Skilled Gardeners Needed to Teach Others

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2009

If you have a strong interest in gardening and enjoy teaching others, you are invited to apply to become a University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener. U of I Extension, Clay and Fayette Counties, are accepting applications for Master Gardener training which will begin January 20 and be held on 11 consecutive Wednesdays though April 7, 2010. Training hours are 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. each session and will be held at the U of I Extension Office located at 1209 Wenthe Drive in Effingham. Class size is limited and participants will be accepted based on applications and an interview.

Increase your knowledge and understanding of such varied topics as lawn management; growing fruits, vegetables and flowers; plant disease and insect pest identification and control and much more. Instructors are Extension professionals and University specialists.

To become a University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener volunteer, you must attend all the training sessions, pass an examination and volunteer 60 hours of horticultural service to the community though Extension educational programming.

In Clay and Fayette Counties, volunteer service is divided between office work and community projects. Office work consists primarily of researching horticulture questions submitted by area residents, organizing resources and preparing diagnostic reports for mailing or computer submission. Community project work varies depending upon the skills and interests of the Master Gardener volunteer. Clay and Fayette Counties will be accepting applications for this volunteer, non-paid program through December 14, 2009. If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener in Clay or Fayette Counties, stop by the U of I Extension, Clay County office, at 223-C West Railroad Street, Flora, IL; phone 618-662-3124; or the U of I Extension, Fayette County office, at 118 N. Sixth St., Vandalia, IL; phone 618-283-2753, or check our website at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/clayfayette/ for more information.