“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.”
– Emily Brontë
‘Tis the Season for Master Gardener Annual Reporting
Autumn marks the season for annual reporting of volunteer service and continuing education hours for metro area OSU Master Gardeners. All current, certified, metro area Master Gardener volunteers received an email from Marcia McIntyre in September with a survey link to report their hours.
Note: for 2022 the 20-hour volunteer service requirement was waived. 10-hours of designated continuing education hours are required for Perennial Master Gardeners in 2022.
2020 and 2022 cohort members have an additional year to complete their Master Gardener training requirement of 40 hours of volunteer service but please take the time to respond to the survey.
A big shout out of thanks to all who have submitted your hours by answering the survey and uploading your log sheets. We love seeing where you are serving in the community.
For those who have yet to respond to the survey, please respond, so that you will be kept on the active, certified Master Gardener role. We have extended the deadline to October 31, 2022
In addition to this survey, we sent, via email, the annual Conditions of Volunteer Service document and a Standards of Youth Safety document. To make the process quick and easy, the documents were sent via DocuSign, from OSU Extension office specialist Catalina Santamaria.
Please answer the survey and return your signed Conditions of Volunteer Service form no later than Sunday, October 31, 2022.
Time remains to fulfill continuing education requirement
Annually 10-hours of designated continuing education hours are required for Perennial Master Gardeners to maintain certified status. For 2022, we have extended the deadline for fulfilling and reporting the required 10-hours of continuing education until October 31, 2022.
There is a great variety of designated continuing education opportunities to enrich and support you in your role as a garden educator. Opportunities include webinar recordings that can be accessed from the comfort of your home! So put your favorite streaming service aside and start binge watching some great designated, garden education presentations.
The following opportunities can be counted as ‘Continuing Garden Education’ hours for Perennial Master Gardeners and can serve as educational enrichment for 2020/2022 cohort trainees.
OSU Master Gardener Growing Oregon Gardens: Level Up Series –education for the experienced gardener led by OSU horticulture experts from across the state. Perennial MGs earn 1-hour continuing education credit. Great educational enrichment for 2020/2022 training cohorts.
Designated Master Gardener Association Speaker/Lecture Series/10-Minute U – Perennial MGs earn one hour recertification credit for each designated ‘continuing education’ Speaker/Lecture Series/10-Minute U Noon-time Chats, whether in-person, webinar or recording of a past webinar.
Look for continuing education designation of two asterisks **, indicating if a Speaker/Lecture Series recording counts as continuing education.
MG Study Group – Time spent participating in the Study Group sessions earn continuing education credit for Perennial MGs, and educational enrichment for 2020/2022 cohort trainees. Develop your skills identifying and understanding plant diseases, insects, spiders and more. The group meets twice a month via Zoom. All metro area Master Gardeners welcome. If interested in attending email: tricountymgstudygroup@gmail.com
Read! OSU Extension Service publications. – Perennial MGs earn continuing education credit reading an OSU Extension publication on home gardening topics and submitting a brief report about what you learned to Marcia McIntyre.
Fall Recertification Returns!
Our annual ‘Fall Recertification’ returns this November when we will host 4 webinars highlighting information to support you in your role as an OSU Master Gardener educator. Each webinar will count towards continuing education for 2023.
An invitation to register for the ‘Fall Recertification’ webinars of your choice will be sent out later in October.
Save the dates.
Wednesday, November 2, 6:30pm
Solve Pest Problems
with Weston Miller, metro area OSU Master Gardener Program manager
Thursday, November 3, 6:30pm
Introduction to Food Sovereignty
with Cecile Evans, 2020 Master Gardener cohort
Wednesday, November 9, 6:30pm
Emerald Ash Borer: ID the Pest, Signs, and Symptoms
with Alex Gorman, OSU Extension Service, Forestry & Natural Resources
Thursday, November 10, 6:30pm
Native Plants for Gardens and Pollinators
with Dr. Gail Langellotto, Oregon Master Gardener Program Manager
Master Gardener Trivia
Open to Master Gardeners throughout Oregon this fall and winter, join us once a month for an evening of multiple-choice trivia, all online. With 50 questions per session, learn about timely gardening topics, have fun, and earn valuable prizes.
Each session is good for one-hour Continuing Education Credit in the Master Gardener program.
How it works
Register below for each night you plan to play. Then the night of the event, join via Zoom, and play along via the trivia app “Slido” on your phone or computer. Instructions will be sent upon registration.
There are prizes
- Valuable prizes each session!
- 1st place: $100 gift certificate*
- 2nd place: $50 gift certificate*
- 3rd place $25 gift certificate
*Gift certificates to mail-order garden companies in the PNW such as Territorial Seed Company, Conifer Kingdom, Heirloom Roses, Noname Nursery, etc. Winners will receive gift certificates approximately one week after each event.
