Tag: Dam Proud Day

“I’m donating today on Dam Proud Day because I believe in supporting the things I care most about, and at the top of my list is the Master Gardener program.

I love plants and I love people. Master Gardening is a perfect combination! I have been a life-time educator, and my Extension service gives me the opportunity to continue my learning and give to my community. 

I especially enjoy working with young people. Children have a wonderful natural drive to ask questions and learn more. Their sense of wonder and intense desire to explore always keeps me on my toes. 

I think it’s important for everyone, of all ages and abilities, to have access to the natural environment and to be able to experience hands-on opportunities to discover how they fit into our world.  Garden education is important for us to understand who we are, where our food comes from and the importance of caring for other living things around us.”

Today is a rare opportunity for making a significant difference in supporting Seed to Supper and updating our Master Gardener curriculum. You can join Corinne’s giving, at any level, today on Dam Proud Day.
 
Challenge grants have been made to double our funds! Come check our progress and see the names of your fellow Master Gardeners who are committing to support this vitally important program. Will you add your name to the list?

Today is the day to act. 

Over the past month, you have heard the stories of Oregon State University’s Extension Master Gardener volunteers. Master Gardeners are neighbors, friends, and family members who volunteer their time to cultivate resilient and healthy communities through sustainable horticulture education and gardening projects that are rooted in science. Master Gardener volunteers work across the state in community gardens, at farmers markets, in schools, and online to support sustainable gardening success for all gardeners.

Today, you have an opportunity to help us continue this important work. For Oregon State University’s Dam Proud Day, we are fundraising to support the Seed to Supper Program and an update of our foundational textbook, the Sustainable Gardening Handbook. The Seed to Supper program is an introductory vegetable gardening course for beginning and low-income gardeners, that includes considerations for gardeners who don’t have easy access to land. Our Sustainable Gardening Handbook is the text used to teach new Master Gardener volunteers. We need to update this resource, to include advances in the science of sustainable gardening, as well as consideration of climate change impacts on Oregon gardeners.

Donations can be as low as $5. A symbolic gift of $50 recognizes the 50 years that the Master Gardener Program has been serving communities across the United States!

All together, all on one day. Every donation helps us get closer to our goal, and unlocking the FIVE challenge grant gifts that we have set up.

Please join us by making a gift to the Statewide Master Gardener Program fund for Dam Proud Day.

“I have been a gardener all my life so I have a strong connection with plants of all kinds! Growing up in Colorado and North Idaho, gardening was challenging! So when I moved to Oregon, the gloves were on and I was getting muddy! After several years of trial and error, mostly error, I became a Master Gardener in 2022. I had been seeking a strong community of sustainable gardeners that work with research-based materials and practices for many years. I have been more than pleased with the support and amazing resources available through OSU and look forward to being a part of the Master Gardner community for many years to come!

I am proud to be a part of teaching and sharing researched-based resources and knowledge with all ages as well as encouraging sustainable, organic gardening for generations to come. Seeing the smile on a person’s face when they learn something new, connect to the earth and their peers, or eat their first ripe fruit of the season (or ever) is the most amazing and rewarding sight! Bringing people back to their roots and teaching the many ways gardening brings joy and freedom is also extremely gratifying! 

With our changing climate and society, there is a large push to be more self-sufficient and green in the way we live our lives. I feel like it is a crucial time to spread knowledge and help people get familiar with their environment and innate abilities to grow at least some of their own food, medicine, and craft materials all while helping our natural environment begin to rebalance. Once empowered, I believe people feel more connected to their environment and have a newfound sense of pride and protection for that environment and themselves.”

—Jessi Frank, Lane County Master Gardener

This is but one of the many stories of the OSU Extension Master Gardener program we’re sharing this month in honor of Dam Proud Day. On April 26, Beavers everywhere will come together to support the things we do best: transformative educational experiences and life-changing research.
 
We are excited to be raising support specifically for our Seed to Supper program and updating our foundational resource, the “Sustainable Gardening Handbook” to reflect current knowledge. Please join us in gathering your friends and colleagues to give to support the Master Gardener Program on Dam Proud Day, at any donation level. See you (online) April 26th!

“Obtaining Master Gardener certification was my goal for a long time. While I’d gardened most of my adult life, I’d done so in climates much less daunting than that of Central Oregon. While I had learned a lot along the way, I wanted to deepen my understanding of horticultural science. Retirement gave me the time and high desert gardening challenges the impetus to finally pursue it. 

