April 12-18 is National Volunteer Week #NVW. Boost! team member, Gretchen McLaurin sheds a light on her volunteer experience.
What is a Master Gardener volunteer? It’s all about roses and strawberries, right?
Nope. The purpose of the Master Gardener program is to train volunteers to be “effective community educators in gardening and environmental stewardship.” Channeling research and education from university systems, the Master Gardeners provide a vital link between commercial and consumer horticultural practices.
As a Master Gardener, I am a Volunteer Community Educator, cultivating plants, people, and communities. Since I started, the program has continued to flourish. Founded in 1972 by the Washington State University Cooperative Extension in the greater Seattle area, the Master Gardener volunteer corps has truly taken root. As of 2009, we were 95,000 strong and counting more than 5.2 million annual volunteer hours. Given the growing interest in urban horticulture, food security and local farming, the Master Gardener (MG) community grows and thrives in new and unexpected ways.
Want to make a difference? Get your hands in the dirt
The most exciting component of the program is the positive impact it has on a community. As one example, in 2009, 700,000 pounds of produce grown in demonstration gardens was donated to local food banks—which are also run by countless, dedicated volunteers!
I’ve dedicated most of my volunteer hours to helping kids. I worked with middle schoolers who were growing their own gardens as part of a science curriculum. This was a fully integrated and —more important — fun approach. The goal was to teach kids science and math by getting their hands in the dirt. They planned garden plots, calculated growth rates, read seed packets and learned about fertilization and pest management.
This is just one part of the big picture. The Master Gardener program is diverse and there is a horticulture outlet for everyone. Volunteers teach local community science-based garden management techniques focused on sustainability and environmental and social priorities. They are also advocates for reducing the impact of invasive species and healthy living. If you’re looking for a way to give back to the community by doing something you love, consider becoming a Master Gardener!
Recent Comments