The whole schedule (separate registration for each):
- November 17, 2022, 6-7pm, Bad Ash Bugs: Invasive and wood-boring insects of the PNW
- December 15, 2022, 6-7pm, Nectar Robbers and Ambush Bugs: Lesser-known friends of the garden
- January 19, 2023, 6-7pm, Vegetable Victories: Successful food gardening
- February 16, 2023, 6-7pm, Being Fruitful: Managing orchard and small fruit challenges
Questions? Contact Nicole Sanchez at nicole.sanchez@oregonstate.edu
Metro-area Master Gardeners Recognized for Their Service
Each year the three metro area county associations nominate and designate members for special recognition, through an Oregon Master Gardener Association (OMGA) nomination.
We enthusiastically congratulate and extend our sincere gratitude to the following individuals who are being recognized for their extensive contributions as an OSU Master Gardener volunteer!
Sherry Sheng – OSU Behind the Scenes Master Gardener of the Year!
We are excited to share that Sherry Sheng has been recognized as the 2022 OSU Behind-the-Scenes Master Gardener of the Year! Sherry’s deep commitment to providing quality education to all those interested in gardening is evident in her thousands of hours of volunteer service (logging over 7,500 hours the past 17 years). Sherry has led the Clackamas County Master Gardener Association’s, highly successful, 10-Minute University Program for 12 years. With the onset of the pandemic, Sherry realized a deep public need and led the launch of a noontime chat webinar series that engaged over 7,000 viewers from around the world. Sherry is a generous supporter and champion of the OSU Master Gardener Program. We are extremely grateful to Sherry for her many years of generous leadership and service! We extend hearty congratulations to Sherry for this well-deserved recognition!
Clackamas County Master Gardener Association
Clackamas County Master Gardener of the Year
If you know about the Clackamas County Master Gardener Association’s (CCMGA) events and community education opportunities, it is most likely due to the dedicated efforts of Sharon Andrews. Sharon became a Master Gardener in 2009 and since then she has communicated gardening knowledge and information throughout the Clackamas chapter, the local community and across the country. Her skills in social media, print media, web development and event promotion have helped elevate the CCMGA, including the iconic Spring Garden Fair. She also serves as an OSU Master Gardener educator at the Pioneer Gardens at the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.
Multnomah County Master Gardener Association
Multonomah County Master Gardener of the Year
Dennis Brown is a dedicated Master Gardener who clearly understands the mission and values of the Master Gardener program by educating and inspiring both Master Gardeners and the public. Dennis has initiated innovative partnerships with community organizations developing garden curriculum for under-served communities. Most recently Dennis has been working with individuals experiencing houselessness at the Bybee Lake Hope Center. Dennis makes dozens of gardening presentations annually to community groups and libraries including city of Portland Fix-it Fair, and both the metro area OSU Master Gardener program, and the statewide Growing Oregon Gardeners webinar series.
Multnomah County Behind the Scenes
The challenges and the constraints of the pandemic did not deter Cheryl Brock, who created, developed and implemented a successful educational outreach with the Garden Grow Kit project. The project provided garlic and/or seeds to gardeners and included research-based information and resources to support their success. The project was funded with a Garden Education Grant from the MCMGA. Garden kits were distributed to community gardens with the goal of reaching diverse and under-served community members. In her four years as a Master Gardener, Cheryl is keenly focused on educating others with solid garden guidance.
Washington County Master Gardener Association
Washington County Master Gardener of the Year
Pat Simmons views change as an opportunity, not a roadblock. Through her leadership, a new model for education and fundraising successfully developed and launched for the Washington County Master Gardener Association (WCMGA). Gardenfest! was not only financially successful and well attended, but also engaged 75% of the WCMGA membership. Pat has secured grants and donations, established online sales platforms and assisted in rewriting chapter bylaws and strategic planning. In addition, she established the plant propagation team and served on the board and as OMGA alternative representative.
Washington County Behind the Scenes Master Gardener of the Year
WCMGA Behind-the-Scenes Master Gardener of the Year
During Shirley Wolcott’s five years as an OSU Master Gardener, she has served on the WCMGA board, established a monthly recognition program and welcome program for volunteers, and helped survey new members for their skills and interests. She has helped research questions asked by the public to be used as a teaching aid for members. She leads the plant propagation committee and taught Seed to Supper for two years.
Oregon Master Gardener Association News
The Oregon Master Gardener Association’s (OMGA’s) fall issue of the ‘Gardener’s Pen’ newsletter is posted for your reading pleasure. Check out the important updates on the OMGA’s advocacy for improving funding for the Master Gardener Program. https://omga.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Fall2022GardenersPen.pdf
Check out past issues of the Gardener’s Pen HERE.
