Paulding County Master Gardeners gathered May 5, to honor their members and their contributions to our community in the past year. Despite COVID-19 and the restrictions that came with it, this dedicated group of volunteers were able to change direction in these unprecedented times to continue to serve their county and came together to celebrate their success.
Awards for years of service were awarded to many of the group. Rachel Dutton was awarded for 20 years of volunteer service to Paulding County. Bob Banks, Marsha Rauscher, Laurie Bartron and Mickey Gazaway were honored for 15 years of service. Sybil Voss was recognized for 10 years of service, and Kristine Huffman and Christen Thomas were honored for 5 years of volunteering.
In addition to years of service awards, the Paulding County Master Gardener Scholarship was recognized as the Project of the Year, by Mary Carol Sheffield, County Extension Coordinator for Paulding County. Awarded annually, the Master Gardener Scholarship is awarded to Paulding County area students, seeking post-secondary education in areas of horticulture, agriculture botany or other related fields. Since its inception, Paulding County Master Gardeners have awarded over $10,000 in scholarships, to deserving students in our county. Scholarship funds are generated yearly through proceeds from the Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale held every spring.
The biggest honor of the day was given to Laurie Bartron. She was recognized as the Paulding County Master Gardener of the Year. Chosen by membership, this honor is given to a member making lasting contributions to the program and the community it supports. Laurie has been an active member for 15 years. She has been recognized for her leadership as a mentor to new members and as an Executive Board Member. It is her contributions to the Master Gardener Scholarship that really makes her shine. Her work on this committee, has not only made a lasting impact on the Paulding Master Gardener program, but for Paulding County, as well.
As representatives of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, Master Gardener Extension Volunteers are trained experts, who provide education about home horticulture, sustainable landscaping, and environmentally friendly gardening practices using unbiased, research-based information from the University of Georgia.
For more information on gardening in Paulding, contact a Master Gardener or the County Extension Agent at the Paulding County Cooperative Extension Office at 770-443-7616 or check us out online at www.ugaextension.org/paulding.
