Bookmark our page: Find newsletter archives, volunteer handbook and more volunteer opportunities at https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/activebentonlinnmg/

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.

Master Gardener trainee H. Chris Smith wrote a blog post of top tips for stewarding pumpkin seeds for a new crop,
and enjoying them as tasty snacks.
Congratulations Chris on completing your service hours, and thanks for an informative post!

  • Shout outs
    • New volunteer opportunities – 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”. 
    • Volunteer service hours and continuing education are due 10/31. Congratulations to the growing group of trainees who have completed learning and service goals to earn their first Master Gardener Volunteer Certifications! Save the date for graduation and celebration on Saturday, November 19 from 2-4 in Tangent. 
    • Are you a trainee who needs help completing your service? Schedule a visit about volunteering or contact Elizabeth Records.

  • BCMGA News
    • 9/23 – BCMGA Membership Gathering/Picnic—Friday, September 23, 5:00-7:00 PM. RSVP to Janet Magedanz: jkmagedanz (at) gmail.com
    • 10/10 – BCMGA board meeting 3:00-5:00. Via board President: “We are looking at holding an in-person meeting but will keep the Zoom option. Below is the link to join via Zoom. I’ll include the location in my next Bi-Weekly Update.”
    • 10/24 Membership meeting. The October membership meeting will be on Monday, October 24 rather than October 17.
      • Vote for 2023 BCMGA board members
      • Learn how to identify and report emerald ash borer with Jennifer Killian, City of Corvallis Urban Forester.

  • Volunteers needed
    • 9/20 & 9/27 – Plant Sale Propagation teams will be meeting every Tuesday in September from 9:00 -11:00am near the greenhouses on the west side of Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate St. Bring gloves, pruners, your badge, and perhaps a bottle of water. No experience is necessary. We’ll get you started potting up baby plants in no time! Please RSVP to Leslie at lesliehauser107@gmail.com (or show up anyway if you forget). This year, with your help, the Plant Sale Team will be growing 60% of the propagated plants for our May Plant Sale at Philomath Highschool. The other 40% will be from a scaled-down Dig and Divide season beginning mid-September. Stay tuned for more info on how you can join us at Nellie’s house this fall!
      • September 20
      • September 27
    • 9/24 Fall 2022 Master Gardener BioBlitz. Grab your camera and join us on iNaturalist to capture the insects, birds, wild plants, and other wild organisms in your garden or a nearby community or public garden space. Your efforts will help to document garden biodiversity in Oregon! Online – all day. Learn more and join. Report the time as “citizen science: indirect”. 
    • Anytime – Become a Forest Pest Detector and report observations of potentially invasive species. Report hours as “citizen science: indirect”. Master Gardener volunteers in Master Gardener Programs of Linn and Benton Counties may report time spent with training as continuing education, and times spent and spotting and reporting possible pests as “citizen science: indirect”.
    • Weekdays – Office Plant Clinic sign-ups open: The office is open to the public, and volunteers can sign up for plant clinic shifts as desired, to answer client questions or practice skills. Pairs of volunteers can currently sign up in the front office again! Sign up HERE. 


  • 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.)
    • Your extra pots are needed by the Plant Sale team. You can drop them off behind the shed at the Demonstration Garden at the fairgrounds.  

No eNews the second half of July. Please see email newsletter for a list of who to contact for sharing events and other needs.


Bookmark our page

Find newsletter archives, volunteer handbook and more volunteer opportunities

https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/activebentonlinnmg/
  • Invasive alerts
    • Jumping worms: Rich Little has confirmed the presence of invasive jumping worms in the Linn MGV Demonstration garden. Worms and their tiny cocoons move around in soil and plant materials. These worms destroy soil structure. Once introduced control options are very limited. When you visit the demo garden please check in with lead volunteers on appropriate precautions.
      • Now is a good time for all volunteers to review how to identify jumping worms and discuss how to prevent their spread. Earn 0.5 hours of continuing education for each of these activities:
        • reviewing this resource and sharing three takeaways when you report to VRS.
        • sharing best practices to prevent jumping worms in local MGV and partner projects through a chat with fellow volunteers or project partners.
    • Emerald ash borer is now in Oregon. It has the potential to devastate habitat and reduce urban forest cover. It is deadly to all ash species in North America and Europe. It’s important to learn what emerald ash borer looks like and to report sightings. We’ve gathered information to help you identify them, how to report them, and know what to look for. Please share this information with others. https://beav.es/ih2

  • Shoutouts
    • Rich Little entomology learning opportunities:
      • Diagnostics desk sessions/Office plant clinic. Thursdays 1-3 – learn how to identify and solve insect and plant issues with longtime MGVs Rich and Susan. These two are retired scientists and coordinates of the BEEvent pollinator conference. Sign up and make sure to bring a sample to work on if there’s not one from a client.
      • NEW – Save the dates for live workshops on August 18th from 10 am to 12 noon, and September 15th 6-8 pm. These will be at the Linn Extension Office and open to both Linn and Benton County Master Gardeners. Sign up coming soon.

  • Volunteers needed
    • New dates at Linn County Fair and Mennonite Village: Pop-Up Plant Clinics need people to “talk plants” with our communities. Sign up HERE.
      • Report service as Plant Clinic: Direct
    • Sign up now: 9/3 & 9/4 Plant Clinic at the State Fair. Free wristbands and parking permits will be mailed to participants as soon as they are available. Learn more and RSVP.
      • Report service as Plant Clinic: Direct
    • Trainees welcome – Demo Garden: Join us for work parties at the Linn Demo Garden on Wednesdays and/or Fridays from 10:00am-12:00pm. 
      • Report service as Educational Garden (Maintenance): Indirect.

  • Continuing education opportunities:    
    • Drop-in classes In the Demo Garden (free). Master Gardeners are teaming up to discuss gardening. Each session features a short talk, demonstrations and valuable information to take home.
      • Planting your Garden—How and when to prepare the soil, plant, and transplant vegetables and ornamentals. June 30th Thursday 6 pm
      • Container Gardening—Growing in containers unleashes possibilities for gardening in a small space. July 9th Saturday 10 am
      • Plant a Fall Garden —It is not too late to plant a garden to enjoy in fall through winter. August 11th Thursday 6 pm
      • Growing & Using Herbs—Learn to start, grow and care for perennial and annual herbs. August 27th Saturday 10 am
      • Harvesting Fruits & Vegetables—How to determine the peak flavor and ripeness of fruits and vegetables. Sept 8th Thursday 10 am and 6 pm
    • Growing Oregon Gardeners – Level Up 2022:

  • 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.)
    • OSU Plant Clinic has moved! This fee-for-service clinic is now located in Room 2614 of Cordley Hall. Please address all future packages and checks to the below address: OSU Plant Clinic2614 Cordley Hall2701 SW Campus WayCorvallis, OR 97331