April 13, 2009
Job Op-Spring and Summer Garden Teacher
Allison Liefer
Culinary Program Manager
Common Threads
Spring After School & Summer Garden Teacher
We are seeking a seasonal, part-time instructor to teach hands-on classes to 8-12 year olds during our spring after-school session and summer camp. Classes are held in our vegetable garden in Kenwood Community Park. Our six-week spring after-school classes run Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 28-June 4, 3:30-5:30pm. Summer camp gardening classes run from June 22-July 30th, Mondays-Thursdays, 12-4 pm. Classes will be held Tuesdays & Thursdays, from 3:30-5:30 during Spring session (May-June) and on weekday afternoons during Summer camp (June 23-Aug 1). Gardening Instructor(s) will teach gardening and craft activities to classes of 16-20 students. Curriculum is prepared for you, and no garden maintenance outside of in-class gardening activities is required.
Minimum Qualifications:
Teaching experience; 8-12 year old age range preferred
Organization, leadership, and communication skills
Basic knowledge of plants, vegetables, gardening, &/or agriculture
Comfort leading arts & crafts activities, games, experiments with children
Commitment to complete spring & summer session class schedule
Interview & reference check; background check required before class begins
Allison Liefer
Culinary Program Manager
Common Threads
500 N. Dearborn Street, Suite 530
Chicago, IL 60654
Office 312.329.2501 x 202
Cell 773.319.8551
Fax 312.277.9517
Posted by Ron Wolford at 1:17 PM | Permalink |
April 5, 2009
Vol. Op.-Wicker Park Garden Club Plant Sale-May 2,3
Volunteers Needed - Plant Sale - 10% Discount for Volunteers - Fundraiser for Park Gardens-Programming
Sale Details at www.wpgarden.org Volunteer times - SEE BELOW
Hello,
The Wicker Park Garden Club will have a plant Sale Saturday, Sunday, May 2 and 3 at Wicker Park 1425 N. Damen - 10am-3:30 PM. Sale will be outside if good weather or inside if not good weather. We begin Working with the Plants on Thursday, April 30.
VOLUNTEERS receive 10% discount on their plant purchases if they work 6 hours.
PLEASE send your volunteers times as soon as you know what you'd like to do: dougrwood@aol.com
PLANT SALE proceeds support the gardens in Wicker Park and Educational Programming for Adults and Children. PLANTS SOLD - Vegetables, herbs, container plants, zone 5 perennials, tender perennials.
VOLUNTEERS - Price plants - sell plants - answer questions on design and plant care-MG help would be appreciated, help set up and assist workshop teachers, assist with the silent auction of the Park Kids Grow kites that will be sold to benefit the community gardens that assisted with the Flower Show.
PARK KIDS GROW - If you'd like to come to the Saturday sale and talk about your kites - great-let me know!
TIMES VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
1. Thursday, April 30
1-6pm - Receive Plants - remove from truck and Price plants
2. Friday, May 1
10-5 - Price plants-and set up tables
3. Saturday May 2 and Sunday May 3
You can pick one or more of the suggested shifts below.
8-10am - set up sale and lecture rooms for workshops
10-1pm 1st Shift - Sell Plants-Answer Gardening Questions
1-3:30 2nd shift - Sell Plants-Answer Gardening Questions
3:30-5pm - Move plants inside
Doug Wood
www.wpgarden.org
Posted by Ron Wolford at 2:51 PM | Permalink |
March 21, 2009
Master Gardener Orientation at MSI Smart Home
On Saturday, March 21 our first orientation program for new Master Gardeners interested in volunteering at the 2009 Smart Home Vegetable Garden will be held at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Master Gardeners will be volunteering as Garden Docents, Garden Groomers and Garden Historian/Photographers.
On April 22, Earth Day, Master Gardener volunteers will be working with local school children to begin planting 80 earthboxes with vegetables next to the Smart Home. Cool season vegetables will be planted in the garden in late April.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 1:21 AM | Permalink |
March 9, 2009
Volunteer Opportunity: Uncommon Ground Organic Rooftop Farm
The Uncommon Ground Organic Rooftop Farm is starting to gear up for summertime and we need help getting there! If you can spare an hour or two and want to learn more about rooftop urban agriculture come join us for some workdays!
UNCOMMON GROUND ORGANIC
ROOFTOP FARM VOLUNTEER DAYS 2009
CONTACT: Natalie Pfister, Farm Director, 773.465.9801,
natalie@uncommonground.com
SOIL TURNING WORKDAY –
MARCH 21 10am-3pm
Refreshments will be provided. Come for part or all of the workday!
