A volunteer group is forming in support of the John A. Finch Arboretum, and it will meet again on Thursday.

The group will function much like the Friends of Manito, which does fundraising and volunteer work for Manito Park.

Steve Nittolo, horticulture supervisor for the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, said the Finch group had been in the plans for a while.

“We have long wanted a volunteer support group like the Friends of Manito for the arboretum,” Nittolo said. “We are just now getting the meetings together. There seems to be a lot of interest.”

Nittolo wrote in an email that more than 60 people have signed up to receive information about the formation of the Finch Arboretum Conservators.

At a meeting in November, many ideas were batted around, including the need to train guides to give tours of the arboretum, create a master plan for the arboretum and better label trees and shrubs. Assisting with labeling would be a great volunteer project, Nittolo wrote.

The Finch Conservators will be organized as an informal club with a membership form to be filled out, but no dues.

Officers will be elected at the Thursday meeting. Jennifer Williams is the interim coordinator until elections are held.