It is just about three weeks until the close of the service year, on 10/31! Everyone who would like to participate in any volunteer activities in 2022, needs to re-enroll by reviewing Guide to Volunteering 2022 and completing annual program agreements. Everyone on this list should have received a DocuSign via email, or if requested, will soon receive a hard copy. Not sure about re-enrolling? Check out some common questions and answers. If you have questions not answered here please contact Elizabeth Records.
Volunteers needed
New!Highschool presentation – Harrisburg High School Ag Teacher and FFA Advisor is seeking a MGV to present on any of a range of horticulture topics. Various days, times and presentation themes available, and presentation could be live or Zoomed. If this interests you please contact Elizabeth!
Calling all community scientists! Before you clean out your mason bee cocoons, please send a sample to the Pollinator Health Lab at OSU. We’re working to better understand some new exotic bees and bee pests and predators that have been recently introduced into Oregon. You can help! Take the Mason Bee Survey.
What are Distance Garden Consults? Master Gardener connect with gardeners via Zoom visit to trouble shoot their garden concerns. You can always do more research and follow up. Zoom, email and internet are the only tech needed. If this interests you please contact Elizabeth.
Continuing education (free to MGVs unless noted with $)
Happening now: Mason bee cocoon care workshops for the Willamette Valleyare back this fall! Watch a fun instructional movie on your own schedule to learn how you can have three times as many bees through basic cocoon care. Then join a cocoon care Q&A to troubleshoot the pests and parasites that attack mason bees, along with emeritus entomologist Rich Little and the Linn MGV Pollinator Project members. Sign up for October Q&As.
New ($):“Gardening for Resilience”, the annual UVM Extension Master Gardener conference, will be held virtually on November 5-6, 2021, with recordings available to all registered participants. The conference is for everyone who loves to garden in Vermont and beyond. This year, an amazing lineup of speakers will teach about indigenous agricultural practices and their application in today’s gardens, how mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant health, heirloom plant cultivation, food resiliency, and how to develop community connections through gardens. For a complete description of the education sessions and speaker backgrounds, and to register, click on this LINK.
Can Oregon Master Gardeners Answer Hemp or Cannabis Questions? If someone calls the Master Gardener help desk, or submits a question through the Ask an Expert Service, can Master Gardener volunteers provide advice or support for growing hemp or cannabis? The short answer is ‘no’. Read the post.
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.)
MGV Project show and tell! Are you looking for a way to get better acquainted with fellow Master Gardeners while working on projects together, often safely outdoors? A way to serve your local community? Or have you wondered about all the committees that the Benton County Master Gardener Association has and what they do? Join us Monday evening, October 18, at 7:00 PM to hear a panel representing many of those committees, ask questions, and learn how you can join in their work. Following this discussion, we will elect new officers to serve the Association next year. Find a link to this event in your email!
Shout outs
Elect BCMGA board members for the next service year on October 18 at 7PM. Also attend for an overview of Master Gardener projects looking for volunteers, detailed above.
MOST CURRENT SLATE:
Past President–Deb Kern
President–Jana Tindall
President Elect–Mary Mellard
Secretary (sharing position)–Cynthia Roler & Wendi Gale
Treasurer (sharing positions) Lynne Trimpe & Paula Lupcho
VP Programs—Janet Magedanz
At Large–Alan Taylor, Fred Prahal & Frank Garcia
It is just about three weeks until the close of the service year, on 10/31! Everyone who would like to participate in any volunteer activities in 2022, needs to re-enroll by reviewing Guide to Volunteering 2022 and completing annual program agreements. Everyone on this list should have received a DocuSign via email, or if requested, will soon receive a hard copy. Not sure about re-enrolling? Check out some common questions and answers. If you have questions not answered here please contact Elizabeth Records.
Volunteers needed – Visit the Benton County Volunteer opportunities page to sign up for recurring events.
This week: –Plant propagation – donations and divisions. Many dates and times – drop in and sign up when you arrive. See full schedule.
Garden writing opportunity! The BCMGA is looking for someone to prepare a monthly posting for the Neighborhood Plant Kiosk. The posting generally relates to tasks to be completed in the garden for the following month (which can be found online) and generally takes approximately two hours to prepare. Time preparing the post qualifies for volunteer service for certification purposes. If interested, please contact Denise Saunders at vdenisesaunders@comcast.net or 541 760-0523.
Mountain View Elementary School Garden: The current emphasis is to get all students and teachers involved in the garden. A grade appropriate lesson in plant propagation is followed with the students planting in the garden. If possible, the lessons are scheduled so that the students can harvest before school is out in June. Fall crops can be harvested shortly after the September start of school, if that grade is still enrolled at the school. Please contact Glen Canning if you are interested.
Community Garden Action Team & Seed to Supper: Teaching hands-on gardening to underserved community members. Contact Judith Kenner if interested.
Continuing education (free to MGVs unless noted with $)
Happening now: Mason bee cocoon care workshopsfor the Willamette Valleyare back this fall! Watch a fun instructional movie on your own schedule to learn how you can have three times as many bees through basic cocoon care. Then join a cocoon care Q&A to troubleshoot the pests and parasites that attack mason bees, along with emeritus entomologist Rich Little and the Linn MGV Pollinator Project members. Sign up for October Q&As.
New ($):“Gardening for Resilience”, the annual UVM Extension Master Gardener conference, will be held virtually on November 5-6, 2021, from 12-3:30 pm each day with recordings available to all registered participants. The conference is for everyone who loves to garden in Vermont and beyond. This year, an amazing lineup of speakers will teach about indigenous agricultural practices and their application in today’s gardens, how mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant health, heirloom plant cultivation, food resiliency, and how to develop community connections through gardens. For a complete description of the education sessions and speaker backgrounds, and to register, click on this LINK.
BCMGA updates are now found in the President’s mailings.
Extension updates.
Can Oregon Master Gardeners Answer Hemp or Cannabis Questions? This question comes up, repeatedly, throughout the year. If someone calls the Master Gardener help desk, or submits a question through the Ask an Expert Service, can Master Gardener volunteers provide advice or support for growing hemp or cannabis? The short answer is ‘no’. Read the post.
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.)