My neighborhood is in the wildland interface on the outskirts of Bend. I have taken what I’ve learned about firewise gardening in the past two years and rallied a group of neighbors into working toward Firewise USA certification. We have worked with our county forester, local fire department and city code department to bring about significant changes in how our common native areas are managed and are educating neighbors on firewise best practices in the design, plant selection and maintenance of their own landscapes.

Several factors related to climate change and drought complicate how any of us should approach gardening. Master Gardeners are increasingly aware of the numerous inconvenient contractions between best practices associated with water-wise, firewise, pollinator-friendly and native plants gardening. In addition to these new gardening challenges many homeowners are first-generation gardeners, eager to create a landscape without the benefit of having had a relative mentor to give them basic guidance. Master Gardeners play an essential role in helping our neighbors and community leaders make good, safe decisions that will help rather than hurt Mother Nature.”

—Deb Goodall, Central Oregon Master Gardener

This is but one of the many stories of the OSU Extension Master Gardener program we’re sharing this month in honor of Dam Proud Day. On April 26, Beavers everywhere will come together to support the things we do best: transformative educational experiences and life-changing research.
 
We are excited to be raising support specifically for our Seed to Supper program and updating our foundational resource, the “Sustainable Gardening Handbook” to reflect current knowledge. Please join us in gathering your friends and colleagues to give to support the Master Gardener Program on Dam Proud Day, at any donation level. See you (online) April 26th!

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“I’ve been a Master Gardener since 2010. I started about 10 years before I retired and have continued in retirement because it’s a way to give back to and strengthen the community. The Master Gardener program is a good outlet for my technical and professional skills. Professionally I was a manager of environmental projects for an engineering firm for 25 years. Academically, I have degrees in horticulture and the plant sciences. I use both skill sets as a Master Gardener. 

I work with historically underserved populations who have an interest in sustainable gardening, food security and resiliency, and environmental health. I’ve helped several organizations obtain grants to develop and provide sustainable gardening education programs. In some cases that involved helping an organization establish a garden and subsequently use it as an educational resource. 

I lead a team of five Master Gardeners delivering monthly Horticulture for Life classes at the Bybee Lakes Hope Center in North Portland.  The classes follow OSU’s Seed to Supper program. The Hope Center serves homeless men, women, and families with children and is operated by the Helping Hands Re-Entry Outreach Centers, which offer access to trauma-informed, data-driven, person-centered homeless services for the Portland Metro Area. VetREST, a non-profit whose mission is to mentor veterans while providing farming opportunities in safe and supportive environments, established a Victory Garden at the Hope Center in 2021. The Victory Garden encompasses about 3 acres of vegetable garden, orchard, blueberries and native plants. We created a Learning Garden in one part of the Victory Garden for the purpose of holding the Horticulture for Life classes. 

There was increased interest in gardening during the pandemic and many people have maintained that interest. Sustainable gardening is a great way to help people understand and appreciate how their thoughtful actions can help maintain soil health, water quality and environmental quality in general. 

I facilitated the Seed to Supper program when it was part of the Oregon Food Bank and brought the program to a community of immigrants, houseless and veterans. We also use it as the basis for our Horticulture for Life classes at the Bybee Lakes Hope Center. The Seed to Supper program is a great way to deliver information about low-cost gardening techniques.”

—Dennis Brown, Multnomah County Master Gardener

This is but one of the many stories of the OSU Extension Master Gardener program we’re sharing this month in honor of Dam Proud Day. On April 26, Beavers everywhere will come together to support the things we do best: transformative educational experiences and life-changing research.
 
We are excited to be raising support specifically for our Seed to Supper program and updating our foundational resource, the “Sustainable Gardening Handbook” to reflect current knowledge. Please join us in gathering your friends and colleagues to give to support the Master Gardener Program on Dam Proud Day, at any donation level. See you (online) April 26th!

“I grew up having to help my parents in a garden and for many years saw gardening as a source of drudgery and boredom. In young adulthood, I finally saw the positives of gardening when a garden with a friend actually fed us when we needed the food. Over the years I learned many joys of gardening and informally helped many friends and neighbors in various places with gardening challenges. After retiring from a teaching career, I took the MG course because I thought it would help me be a better gardener. I sort of ignored the part about being a Garden Educator. Once I got involved, I found being a Master Gardener meets many of my physical, intellectual, and social interests.”

