“The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within.”
William Cullen Bryant
OSU Master Gardeners Impact Our Communities
Last month we highlighted the steadfast commitment of metro area Master Gardeners to serve the community and build their knowledge and skills as we navigated through another year of challenges.
Now read those highlights in the 2021 OSU Master Gardener Impact Report, and see the resolute spirit the OSU Master Gardener Program has throughout the state, to grow knowledge and grow reach, all in the midst of challenging times.
2022 OSU Master Gardener Impact Report
Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series Launches for 2022
It’s a new year and a new slate of free online learning webinars with Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series. Whether you want to learn better irrigation techniques, understand if clearing leaves in the fall is really good for garden insects or not, or if you get excited for all things roses, there’s a class for you!
Metro area Master Gardener, Dennis Brown, kicks off the series on Tuesday, February 8, 12noon
Presenting: ‘The Science and Practice of Seed Starting: Secrets to success when growing by seed’
This year’s schedule:
- February 8: The Science and Practice of Seed Starting: Secrets to success when growing by seed with Dennis Brown
- March 8: Local Beauties: Native Plants for Ecologically Enhanced Gardens and Landscapes with Nikkie West, Kathryn Prive and Rick Martinson
- April 12: Plant Grow Harvest Repeat: Succession Planting with Meg McAndrews Cowden
- May 10: Growing Great Roses! with Mark Windham
- June 14: Irrigation Choices and Design with Alec Kowalewski
- July 12: Best Ecological Ways to Control Pests with Silvia Rondon, Chris Hedstrom and Isaac Sandlin of the Oregon IPM Center
- August 9: Should You Leave Your Leaves? How autumn yard maintenance affects overwintering insects with Max Ferlauto
- September 13: Compost Can-do: develop a system that meets your needs with Linda Brewer
- October 11: Soil Fertility and Nutrient Cycling in Garden Beds & Home Landscapes with Gordon Jones
- November 8: TBA
Presenters for this year’s schedule include OSU faculty, as well as national research experts, authors and industry leaders. View the website for full descriptions of the 2022 workshops and presenters.
The closed-captioned webinars are broadcast via Zoom and streamed via our Facebook page the second Tuesday of the month, at noon, February through November 2022. This series is open to the public and OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers receive 1 Continuing Education Credit for each class. All webinars are recorded and will be available to view on our website within two weeks of airdate.
Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series is produced by a team of horticultural faculty and staff of the OSU Extension Master Gardener program. The series launched in 2021, engaging thousands of gardeners live, online and through recordings on the OSU Extension website. The program received the 2021 Oregon State University Extension Association (OSUEA) Search for Excellence award.
OSU Master Gardener Program’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Task Force
The first cohort of the statewide OSU Master Gardener Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) Task Force was launched last year. The Task Force includes over two dozen Master Gardener volunteers from around the state and seven Master Gardener program staff and faculty.
Read about the professional training and work of the Task Force Group in the 2022 OSU Master Gardener Impact Report which includes testimonials from Task Force Members.
Applications Being Accepted for 2022 JEDI Task Force Members
Excerpt from the OSU Extension Service Master Gardener Program News
Applications for the second cohort of Master Gardener JEDI Task Force Members are now being accepted. Click here to submit your application. Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2022. We are specifically seeking applications from Master Gardener volunteers, across the state of Oregon, who are
- committed to advancing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity with in the Master Gardener program.
- wanting to deepen their own understanding of inequities, historical racism, and colonialism within horticulture, Land Grant Institutions, and Oregon.
- able to make a 12 month commitment (April 2022 – March 2023), of 4-6 hours per month, for Task Force work.
- willing to be a bridge between the Task Force, and their local Master Gardener group, to ensure that the work that we do on the Task Force is brought back to county Master Gardener Programs.
JEDI stands for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity. Sometimes, we call ourselves the DEI Task Force. Sometimes, we call ourselves the JEDI Task Force, because frankly, the word ‘JEDI’ is both more representative of what we are trying to do, and is also more fun to say.
You can learn a bit more about the aims and structure of the JEDI Task Force, by visiting this post, from May 2021. Service on the Task Force can be counted towards your volunteer service requirement or recertification requirement.’
