our busy months of June, July, and August.

WWOOF members and other interested volunteers can fill out the application and send it to the volunteer coordinator, Heather Watts, at doebayvolunteers@gmail.com. To watch the garden grow, please find us on Facebook as Doe Bay Garden!