Green Blog
Volunteer Spotlight: Master Gardeners
The Clark County Board has proclaimed the week of September 23-29 as the WSU Master Gardener Volunteer Week! This proclamation recognizes the Master Gardeners, a local group of individuals "with a passion for gardening and environmental stewardship," states Program Coordinator Erika Johnson. "They educate children, put on workshops, participate in outreach events, and have an answer clinic at Heritage Farm," she explained, "and in the process, are influencing thousands of people each year."
To date, the Master Gardener Program boasts over 250 volunteers, providing over 18,000 hours of community service in 2017. Last year also included 69 gardening workshops, 62 outreach events, and 81 visits to senior and assisted living center gardens. For this monumental effort, each year the governor proclaims a Master Gardener Week, to highlight and appreciate the Gardener's work.
"We're doing Master Gardener training right now," says Johnson, "so we have 51 people that are in training." After completing their training, Gardeners enter a year of internship where they serve 50 volunteer hours, after which they can move on to host their own presentations and forms of outreach.
Also coming up is the Master Gardener's Second Annual Seed Bulb and Plant Swap, on Saturday October 6 from 10am-1pm at the Wildlife Botanical Gardens, 11000 NE 149th St., Brush Prairie. Bring your leftover seeds, and swap them out for new ones! Just make sure they're labeled, well-watered, non-invasive, and pest-free.
Want to join the Master Gardeners? Learn about upcoming trainings, how to apply, and more on their website. You can also sign up for their newsletter to get quarterly updates of The Garden News.
