Area lawn and garden enthusiasts can get intensive horticulture training in exchange for volunteer hours. The Master Gardener training, sponsored by University of Illinois Extension, gets underway in January and runs through April.

The training program includes more than 60 hours of in-depth instruction on such topics as soils, botany, entomology, pathology, fruit and vegetable production, houseplants and basic landscaping.

In exchange for this intensive training, Master Gardeners donate 60 hours of volunteer horticulture-related service back to U of I Extension in their local communities. Some Master Gardeners answer lawn and garden questions from homeowners. Others help design and operate displays and demonstrations at home shows. And, some make presentations to local schools and civic groups.

In southern and south-central Illinois, the Master Gardener training starts January 15 and will be held on Tuesdays in the Edwardsville area; on Wednesdays in Effingham; and on Thursdays in Marion. The first date in Marion will be January 17^th and they will continue every Thursday until April 17^th. Each session runs 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more details, contact your county U of I Extension office, 618-439-3178. Or, log on to the Illinois Master Gardener website, http://www/extension.uiuc.edu/mg/.