Participants will help with turning the soil to create a healthy new
environment for this year's crop! We will spend the day with our hands in the
dirt adding fertilizer and compost to soil, helping with clean-up from winter,
and readying the roof for production. There will be education and discussion on
where our compost comes from, why it is so beneficial and what turning the soil
will do to help us produce a healthy farm. These skills can help any gardener
know their soil beds better! Come join the fun and get dirty on the farm for
the first time this season!
COLD FRAME BUILDING
WORKDAYS – MARCH 25 & 26 4pm-7pm
Refreshments will be provided. Come for part or all of the workday! Our farm
needs help with early season growing! We will be constructing new cold frames
to cover some of our planting beds on the roof. These cold frames will help to
extend the growing season into the early spring and well into the fall and
early winter. Techniques for building a cold frame will be covered, as well as
the knowledge behind how to use a cold frame in your own backyard. Come help us
and learn how to grow in a Chicago
winter outdoors!
RAISED BED BUILDING
WORKDAYS – APRIL 17 4pm-7pm & APRIL 18 10am-3pm
Refreshments will be provided. Come for part or all of the workday! Uncommon
Ground Farm is expanding this year! We will be planting vegetables in the
ground level land space that we have around the restaurant, but we need help
with building the raised garden beds. Participants will learn the basics of
building a raised bed, how and what type of soil to fill it with and what the
best methods are for planting in a raised bed. This same construction can be
done in a backyard to help you grow your own produce. The beds we will be
constructing will be large and will help us grow corn, green beans and squash
all summer and fall!
There will be more volunteer days throughout the summer, so make sure you check our website and blog to see when they are!
www.eatthisgrowthat.blogspot.com
Thanks for your
interest!
Natalie Pfister
Farm Director
Uncommon Ground Organic Rooftop Farm
1401 W. Devon
Chicago, Illinois 60660
773.465.9801
natalie@uncommonground.com
Posted by Ron Wolford at 1:33 AM | Permalink |
February 24, 2009
Job Posting: Oak Lawn Park District-Kid's Garden Instructor
Under direction of the Cultural Arts Supervisor,
the Children's Gardening instructor educates children of varying ages (6 years
and older) on the importance of planting and nurturing flowering and vegetable
plants as well as teaching successful gardening skills. This is a hands-on course;
the instructor will be gardening with the students and instructing them on
appropriate techniques of organic gardening. The instructor must also educate
the children on related topics in an imaginative way. The instructor is
responsible for keeping track of inventory for the program and communicating
with the Supervisor when supplies are needed.
Qualifications:
Master Gardener Certificate- strongly recommended
Experience in Organic Gardening
Good verbal skills
Has the ability to transport self
Good organizational skills
Good supervisory skills
Serves as a nurturing and positive role model for children
Is encouraging to children
Pay: $15/hour
The instructor will be compensated for 1 hour of prep time before and along
with each 1.5 hour class which will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-10:30am (5
hours/week). The session will last 10-12 weeks. (The number of hours and weeks
are subject to change).
Please contact:
Adam Fisher
Recreation Supervisor
Posted by Ron Wolford at 2:43 PM | Permalink |
February 6, 2009
Continuing Ed. Op.- Bonsai and Orchid Class-Berwyn
Will Rutt, Chicago Master Gardener invites Master Gardeners to attend this event:
Proksa Park Garden Club meets Monday February 16, 6:30 p.m. at the Community Center, 3001 Wisconsin Ave. in Berwyn. Stacy Wozinak will present a program on bonsai and orchids.
Free admission and refreshments.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 12:26 AM | Permalink |
January 28, 2009
Spring After-School & Summer Camp Garden Teacher Needed
Attention 'GREEN' Teachers! Do you love children, gardening, vegetables, and the sun?
Common Threads is a non-profit organization that educates children about nutrition, physical well-being, and cultural diversity. We are seeking a seasonal, part-time instructor to teach hands-on classes to 8-12 year olds during our spring after-school session and summer camp.
Classes are held in our vegetable garden in Kenwood Community Park. Our six-week spring after-school classes run Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 28-June 4, 3:30-5:30pm. Summer camp gardening classes run from June 22-July 30th, Mondays-Thursdays, 12-4 pm.
Classes will be held Tuesdays & Thursdays, from 3:30-5:30 during Spring session (May-June) and on weekday afternoons during Summer camp (June 23-Aug 1). Gardening Instructor(s) will teach gardening and craft activities to classes of 16-20 students. Curriculum is prepared for you, and no garden maintenance outside of in-class gardening activities is required.
