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Would
you like to be a Master Gardener? Have you thought about becoming a Master Gardener? If you love learning about gardening and would like to share your knowledge with others, the Master Gardeners of Tulare & Kings counties offer you the opportunity to use your knowledge to serve our community. A new class will be starting in January 2004 and now is the time to request an application. To become a certified Master Gardener (MG) one must participate in a training program, pass an exam, become an intern and complete their volunteer work. To remain certified there are annual educational and volunteer requirements. Although it sounds like a lot of work, it really is fun. Pre-requisites: MGs share a number of qualities. They are enthusiastic, willing to learn and help others and able to communicate with diverse groups of people. Experience and background in gardening are pre-requisites as is having enough time to volunteer. Who are MGs? A MG is a "formal volunteer" of the University of California. In California a MG is trained by UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisors, whose major focus is making agricultural research available to the farming community. The mission of the Master Gardeners is to extend to the gardening public the research-based information produced by the University through a range of volunteer activities. This national program offers intensive training in horticulture. In 17-three hour sessions, participants will learn from University and horticultural experts about a wide variety of gardening topics including flowers, houseplants, vegetable gardening, fruit and landscape trees, lawns, diseases, insects, weeds, soils and water, pesticides, and other related topics. Upon completion of the course work and exam, the participants will be MG Interns. Following 50 plus hours of volunteer work and 12 additional hours of continuing education within the first year, they will become a Certified MG. To remain certified there are annual volunteer and continuing education commitments. So how do MGs of Tulare & Kings Counties provide gardening information by volunteering in the community? First, they have offices in Visalia and Hanford with office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. MGs answer plant and garden questions, in person or by telephone, on topics including diagnosing plant problems, integrated pest management, pruning, what to plant, and so on. When they don't know the answer, they research the question and call back. MGs hold plant clinics at local nurseries, libraries, and other popular locations, which allows the gardening public to get personal answers to their questions. Perhaps you've attended one of our rose or tree pruning demonstrations? MGs also give speeches at local gardening clubs, make presentations at trade shows and expositions, and write this weekly newspaper column on a variety of gardening topics. MG Program History: The first MG program was started in 1972 in the state of Washington. Since then, MG programs have spread all across the United States and into Canada and now have over 50,000 volunteers. The MG program is a major time commitment, but volunteers stay loyal because they continue to learn more about their favorite hobby and they make new friends every year. Most MGs have a real passion for gardening and like to share it through volunteer activities. Everyone continues to learn more and finds that the program enriches their lives. Get your application: If the MG program sounds like it may be for you, then now is the time to volunteer. The next training program for Tulare and Kings Counties is scheduled to start in January 2004. Classes will be from 8:45 to 11:45 a.m. on Wednesdays from January 21 through June 9, 2004 at the Agricultural Building auditorium in Tulare. Applications are due by November 21, 2003. If you are accepted into the training class, the program registration fee is approximately $50.00, which pays for the course text books and materials. To request an application or for more information call the UC
Cooperative Extension Office in Tulare at (559) 685-3303, or in
Hanford at 582-3211, ext 1-2730. You can also download an application
from the MG website. http://cetulare.ucdavis.edu/mg/who.htm. October 23, 2003 |