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.
A call to action for gardeners: Dirt! The Movie screening! As part of OSU’s 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration 2023, the OSU Extension Master Gardener program is proud to host an online movie screening of Dirt! The Movie.
We’ll be screening the movie online with an opportunity to chat with other attendees throughout the movie. No registration required. Free. Report this experience for continuing education – when you log your time, include your reflections on the three questions found HERE.
Shout outs
From Gail Langelotto, Statewide Program Coordinator: “July 2023 will mark my 16-year anniversary at Oregon State University (OSU). I’ve loved my time working in the Master Gardener Program. But, it is time to move on to new opportunities. I will be staying at OSU, where I will be transitioning to a research/teaching position on July 1st. The change will give me time to focus on my research with the OSU Garden Ecology Lab, and to pursue some novel opportunities in supporting native plant producers, hydroponics, insect husbandry, urban agriculture, and environmental microbiomes . . . all of which are super interesting, but not directly germane to the work of the Master Gardener program… As I look back on my time in the Master Gardener Program, I am both proud of the work that I have done, and excited for what is yet to come.” Read the post.
Saturday! – Seed Swap at the Albany Library Jan 14, 2023. Help people select seeds and answer garden questions at this fun event. Assist with set up and clean up. Learn more and sign up.
Saturday training session!Plant Problem Scenarios 2023-Calling all returning 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. Working on recertification? Collaborate with a certified peer volunteer and earn the direct service hours you need. 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. Learn more and sign up HERE.
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.
LCMGA News
Save the date – 9th Annual BEEvent. 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
Volunteer opportunities
New – BEEvent! March 4, 2023. The committee is still looking for some additional helpers. Learn more and RSVP.
New – Learn About the Oregon Season Tracker Program! Are you interested in how the seasons change throughout Oregon? The OSU Extension Oregon Season Tracker program engages volunteer observers across the state who report their local precipitation patterns and plant phenology by monitoring rain gauges and observing native plants in their backyards, farms, woodlands, and schools. Join us to learn more about the Oregon Season Tracker community science program – including how the data contributions help climate science researchers in Oregon and beyond and how you can volunteer! Webinars will be hosted on January 24, 2-3 pm, and January 26, 6-7 pm. Learn more and register at: https://beav.es/5BV. A recording will be sent out to those who register but are unable to attend, for any questions please contact Sarah at sarah.cameron@oregonstate.edu. Report service as Citizen Science: indirect.
GARDEN EDUCATION CLASSES Help develop gardening classes at the Demo Garden for 2023. We have two beds set aside at the Demo Garden and two beds at Willamette Community Garden to use to teach gardening classes. Classes will start in early 2023 and will be similar to Seed to Supper but with a hands-on approach. Want to help design the classes email me, Betty at goergenb@gmail.com. Perfect way to earn Direct Education hours.
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”.
Growing Oregon Gardeners – Level Up 2022:watch recordings 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.)
Soil Amendment Sale: Order soil amendments and feed the microbes, fungi, and other members of the soil micro-herd, who will in turn help feed your plants and give you a bountiful harvest! We also offer a wide selection of propagation supplies, organic pest controls, cover crop seeds, and poultry/livestock supplies. Order with us to get bulk pricing and save on freight charges. We’ll group your order with those of other local farmers and gardeners so we all share in the savings. Proceeds help support Ten Rivers Food Web.
Order online: Through January 31st.
Pick up your items: March 4th at the Benton County Fairgrounds
