In the News - October 2008
Gardening volunteers to celebrate 20th birthday
LITTLE ROCK - Master Gardeners are celebrating 20 years of helping Arkansas
gardeners. These trained volunteers gave 161,068 hours of their time conducting
service projects as well as attending recertification classes in 2007.
The Master Gardener program began in Arkansas in 1988 with four counties
participating in the initial training. These four counties were Pulaski, Saline,
Jefferson and Garland with 30 people attending the training.
"What began with 30 people from four counties has grown to 2,299 trained
volunteers from 60 counties," says Janet Carson, coordinator of the state Master
Gardener program and University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture horticulture
specialist.
Arkansas Master Gardeners sponsor events that support youth gardening, plant
therapy work with hospitals and nursing homes, city beautification and
horticulture information.
"One of the larger projects Master Gardeners help sponsor is the annual
Arkansas Flower and Garden Show in Little Rock," Carson says. "This event is
coordinated with the help of Master Gardeners, who staff the show. The show
averages 10,000 people each year."
This group of gardening volunteers also holds an annual state meeting hosted
and coordinated by a different local program each year. The two-day event
includes workshops, seminars and tours of private and public gardens.
Beth Phelps, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture extension agent
and staff chairman for Pulaski County, says the Master Gardener program has had
an enormous impact on the state over the past 20 years.
"Master Gardeners volunteer in county offices to answer thousands of
gardening questions every year," Phelps says. "Also, because this group is
constantly learning, the public is learning as well. The state has also
benefited from numerous community demonstration and beautification projects."
County groups partner with others in their communities to work on their projects
so they get great exposure to their community leaders.
The program has grown beyond volunteer work in the past 20 years. One
addition is County 76. County 76 is a state level organization designed to
replace the original state advisory board. It uses the county extension program
process as its organizational model. County 76 members act as state staff, help
set organizational policy and provide guidance to the county Master Gardener
programs. County 76 projects focus on organizational, leadership and general
management issues.
The Garden Voice is the second addition to the state Master Gardener program.
"The goal of The Garden Voice is to give Master Gardeners the tools they need
to continue the educational aspect of their training," says Carson. The first
training of The Garden Voice took place this past August and focused on news
writing, graphic design, photography and developing PowerPoint presentations.
A birthday party will take place Monday, October 13 at the C.A. Vines
Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale for all Master Gardeners. The group will hear
from Carson and Melinda Myers, who specializes in gardening in small spaces. The
celebration is occurring on the same day the first class of Master Gardener
volunteers graduated from the program.
October 10, 2008
Elizabeth Fortune
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2120
efortune@uaex.edu
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
Related Link
Request an Interview
|
