Warm Winter Wishes and Utmost Gratitude!
As 2022 nears its end, we want to take the opportunity to extend warm winter wishes and our utmost gratitude for your dedicated service as OSU Extension Service Master Gardeners. Thank you for your selfless commitment educating others in successful and sustainable gardening practices.
This year as we transitioned back to familiar, favorite, and new favorite volunteer opportunities know that your efforts have positively impacted so many in our community! Thank you!
We look forward to seeing you in the New Year, as you continue to share your passion for education and gardening!
Annual reporting, stickers and badges. Oh my!
Thank you to all who have submitted the annual required forms and reported your continuing education and volunteer service hours for 2022! As we transitioned back to in-person volunteer opportunities, you rose to the challenge generously supporting our communities with valuable gardening guidance and leveling up your knowledge by diving into a wide range of continuing education opportunities! Kudos to one and all!
For those who have fulfilled the requirements to maintain their status as an active and “current” Master Gardener you will receive a 2023 Recertification sticker to proudly display on your MG badge in mid-January. The sticker is a designation that you are current and up-to-date, having completed all annual requirements.
Perennial MGs who have fulfilled the 10-hour continuing education requirement and have submitted the required forms will be sent their 2023 MG sticker in January. For Perennial MGs still needing to complete their annual 10-hours of continuing education please refer to the September/October newsletter for designated continuing education opportunities and also see the information in the article below regarding recordings of our Fall Recertification webinars.
2020 and 2022 cohort members who have completed their Master Gardener training requirements will receive our hearty congratulation and their shining new OSU Master Gardener badge in January.
All 2020 and 2022 cohort members who have submitted the annual required forms will be sent (in January) a 2023 Master Gardener sticker to be displayed on their new OSU Master Gardener badge or if still working toward meeting the training requirements, displayed on their cohort training badge.
Review OSU Master Gardener annual requirements and Master Gardener training requirements here.
Fall Recertification’s Reprise Informs
In November, we enjoyed the reprise of our Fall Recertification with 4 webinars focusing on information to support you in your role as garden educators. Many thanks to our presenters, Cecile Evans, Dr. Gail Langellotto, OSU Master Gardener Program Manager, Alex Gorman, OSU Forestry and our very own Weston Miller, who all provided thoughtful, informative presentations.
If you were unable to attend, you can view recordings of three of the presentations here.
Stellar Hands-on Workshops
To enrich our 2022 OSU Extension Service Master Gardener training, we ventured into the garden and offered 36 hands-on workshops for Master Gardener trainees. Nineteen garden-focused topics were presented that ranged from ‘Insect Identification’ to ‘Gardening for Wildlife’.
Photo courtesy of Eddie Rosen
The workshops were made possible all thanks to a team of experienced Master Gardener volunteers who developed and delivered the engaging hands-on instruction. 388 class slots were filled. Participants shared their appreciation for the hands-on opportunity, “The instructors were top-notch”, “I loved being in the garden, seeing plant pests and diseases up-close”.
A special shout-out of gratitude to Susan Albright, Sherry Sheng, and Corinne Thomas-Kersting for their time and efforts coordinating and guiding the development of the Hands-on Workshop curriculum in their county’s.
These science-based workshops support our Master Gardener training cohort members in serving as effective community educators.
Hearty thanks to these metro area OSU Master Gardeners who volunteered their time to plan and deliver 36 fantastic hands-on learning opportunities…
Louise Adams
Karen Anderson
Marlene Andrejco
Susan Barnett
Rich Becker
Fran Beebe
Marie Blacklidge
Cheryl Borden
Dennis Brown
Cheryl Brock
Eric Butler
Sally Campbell
Jane Collier
Mike Collins
Al Didier
Helen Dorbolo
Laura Eyer
Marilyn Frankel
Eve Freeman
Linda Goldser
Claudia Groth
Linda Haas
Lisa Hansen
Jen Hazen
Carole Hardy
Mary Hewitt
Larina Hoffbeck
Sherry Holley
Will Hughes
John Jordan
Sue Karstad
Steve Kister
Kathy Krentz
Kasey Marks
Barbara McCanne
Martha Mealy
Libby Merwin
Nancy Muir
Tamara Newton-Baker
Heidi Nichols
Peg O’Rourke
Kirk Peterson
Bette Pierce
Leah Puhlman
Priscilla Robinson
Eddie Rosen
Sue Ryburn
Barb Seekins
Jack Shorr
Linda Souba
Iliana Tovar
Shirley Wolcott
Youth Garden Education Volunteer Opportunity
Do you enjoy teaching garden-focused classes to youth? Do you have interest in going into school classrooms and/or school gardens to teach, fun, engaging garden concepts? We are looking for a team of Master Gardener volunteers interested in school outreach.