I am most proud of…”Increasing my ability to help many people solve gardening challenges using research-based methods and knowledge. I also feel proud of the work we do through the county Demonstration Garden where we have grown and distributed thousands of pounds of food over the years to many people for who it makes a significant difference.”

“Food insecurity continues to grow as a serious issue in Oregon. Through playing a part in helping people develop the ability to feed themselves, we are a resource in addressing this serious concern.

In this era of changing climate, the need for research-based gardening advice that adapts to changing conditions will continue to be useful.”

This is but one of the many stories of the OSU Extension Master Gardener program we’re sharing this month in honor of Dam Proud Day. On April 26, Beavers everywhere will come together to support the things we do best: transformative educational experiences and life-changing research.
 
We are excited to be raising support specifically for our Seed to Supper program and updating our foundational resource, the “Sustainable Gardening Handbook” to reflect current knowledge. Please join us in gathering your friends and colleagues to give to support the Master Gardener Program on Dam Proud Day, at any donation level. See you (online) April 26th!

“I became a Master Gardener because of my own passion to garden.  I wanted to learn more about plants and gardening. I had seen the Master Gardener booths in the community, and regularly attended the Spring Garden Fair in Canby. I was impressed with the organization and wanted to join that community.
 
I take pride in being able to tell the stories for the organization through my photos, my work with the chapter as Clackamas County Master Gardener Association webmaster and social media admin. And also, being on the planning committee for the Spring Garden Fair, running publicity and taking photos of the event. It’s a source of pride to know that I help spread the word about our organization to so many in our community.
 
Information and education are the keys to success for just about any worthwhile endeavor. With so many changes happening around us many are turning to gardening to try and make sense of all this.  Some want to grow food, and some just want to make the world a more beautiful place one plant at a time. (like me!)  The Master Gardener organization provides so many tools for success, from free classes – in person and online, to hands on workshops, and programs that support community gardens. Events like our Spring Garden Fair, Incredible Edibles, and Gardenfest Plant sale all bring the public together with tools to get started in the garden from plants to free advice. The diversity of the demonstration gardens in our Metro area are just one more way we are reaching out and educating the public. It’s hard to imagine our community without these programs and events.”

This is but one of the many stories of the OSU Extension Master Gardener program we’re sharing this month in honor of Dam Proud Day. On April 26, Beavers everywhere will come together to support the things we do best: transformative educational experiences and life-changing research.
 
We are excited to be raising support specifically for our Seed to Supper program and updating our foundational resource, the “Sustainable Gardening Handbook” to reflect current knowledge. Please join us in gathering your friends and colleagues to give to support the Master Gardener Program on Dam Proud Day, at any donation level. See you (online) April 26th!

“I became a Master Gardener in 2006 after I retired from teaching with Portland Public Schools. I wanted to continue working in my community using my teaching skills with environmental organizations since I had a history of working years earlier in the summers with the United States Forest Service as a Field Technician and with Oregon State Department of Forestry in Fire Suppression.  I had always been interested in ecology, gardening, and environmental issues.
 
I am most proud of being able to share information about all manner of issues related to composting, native pollinators, native plants, lawn alternatives and Indigenous Peoples management of land resources. I do this with the general public including garden clubs and libraries and fellow Master Gardeners as well.
 
Master Gardeners are needed now more than ever to be tuned in to other members of the public who have been underrepresented in our organization. There is an ever-widening group of gardeners from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds who are very interested in learning more about growing their preferred plants and herbs in Oregon and to share their own garden expertise from growing plants native to their various countries and used in their daily meal preparations.
 
There are also other groups from the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities that are interested in becoming or already are Master Gardeners who deserve to have their interests represented and shared with current members and they may be tentative in sharing their experiences. I am an ally for trans and non-binary members of the community so I represent their interests in the Master Gardener organization as well.”

This is but one of the many stories of the OSU Extension Master Gardener program we’re sharing this month in honor of Dam Proud Day. On April 26, Beavers everywhere will come together to support the things we do best: transformative educational experiences and life-changing research.
 
We are excited to be raising support specifically for our Seed to Supper program and updating our foundational resource, the “Sustainable Gardening Handbook” to reflect current knowledge. Please join us in gathering your friends and colleagues to give to support the Master Gardener Program on Dam Proud Day, at any donation level. See you (online) April 26th!