Minimum Qualifications:
Teaching experience; 8-12 year old age range preferred
Organization, leadership, and communication skills
Basic knowledge of plants, vegetables, gardening, &/or agriculture
Comfort leading arts & crafts activities, games, experiments with children
Other Minimum Requirements:
Commitment to complete spring & summer session class schedule
Interview & reference check; background check required before class begins
Learn more about Common Threads at www.commonthreads.org
For more information or to apply, please email questions or resumes to Courtney Truetelaar at courtney@commonthreads.org
Posted by Ron Wolford at 7:02 PM | Permalink |
January 28, 2009
Last Chance-Macy's Spring Flower Show
Master Gardeners, if you want to be part of this year's "Dreaming in Color" Spring Flower Show at Macy's, contact Sue Gasper by Saturday, January 31. You can volunteer as a researcher, or as a docent. Please indicate your preference. The show begins April 4 and continues through April 19.
No need to reply a second time if you have already done so.
Sue Gasper: smgasper@illinois.edu
Master Gardener Program Organizer
University of Illinois Extension
3807 W 111th Street
Chicago IL 60655
(773)233-0476
http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mg
Posted by Ron Wolford at 2:49 PM | Permalink |
January 28, 2009
Cont. Ed. Op.-Spring Gardening Classes-Oak Park
For more details or to register online, visit www.oakparkparks.com. To register in-person visit 218 Madison or 415 Lake Street in Oak Park. Confused about pricing? First price is for residents, second for non-residents: $Oak Park Residents/$Non-residents.
NOTE: All the classes listed below are approved for Continuing Education credit for University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners/Cook County - http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cook/
Water Wise Gardening
Study examples of xeriscaping (plants for dry areas) and planting schemes for efficient watering
Sat, Mar 28 & Apr 4 $30/$45
7-9pm
Waterfalls and Water Features
This class will give an overview of what to consider and what to purchase for your very own water feature.
Tues, Apr 21 $20/$35
7-9pm
Gardening with Native Plants
Learn how to help your yard "go native" and then watch the hummingbirds and butterflies flock to your back yard
Wed, Mar 18 $20/$30
7-9pm
Ikebana
Uplift your spirit and your environment – learn the basic steps in Ikebana or the ancient Japanese art of flower arranging.
Sat, Mar 14, 21 $25/$35
10-12 noon
Container Workshop
Back by popular demand – Deborah Cullen, Container Nanny will offer creative design and plant combinations to spark up your containers.
Sat, May 16 $38/$55
10-12 noon
Hanging Basket Workshop
Create your own moss-lined, 14 inch, wire hanging basket using annuals and tender perennials grown at the conservatory.
Sat, May 23 $38/$55
10-12 noon
Flower Arranging for Spring
Create a beautifully arranged basket full of spring flowers and bulbs just in time for the spring holidays. There will be a $15 materials fee collected from each participant.
Tues, Apr 7 $20/$29
7-9 pm
Butterfly Gardening
Select the right annuals, perennials and shrubs to attract butterflies and hummingbirds and add a new dimension to your gardening experience.
Sat, Apr 25 $20/$30
9-11am
Animal Resistant Gardening
Are you tired of critters munching your back yard? Rabbits, deer and squirrels enjoy our gardens more than we do and they are constantly adapting to our defensive strategies.
Sat, Apr 11 $20/$30
9-11 am
Gardening 101: Basic Plant Care
Are you new to the neighborhood and don't know where to begin with that beautiful garden that came with your new home? This two session class will cover information on preparation of your garden areas as well as maintenance tips throughout the growing season.
Mon, Apr 13, 20 $35/$45
7-9 pm
Garden Design Workshop
Choose an area of your garden, perhaps the space around your patio or deck, a side yard or a backyard border and learn the steps to create an exciting design that is all yours.
Tues, Mar 17, 24, 31 $35/$45
7-9 pm
Posted by Ron Wolford at 1:12 PM | Permalink |
January 27, 2009
2009 Chicago GreenNet Mini-Grant
Just a note to let you know that the GreenNet mini-grant application is available.
What is needed to qualify for a grant?
Projects must be located in Chicago in a schoolyard, community garden, or other community greening project. Applicants:
• must own or have permission to use the land
• must represent a group such as a block club, garden club, faith-based group, school or other youth group.
Applications will only be considered for existing (rather than proposed) gardens or greening projects that need additional materials, programming, or other support.
Applications should indicate that gardens demonstrate sustained and regular use. Tell us how important your garden is to your group and surrounding community!!
Download the updated application at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cook/downloads/15495.pdf
Posted by Ron Wolford at 3:49 AM | Permalink |
