Spring has returned.
The Earth is like a child that knows poems.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke
Yes, spring is in the air! With the first day of spring nearing it is time to dust off your OSU Master Gardener badge and get ready for a new slate of MG activities and volunteer opportunities.
Time to reach out and engage in the myriad of Master Gardener clinics, projects and special events. Return to your favorite Master Gardener activity or try something new! Look for opportunities on CERVIS and in upcoming newsletters and emails. New MG clinics and events are added every week.
2020 Master Gardener trainees you will have the opportunity to learn about the many volunteer opportunities, week #7 – following which you will be able to register for the activities of your choice.
2020 Master Gardener: In-class Training Home Stretch!
Our 2020 Master Gardener training is humming down the home stretch with just two weeks remaining of our in-class training. We are grateful to our team of inspiring instructors and extend our hearty thanks to the teams of Perennial MG volunteer coordinators at our three sites!
To our 2020 class of trainees. We are excited to have you joining our program of committed garden educators. Soon you will be out in the community actively practicing and sharing your newfound knowledge.
Possibilities will abound with a wide-range of volunteer opportunities. You will hear about the many OSU approved offerings during week #7 of class. We hope you will dig in, have fun, and share your passion for gardening with fellow MGs and the gardening public. This is an opportunity to further your garden education and to gain confidence in teaching others how to sustainably and successfully garden.
Key Training Details for 2020 MG Interns:
- Complete the three required training modules plus the corresponding quizzes, and two additional modules of your choice, along with the quizzes, by March 31, 2020.
- Complete the online final exam by March 31, 2020. The exam will be available starting March 15th. Please, allocate three to five hours to complete this online learning experience. You can stop and start the exam, and you can complete the exam in multiple sessions (be sure to save your work). A score of 70 percent or more is required on the test in order to start volunteering at Master Gardener clinic activities (answering the public’s garden questions). You will receive a grade on the exam upon submission via Canvas. The exam is open book. Feel free to refer to your online modules, Sustainable Gardening Handbook, in-class handouts, and confer with your fellow trainees.
- For best selection, be sure to sign-up for your one required Workshop before March 31st. Soon after that date, the Workshop schedule will open to all Master Gardeners and the offerings will fill quickly. You can sign up for up to two workshops. Workshop sign-up will open on Saturday, March 7.
- Hear about the many volunteer opportunities during Week #7. This will be your opportunity to meet the volunteer coordinators and learn how to sign-up for volunteer activities via CERVIS (our online volunteer system). You will have access to sign-up for the volunteer activities starting, March 14.
Special Message for “Perennial Master Gardeners”
Perennial Master Gardeners, please join-in welcoming and guiding our new class of eager Master Gardener trainees by signing up for shifts at the Master Gardener phone clinics, area farmers markets, and other remote clinics. We hope to have one Perennial MG scheduled for each shift – to be there to support and guide Interns in their new role as a garden educator.
To sign up for phone, farmer’s markets, and remote clinic shifts go to CERVIS or contact the coordinator.
When signing up for CERVIS be sure to only sign-up for slots labeled “Perennial” in the next 2 months. We want to give the Interns many opportunities to find slots at a variety of activities.
All ‘current’ certified 2020 Perennial Master Gardeners have access to CERVIS. If you are unable to access CERVIS, please contact Marcia McIntyre marcia.mcintyre@oregonstate.edu
2020 trainees, you will have access to CERVIS on Saturday, March 15th, after the week #7 Resource Fair.
2020 Master Gardener Advanced Training Webinars
The ever popular OSU Extension Service Master Gardener Advanced Training Webinars are starting up for 2020. This month, Dr. Gail Langellotto, OSU Department of Horticulture, and our state-wide Master Gardener coordinator will present “Updates from the Garden Ecology Lab”, on Tuesday, March 17, 10AM.
Gail will share updates on the very latest research coming out of the OSU Garden Ecology Lab. Learn about efforts to create an urban bee guide, updates on identifying native plants that pollinators love the best, and meet the hardworking team of student research and faculty in the OSU Garden Ecology Lab.
The webinars are free and anyone is welcome to participate. Pre-register here. Note: the presentation will be recorded. If you can’t view the live webinar, a recording will be available a week or so after the event.
If you missed any previous webinars from previous years the links are below for your viewing pleasure.
Each webinar viewed counts as 1-hour continuing education credit for Perennial Master Gardeners.
2019 Webinar Series https://beav.es/ZLx
2018 Webinar Series https://beav.es/45z
2017 Webinar Series https://beav.es/45K
Get Ready! It’s Plant Sale Season!
Our supporting associations the Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington County Chapters of the Oregon Master Gardener Association are serving up plant sales galore! Be sure to mark your calendars to join in the fun volunteering and shopping to your heart’s content! Plant sale coordinators will be at Master Gardener training Week #7, in the afternoon, to sign-up volunteers or contact the individual Chapters for more information.
