Volunteer Projects

University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners serve an important role as educators in their communities. Interns are committed to returning 60 hours of volunteer service to become certified. After certification, Master Gardeners who continue with the program serve 30 hours of volunteer time each year to remain Active Certified. Cook County/ South Suburban Unit Master Gardeners and Interns are needed to serve those hours in a variety of ways. It is our intention that you make plans for service that is meaningful to you.

Ask a Master Gardener Office Component

• Interns: A minimum of 20 hours needs to be spent volunteering in the Master Gardener Office.
• Certified: A minimum of 10 hours in the University of Illinois Extension office.

Ask a Master Gardener Office experience enables the Master Gardener to:

• Become more familiar with the vast network of horticultural resources available in the form of fact sheets, books, files, educators and web connections.
• Gain experience utilizing resources to answer "real world" questions from a diverse public.
• Be supported by Extension staff and/or Active Certified Master Gardeners so that accuracy stays high and frustration level low.

Your office service enables:

• The University of Illinois Extension to respond to the numerous horticulture questions received from the general public.
• The Public to identify the University of Illinois Extension as a source of reliable information.

Projects

May serve all of MG time here. This is considered a priority project and an approved project as well.

Priority Projects Component

• Interns: a minimum of 20 hours should be devoted to Priority Projects.
• Certified Master Gardeners: a minimum of 10 hours should be devoted to Priority Projects.

Priority Projects are in our Unit Plan of Work for the current year, are supported by public funds, or have established mutually beneficial, defined relationships with U of I Extension. There is a higher level of support from the Horticulture Coordinator for these activities than other Approved Community Service projects. In addition to those priority projects listed, Ask a Master Gardener is a priority project.

Master Gardener Office is a priority, too! Nancy Pollard must be informed of dates you plan to be at an event in order for you to be covered by University of Illinois Extension liability insurance.

Projects

Ask a Master Gardener tables: Farmers Markets: All Priority Projects

• Lemont Farmers Market * (tentative)
• Orland Park Farmers Market *
• Park Forest Farmers Market *
• Tinley Park Farmers Market *
• Other farmers markets

*Farmers Markets may quality for up to 10 hours of Master Gardener Office time for interns who serve under Certified MG's and are employed during regular office hours, if approved by coordinator.

Ask a Master Gardener Tables for Community Events

• Lake Katherine Arbor Day
• Lake Katherine Butterfly Festival
• Lake Katherine Winter Fest 2004
• Irons Oaks Environmental Education Center
• Oak Forest Hospital Earth Day
• Sandridge Nature Center Earth Day(Cook County Forest Preserve)

Horticulture Therapy

• Oak Forest Hospital Planting Day
• Oak Forest Hospital Earth Day
• Oak Forest Hospital Patient Programs
• Oak Forest Hospital Outdoor Garden Sites
• Oak Forest Hospital Indoor Plant Care
• Oak Forest Hospital Guest Speaker

Demo Gardens

• Lake Katherine Butterfly Garden, Palos Heights
• Lake Katherine Herb Garden, Palos Heights
• Lake Katherine Pioneer Garden, Palos Heights
• Lake Katherine Waterfall and Conifer Gardens, Palos Heights
• Miller Gardens/ Auto Mall Park, Matteson
• Sandridge Nature Center, South Holland
• U of I Extension Office, Matteson

MG Continuing Education

• Garden Know How Series, Matteson
• Intern and Office Orientation, Matteson

Speakers Bureau

• Public speaking: Pre-packaged presentation (Garden Know How Series)
• Public speaking: Create your own presentation, South Suburbs

Urban Extension Conference: Chicago Hilton & Towers

• Hospitality
• Registration
• Clean-up

MG Volunteer Recognition

• Extension Appreciation Banquet
• Idea Exchange
• MGLink Newsletter
• Create Changeable Display Poster

Youth Gardens: CEDA ** Original four sites: ** Priority Projects. (Sites without ** are approved projects.)

• Blake Head Start
• Cottage Grove**
• County Club Hills**
• Orland Park Head Start**
• St. James Chicago Hts.
• St. Joseph's Chicago Heights**

Youth: 4-H

• 4-H Adventure Camps/ JMG
• 4-H Fair
• 4-H Public Presentations Contest
• 4-H Special interest groups

Approved Community Service Component

• Interns: the remaining 20 hours can be devoted to approved projects, the Master Gardener office or priority projects.
• Certified: the remaining 10 can be devoted to approved projects, the Master Gardener office or priority projects. Approved Community Service is self-directed. It is initiated by Master Gardeners to serve the community and increase networking opportunities that benefit everyone involved. Proposals should be submitted in writing to coordinator and approved. In addition to approved projects, Ask a Master Gardener and priority projects are approved projects.

Below is a list of some of the projects Master Gardeners are working on. Nancy Pollard must be informed of dates and times you plan to be an event in order for you to be covered by University of Illinois Extension liability insurance.

Projects

• 2003 MG Conference
• Chicago Flower & Garden Show
• Crisis Center for South Suburbia
• Elim Christian School
• Evergreen Community High School Horticulture Class
• Federal Courthouse, Hammond, IN
• Habitat for Humanity
• Humphrey House
• Irons Oaks Environmental Learning Center
• JB Greenhouse "Ask a Master Gardener"
• JB Greenhouse Perennial Pot-up Days for Head Start Gardens
• Lansing Public Library Atrium and grounds
• Matteson Elem School
• Park Forest Earth Day
• Park Forest Wetlands Restoration Project
• Saint Bernadette's Biblical Themed Garden
• SID's Flower and Garden Show "Ask a Master Gardener"
• St. Lawrence O'Toole
• St. Linus gardens
• Star Services- spring
• Star Services – summer & fall
• Worth Veteran's Memorial
• Your local public, school, church, temple gardens or hort therapy project. (Return a copy to Nancy Pollard.)

NOTE: In order for you to be covered by University of Illinois Extension liability insurance, notice of your volunteer dates, times and activity must be on record in writing with the Cook/ South Suburban Unit Extension office prior to the event or scheduled activity. Minimal accident insurance (AIL Insurance Co.) will be carried only for specifically scheduled group activity days at Lake Katherine. Master Gardeners should carry their own individual health/ accident insurance.