What are *really* the best native plants to attract bees? The Garden Ecology Lab is releasing a series of plant profiles of the top 10 Oregon native plants for pollinators, based on Aaron Anderson’s 2017-2019 field trials of 23 Oregon native plants. We will feature one plant per week for 10 weeks, this is week 4! Profiles will include photos, planting information, and will highlight common pollinators of each plant.
Shoutouts
DUES: Linn Master Gardener Association (LCMGA) did not collect dues at the end of 2020. The Board has voted to resume collecting dues. Please pay your $15 dues by December 31st. Dues paid or post marked after December 31st are $18. You can pay with a credit card at:- www.LinnMasterGardeners.com. Put in the dues amount or any amount you wish to donate to LCMGA. As you go through the process and near the end, you will see an option to pay “without” a PayPal account. To learn more about being listed in the LCMGA directory and other reminders please click here.
Holiday closures (and no eNews the weeks of 12/20 or 12/27): Christmas Day Observed 12/24, New Years Day Observed 12/31
Volunteers needed
NEW! Love to grow veggies? Master Gardener volunteers are needed to provide advice for participants of the Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge. Note: The sign up is only open to MGs at this time. Please do not share with the public-thanks!
Must be a current Oregon Master Gardener volunteer (or a Master Gardener representing a county demonstration/educational garden).
You will be mailed 5 seed packets free of charge (cilantro, green onions, kale, mesclun lettuce mix, zinnias) to plant.
Must agree to give feedback on your growing process and results at least once—but as often as you want—during the Challenge. Feedback could include suggestions, comments, challenges and solutions, stories, photos, drawings or videos that we can share with others (with or without your name). You will receive an invitation to join our private discussion group—just for Master Gardeners—which will have monthly prompts and requests for your feedback. Report your active time spent on this project as Master Gardener volunteer hours (report as ‘community science’).
Hope you are able to join in! Questions? please reach out to Brooke Edmunds, OSU Extension, brooke.edmunds@oregonstate.edu
Continuing education: It’s nearly winter and most live events are on holiday. Take some ‘you time’ to learn something new in our huge library of recorded webinars.
NEW webinar:Trauma-Informed College Teaching: Prepare, Respond, Restore by Jeff Kenney, Ph.D. Have you ever had a fellow MGV or client respond negatively or shut down seemingly out of the blue? Or had this experience yourself? Understanding how common trauma is and how it affects adult learners can help community educators like us to reach more people and reduce barriers to learning. Though this webinar was made for college instructors, most lessons are valuable for MGVs and volunteer Extension educators. I, Elizabeth, got a lot out of this and would really recommend it for MGVs who regularly teach others.
Beevent and Through the Garden Gate are tentatively scheduled for 2022, format still TBD. That’s great news!
Master Gardener applications for 2022 are open, with a new more flexible schedule and sliding scale pricing. About 36% of applicants so far are from Linn County! Know someone who is ready to step up as a gardening educator or plant clinic researcher? They can find more information and apply HERE. Applications are coming in fast – folks who apply sooner have a better chance of joining us next year.
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.)
