Volunteering
-
When I am asked what my favorite part of working with Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers (MGEVs) is, I proceed to express how much I enjoy visiting Master Gardener projects around the state. I don’t just praise the beautiful demonstration gardens overflowing with colors, scents, and learning opportunities, thousands of pounds of fresh produce donated…
-
Joined by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), The Atlanta Food Bank, and Kaiser Permanente, the City of Morrow established a plan for a Lifelong Community garden in Clayton County. The purpose of creating this community garden was to establish a community building unit that could be upheld as a Lifelong Community in Morrow. In 2012,…
-
In 2005, the Athens Community Council on Aging (ACCA), began a small garden on campus to address seniors’ access to healthy and affordable produce. The clients of ACCA helped tend to the garden and were able to collectively enjoy the bounty. In 2009, ACCA partnered with Professor David Berle, UGA Department of Horticulture, to begin…
-
In the fall of 2015, Cherokee County Extension Volunteers (MGEVs) began work on a unique project with Cherokee County Extension and the Sequoyah Library System. In March of 2016, the Cherokee County Seed Library was launched at Hickory Flat Library, with plans to open a second seed library location in 2017. By establishing a seed…
-
Ten years ago, Camp Dirty Knees was started to kick off the Carroll County Junior Master Gardener (JMG) program. A group of Master Gardener Extension Volunteers (MGEVs) who were also educators, started this project to address a need they noticed in the community. If children were exposed to horticulture education and gardening at a young…
-
A native plant garden positively impacts the environment as the use of native plants in the landscape can allow for decreased use of inputs like pesticides and fertilizer. In addition, these plants provide food and habitat for a variety of native wildlife. In Macon, GA, this type of beneficial garden evolved from a research garden…
-
Do you remember what the very first Master Gardener project was? It was a plant clinic, held at a shopping mall in Washington state. The project was birthed from Extension’s need to meet public demand for horticulture and gardening information. More than 300 people showed up that first day to get answers from that first…
Posted in: Volunteering -
Posted in: Volunteering
-
I was asked to share some of my comments from yesterday’s MGEV Appreciation Picnic at UGA’s Research&Education Garden. Enjoy! MGEVs are extraordinary people in my book. They understand the importance of horticulture and gardening to everyday life. They are motivated to do something in and for their communities through volunteer service. You put…
Posted in: Volunteering -
Plant clinic shifts, presentations at libraries, speaking to students in classrooms, processing soil samples, preparing garden samples to send to specialists, writing newspaper columns, advising new homeowners how to take care of their landscape, answering the phone, leading garden tours, maintaining demonstration gardens, replacing garden signage, communicating with potential partners and stakeholders, and more… the…
Posted in: Volunteering