- If you’re viewing this as an email and it is hard to read or missing the picture below, please view it on our website by CLICKING HERE.
- Please bookmark the Volunteer Resource Page. It has newsletter archives, an updated volunteer sourcebook, continuing education opportunities, and volunteering opportunities. It is your one-stop source for program essentials!
- Have an item for eNews? Please contact 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.
- Program funding – how stakeholders like you can help:
- Via Jennifer Alexander, Extension Communications Director: “We need to ensure that state legislators continue to hear directly from their constituents—including youth—about the impact of Extension and the need for state funding. As one legislator put it to us on Statewides Day, we need to “flood them.” A push over the next few weeks would be helpful, as we head toward the next hearing for the Statewides budget bill that’s set for April 21. Here are resources to take action:
- Letter portal, which makes it easy for stakeholders, community members to personalize a letter to their state legislators to share personal impact and urge funding support.
- Find your legislator tool, if people prefer to contact legislators directly.
- Schedule for Ways & Means committee budget road show public hearings—Members of the public have the opportunity to testify at each of these scheduled hearings regarding their perspectives and priorities around the state budget.
- April 8, Portland Community College, 10:00 a.m.-noon
- April 14, Newport Performing Arts Center, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
- April 21, Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
- April 28, Four Rivers Cultural Center, Ontario, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
- And use this Slide deck with key points to support their informational outreach.
- There’s more info on our legislative and stakeholder relations resource page
- Exciting opportunity to support the Master Gardener program. On April 26, 2023, Master Gardeners and supporters will come together to show our belief in the Master Gardener program and Oregon State University’s Dam Proud Day. This 24-hour period is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of the Oregon State community, including supporting Master Gardeners and stretching ourselves toward our aspirations. As a featured fund on Dam Proud Day, we have a special opportunity to raise money to support our work. Here’s how Master Gardener volunteers, past and present, can help NOW. Read the post and get involved.
- Via Jennifer Alexander, Extension Communications Director: “We need to ensure that state legislators continue to hear directly from their constituents—including youth—about the impact of Extension and the need for state funding. As one legislator put it to us on Statewides Day, we need to “flood them.” A push over the next few weeks would be helpful, as we head toward the next hearing for the Statewides budget bill that’s set for April 21. Here are resources to take action:
- Volunteer opportunities [T] = includes opportunities that trainees can join now!
- NEW! [T] Flex schedule. Volunteers are needed for one-time delivery of donated bee habitats to Tangent and South Shore schools. RSVP to Elza. Report service as Other Approved Projects: Indirect.
- NEW! [T] Various dates – Linn County: Special Event Plant Clinics. Host plant clinics at Farmers’ markets and venues. Learn more and RSVP. Report service as Plant Clinic: Direct
- NEW! [T] Mondays and Thursdays – Linn Office Plant Clinic. Test soil, view specimens, and respond to questions by email, phone and in person. Learn more and RSVP. Report service as Plant Clinic: Direct
- [T] Wednesdays and Fridays – Linn County Master Gardener Association Demo Garden Workdays 1:00pm – 3:00pm. See a map to the garden HERE. Drop-in. Report service as Educational Garden Maintenence: Indirect.
- [T] 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.
- Find ongoing and anytime opportunities on the Linn Volunteer Opportunities Page
- Continuing Education [G] = opportunities that Trainees can use for Garden Lab credit.
- 4/6 – Linn Master Gardener Plant Clinic Tools Skill Sessions. 1:30-3pm at the Linn Extension Office, after PNW Brown Bag talks. Learn how to use the pH meter and microscope to help gardeners solve problems! Learn more and RSVP HERE.
- Anytime. Recordings of Zoom Master Gardener training from Curry County with guest lecturers from OSU and beyond are available for any volunteer to take as continuing education. Trainees are also welcome to watch and supplement their classes. More links are being added weekly, see the current list HERE.
- [G] 3/31 Growing Together – Soils & cover crops – 1:00pm – 2:00pm, Linn County Master Gardener Association Demonstration Garden in the Fairgrounds, 3700 Knox Butte Rd E, Albany
- [G] 4/7 Growing Together – Garden planning – 1:00pm – 2:00pm, Linn County Master Gardener Association Demonstration Garden in the Fairgrounds, 3700 Knox Butte Rd E, Albany
- 4/11 Growing Oregon Gardeners – Global Gardening: Asian Vegetables for Pacific Northwest Gardens, – 12:00pm – 1:00pm, ZOOM. Learn more & RSVP: beav.es/SJk
- [G] 4/14 Growing Together – Seed Starting – 1:00pm – 2:00pm, Linn County Master Gardener Association Demonstration Garden in the Fairgrounds, 3700 Knox Butte Rd E, Albany
- OSU Extension Master Gardener Program News
- Friendly reminder to event organizers: Please be sure to post the exact location, time, and other essentials of events prominently in promos and sign-ups. We have a large incoming class and many people are unfamiliar with the logistics of recurring events that are well-known to returning MGs. The class of 2023 thanks you!
- Call for nominations: this year’s Oregon Master Gardener Awards. We are excited to celebrate the good work of OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers. Please remember that May 15th is the due date for all Oregon Master Gardener Association (OMGA) awards. All awards should be submitted electronically. Remember that all award nominations must be COLLABORATIVELY prepared, working with your local Master Gardener Association and your local Master Gardener Program staff. You can learn more about the awards on the OMGA website. (Check back as links are added). Read the update from OSU EXTENSION MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM NEWS.
- Popular OSU Extension Service publications this week:
- LCMGA News
- The Demo Garden is now organized into sections with committees for each section. Choose one or more areas that interest you and join in. Suggestions for plantings are welcome. CLICK HERE for a list of the areas and the committee members to date. In May we will be at the Demo Garden on Monday evenings 6-8 pm as well as on Wednesdays and Fridays. Come and help us enliven the Demo Garden. Hope to see many of you in the garden.
- BEEvent was a huge success. We had very positive feedback from attendees. The talks were informative and overall great! All the volunteers did a magnificent job helping everyone enjoy the day. Thank you to the organizers, Rich Little, Susan Morton, and Ranee Webb. Also a special thank you to Marc Webb for all the hours put in to make the Bee houses, blocks, and accessories. And thank you Joseph Nicastro (Robin Keeton’s husband) for making houses and Chuck Kirkpatrick for working on the blocks.
- 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.)
- None this week – check back soon.
