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Share an item for eNews by contacting your program staff by the second or last Wednesday of each month. Please use this event checklist to ensure all needed information is included in your request.
Gearing Up For Gardening
12:00 pm – 12:00 pm Corvallis, OR
- Shout outs
- Via Elizabeth Records: “I have a new nickname – Elza. I am still fine with Elizabeth, too, but wanted to share a more informal option. I have never had a nickname that I like, but now I do!”
- 12/16 Plant propagation @10am-12pm – Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate Street. We will seed perennials inside the greenhouse and also repot nursery plant donations outdoors. We’ll have canopies up to provide as much cover as possible but you may want to wear warm clothes and rain gear just in case.
- The Extension office will be closed 12/24/2022 – 1/2/2023.
- You are invited to meet 2023 applicants and share your experiences with being a Master Gardener! Please RSVP to Elza for one of these hourlong events:
- Wed 1/4/2023 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Corvallis
- Fri 1/6/2023 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Corvallis
- Sat 1/7/2023 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM ZOOM
- Seeking project leaders – MLK Day of Service at Lupe’s Garden in Philomath. Collaborate with garden volunteers to construct a 3-bin compost system similar to this one and/or apply wood chips to paths. This type of service project is typically outside the MG wheelhouse but for MLK day we have the go-ahead to support a community organization with a hands-on task. Interested? Please contact Elza.
- Help kids learn cultural connection and conservation at dual immersion schools in Corvallis! The Willamette-Laja Twinning Partnership needs Master Gardener expertise for planning bird/pollinator and food gardens, and leading school volunteers and students in successfully installing the gardens. To learn more please contact Elza.
- Extension News
- Did you watch one or several of the webinars that were part of the Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series in 2021 or 2022? If so, we would love to learn from you to get a better understanding of how you have used the information from the webinars. Please complete this short survey, which should take no more than 5-10 minutes, and please submit your survey response by Monday, December 19th. Follow this link to the Survey: https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_40X575BBx513j3o Your responses will help us plan programs that fit the needs of gardeners across Oregon. Thank you!
- Coffee chats are back for 2023! If you are a board member, committee chair, or engaged volunteer, this is a chance to visit informally with program staff (Elza). Learn more and sign up HERE.
- BCMGA News
- Membership Meeting: The first membership meeting of the new year will be held on Monday, January 30 in the Sunset Room of the Sunset Building. It will also be available via Zoom. Please enter by the east side door rather than the front entrance if you attend in person. The speaker will be Stephanie Hazen who will discuss Monarch Butterflies and plants that support them beyond Milkweed. Doors open at 6:30, the program begins at 7:00.
- OMGA would like to invite you to join in to help with the planning of our Joy of Gardening Conference 2023. Our first meeting is set for Friday, December 16 at 3 PM. Check the email newsletter for a link to join.
- Via Jana Tindall: “reminder to pay your membership dues as soon as possible. Dues are $15 (plus a small fee if you use a credit card).
- Volunteer opportunities
- New BCMGA Plant Sale opportunities
- Friday, December 30 – 10am-12pm – Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate Street, We will be seeding more perennials inside the greenhouse where it will be warm and toasty!
- Plant Problem Scenarios 2023- Calling all certified Master Gardeners! Join the fun! Meet and get to know the 2023 Master Gardeners Trainees and help prepare them for the help desk and clinic tables. Are you a recent graduate? Participating as a facilitator in Plant Problem Scenarios will be an excellent way to get acquainted with experienced facilitators. And our introduction/refresher sessions for facilitating the scenarios will not only sharpen up your skills but also be a fantastic time for new and experienced MGs to socialize.
- We will be holding the group leader training sessions on Wed Jan 11, 2023, at the Benton County Extension office conference room (1:30 pm – 3:30 pm). Sign-ups coming soon!
- For the 2023 trainees, we will be conducting four scenario sessions in February (Feb 2, 9, 16, 23) from (10:30 to 11:45 ) in the Benton County Extension Sunset room. Each session will end with a presentation by 2-3 committee chairs and a brown bag meet and greet. The facilitators will work in teams of 2. Don’t worry if you are new to PPS, we will pair you up with someone who is experienced. Note: You do not have to attend all four sessions! (Although we would love it if you did!)
- Contact Deb Kern (NewfandCardi@gmail.com) or Ann Brodie (annbrodie143@comcast.net) for more details.
- Community science. Contribute data to research on gardens, plants, and wildlife. Explore and sign up. Many projects are remote and on your own schedule. Report the time as “citizen science: indirect”.
- New BCMGA Plant Sale opportunities
- Continuing Education
- OSU Extension Master Gardeners Statewide Trivia Tournament! Each session is good for one Continuing Education Credit in the Master Gardener program. Win valuable prizes – garden mail-order gift certificates up to $100!
- Growing Oregon Gardeners – Level Up 2022: watch movies HERE.
- Insights into Gardening– save the date – February 11, 2023! Online registration will begin on January 2, 2023.
- Save the date – 9th Annual BEEvent Pollinator Conference- March 4, 2023, Linn Expo Center, Albany, Oregon. “Adapting Your Garden to the Coming Changes”. This in-person conference is back after a 2 year on-line only presence. Focus on Home Gardens and Small Farms. 9:00am – 3:30pm Registration will open in February: www.LinnMasterGardeners.com
- Community news (Please note that anything in this section is not eligible for MGV volunteer service nor endorsed by Extension, but is mentioned as a courtesy to our community.)
- The Public Seed Library is a new collaborative project of the Benton County Master Gardeners and the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, with the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library serving as the host partner. The free, volunteer-run Public Seed Library is expected to open at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library downtown by March ’23. Learn more and donate seeds.
- Jan 14 Community Seed Swap – Albany Library 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Albany, OR
