Master Gardener Program : General Description

General Description

The master gardener program is an integral component of a county's outreach program in educating:

• home gardeners
• residents of nursing homes
• youth at schools
• youth in after-school programs
• physically and mentally challenged
• community gardeners
• consumers of horticultural products

Volunteers are trained through a course offered locally in the beginning of the year.  In exchange for training the volunteers agree to a small number of hours volunteering.  Volunteer's provide support in the CCE office answering gardener questions, help at special events, and provide general program support.( see position description)

The program also involves neighbors teaching neighbors about landscapes, vegetables, fruits, herbs, houseplants, beneficial and harmful insects, diseases, integrated pest management, wildlife management, soils, birds, composting, water conservation and much more.

The master gardeners become a corps of volunteers in New York state who are trained by CCE in the science and art of gardening and are involved in a nationwide educational program.

Projects

• answering horticultural inquiries on the telephone
• researching and answering letters
• writing articles about gardening
• setting up demonstration projects in public places
• school gardens
• community improvement projects
• historic garden restoration
• horticultural therapy
• organizing plant sales
• organizing public events
• couty fair informational booths
• providing advice to customers at garden centers
• increasing awareness of integrated pest management, water quality conservation and other environmental issues

Volunteer Application (Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF)

Contact Information:

Laura McDermott, Horticulture Educator, 746-2560

lgm4@cornell.edu 

Main Office Contact Info