Every year we receive multiple requests for Master Gardeners to teach at area schools and with these requests we have realized the need to have prepared ‘garden education kits’ which Master Gardener volunteers can easily take into classrooms and school gardens to deliver focused and engaging garden education curriculum.
In anticipation of school requests in the coming year, we are seeking Master Gardeners interested in participating in teaching youth. Master Gardeners would teach alongside a fellow MG volunteer. In advance of signing up to teach a specific class there will be an orientation to familiarize all volunteers with the ‘garden kit’ curriculum, along with completion of a criminal history check which is required by OSU for volunteers teaching youth.
A small yet mighty committee of metro area Master Gardeners have developed seven ‘garden education kits’ to launch this project.
The topics include:
- Calling All Pollinators
- Invertebrates/Vertebrates In the Garden
- Some Insects are Heroes
- What Makes an Insect an Insect
- Wonderful Worms
Each kit includes learning objectives and an outline for delivering the class, including activities, and supplies. Volunteer time designated as ‘Program’ hours.
If you are interested in serving as a garden educator, alongside another metro area Master Gardener at area schools, please contact Marcia McIntyre.
Sincere thanks to the Education Outreach committee for developing these engaging and valuable lesson plans: Cheryl Borden, Cheryl Brock, Jane Collier, Larina Hoffbeck, Jack Lazareck, Corinne Thomas-Kersting, and Hope Preston.
New! Valuable Pest Management Resource
After several years of extensive planning, collaboration, and fine-tuned development, a user-friendly, science-based, online resource to help urban and rural communities to solve pest problems is now a reality! In partnership with OSU and Oregon stakeholders, Solve Pest Problems launched this fall with 50+ web pages focused on high-priority pests, pesticide safety, and pesticide risk reduction methods.
The project led by the vision of our very own metro area OSU Master Gardener Program manager, Weston Miller, prioritizes low-risk pest management approaches. The content focuses on topics to help Oregonians and anyone in the Pacific Northwest solve common pest problems.
Solve Pest Problems has hundreds of high-quality color photos to correctly identify pests, along with practical prevention and control methods. With it’s science-based solutions it will serve as an invaluable resource for Master Gardeners guiding and supporting Oregon gardeners in successful and sustainable gardening practices.
Be sure to explore the site to discover more about this useful resource. If you missed Weston’s Fall Recertification presentation highlighting details about Solve Pest Problems, you can view the recording.
OSU Extension Service Master Gardener Program News
Read the latest state-wide Master Gardener Program updates on the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program News blog. November updates share how diversity, equity and inclusion work is going for the Master Gardener Program and how we are growing who we are, who we serve and steps to creating a community where everyone belongs. Read all the details here.
Winter Master Gardener Trivia
Master Gardener Trivia continues into the New Year in January and February. Open to Master Gardeners throughout Oregon, join-in for an evening of multiple-choice trivia, online. With 50 questions per session, learn about timely gardening topics, have fun, and earn valuable prizes.
Our metro area Master Gardeners fared well this fall with 2 prize winners! Congrats Megan and Rhonda!
Each session qualifies for one-hour Master Gardener Continuing Education credit.
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.
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.
Register at the following links
- January 19, 2023, 6-7pm, Vegetable Victories: Successful food gardening
- February 16, 2023, 6-7pm, Being Fruitful: Managing orchard and small fruit challenges
Oregon Season Trackers
Master Gardeners, are you interested in honing your observation skills to be a part of an important community science network? Join in to learn about Oregon Season Tracker, an Oregon State University Extension program. Volunteer observers across the state contribute to a network of data collection on precipitation and plant phenology by monitoring rain gauges and observing native plants in their backyards, farms, woodlands, and schools.
Earn volunteer service hours while supporting this valuable program and learning more about your local environment. Register for one of two upcoming informational webinars to learn more.
