Volunteer Opp's Bulletin
June 2019 || Volume 5 Issue 5
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In This Month's Edition of Vol Opp's:
- Activity Spotlights:
- Florence Community Garden Makes Big Changes
- Baldwin County MGs Have Been Busy
- Coffee County MG Recognition
- Volunteers Needed For The MG Helpline
- Lab update: Invasive Plant Problems
- Lunch And Learn Schedule
- Upcoming Events and Announcements
- Upcoming Plant Sales
- Lee Co Volunteers Needed
- Batty For Bats 2019 Webinar Series
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The Florence Community Garden was renamed in 2017 to “Pat’s Place." The purpose of re-branding was for two reasons. The first was to honor Pat Butler (former Shoals Master Gardener and Community volunteer) who passed away before she accomplished her dream of improving the planet for everyone. Her vision is survived by her husband Macarthur, who is still giving to the community through this garden to this day. The second reason for the change was to move away from the perception that the food harvested was for the whole community, not the individual gardeners. Individuals and organizations register to have assigned beds each year. It has grown popular enough to have a waiting list. Each year the harvest is weighed and reported. We have consistently reported over 1,800 pounds of food harvested each year.
The photo on the right is of gardener Kyle Littleton who loves to garden and enjoys the garden therapy time when his care giver brings him on Thursdays.
The photo on the left is of 2019 Interns Barbara Walthour and Martha Mastrangeli along with gardener Maple Garner.
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"Reach for the Stars" recognizes Master Gardeners for their community education projects. They have volunteered in activities such as Speakers Bureau, Lunch & Learn, Farm City, 4H events, and Groundwater Fest. Coffee County Master Gardeners Association members were recently recognized for their volunteer hours in 2018: Bronze Star is 100 to 299 hours; Gold Badge is 1,000 to 1,999 hours. Pictured (from left) CCMGA President Ed Speigner; Carole Lolley (Gold Badge); Maggie Sickler (Gold Badge); Brenda Evans (Gold Badge); Marylou Crush (Bronze Star); Rodney Peneul (Bronze Star) and CCMGA Membership/Award Chairperson Vanessa Allen, who presented the Star Awards.
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Baldwin County Master Gardeners have been very active in the community this spring. To begin, a major plant sale was hosted over three days at Weeks Bay near Fairhope. The proceeds from the sale will go toward funding the $10,000 in college scholarships offered to Baldwin County residents going into horticultural fields of study. May 4th began the one day public Garden Walk that included eight possible gardens to visit in Foley and Magnolia Springs. On May 16th, a luncheon for ESPA (Extension Support Personnel Association) was held at Auburn Experimental Farm in Fairhope.
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Helpline Volunteers Needed!
Do you know your stuff when it comes to gardening? Have you got a passion for helping others? Wouldn't it be fun to learn things you didn't know while helping others?
If you said yes to any of those questions, please volunteer to work the Alabama Master Gardener Helpline. Volunteers are needed in the following counties: Autauga, Elmore, Lee, Montgomery, Jefferson, Chilton, Etowah, Madison, Lauderdale, Baldwin, and Mobile
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Volunteers Needed to Mentor Harvest for Health Participants
Master Gardeners are needed to mentor in Harvest for Health, a joint program between the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Alabama Extension’s Home Grounds Team. We pair MGs with cancer survivors in order to study the health and healing benefits of gardening. Mentors are expected to visit the participant twice monthly, once for a garden visit and once in a phone call. Build new friendships and share a hobby you love with others! Contact Renee Thompson, ACES-Harvest for Health Outreach Coordinator, at 334-826-1590 or thomprw@auburn.edu.
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A message from Renee Thompson:
"We are still in need of wonderful, caring MGs to be mentors in the following counties:
Coffee, 2 mentors needed
Dale, 3 mentors needed
Houston, 6 mentors needed
Montgomery, 9 mentors needed
I'll leave you with a fun thought: 'One is nearer to God's heart in a garden than in anywhere else on Earth' -Dorthy Frances Gurney."
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Do you have a cool story or project you'd like to share? We'd love to hear what your MG association is doing in your community. Send your stories to Kerry Smith at smithkp@auburn.edu.
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Invasive Plant Problems
Landscaping can be a fun hobby to pick up in the spring and summer months. All of the beautiful vines and shrubs that bring life back to an old yard can be overwhelming to newcomers. A great tip to follow is to be aware of the plants that are considered "invasive." While English Ivy (Hedera helix) may look pretty in the small pots in garden centers, it can grow severely out of control if not properly managed. Privet (Ligustrum japonicum 'Variegatum') may seem like a good screen plant, but the amount of work to keep it in one spot will ruin anyone's summer plans. Even the old Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana), which was thought to be a magnificent discovery, turned into a landscaper's nightmare. Check out this website from the National Association of Invasive Plants Council for more information on how to be prepared against invasive species---> https://www.na-ipc.org/
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June Lunch and Learn Schedule
(Events start at 12:00pm and participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch)
- June 4th, Wiregrass
- Hostas; Houston-Love Memorial Library, Dothan
- June 5th, Montgomery
- Your Farm in the City: Eat South; Armory Learning Arts Center, Montgomery
- June 6th, Autauga
- Backyard Berries; Trinity United Methodist Church, Prattville
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June 11th, Elmore
- Hello Hydrangeas; First Presbyterian Church, Wetumpka
- June 20th, St. Clair
- Plant Propagation; Moody City Hall, Moody
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Batty For Bats 2019 Webinar Series
Throughout the year, Extension teams from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas will partner together to offer a free webinar series. These Webinars will take place on the first Friday of every month at 1:00pm Central Time.
Some upcoming topics include: The Ins and Outs of Termite Treatments, GMOs and the Effect on Insect Populations, Red Imported Fire Ants in the Landscape, and many other interesting topics!
For more information about the topic schedule and how to tune in, visit https://articles.extension.org/pages/74786/2019-all-bugs-good-and-bad-webinar-series
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