Are you looking
for a way to improve your community through volunteer service? Do you have an interest in horticulture? Do you enjoy sharing your knowledge? If the answer to all of these questions is
yes, being an Extension Master Gardener may be right for you!
Virginia Cooperative
Extension is now accepting applications for the
2017 New River Valley Master
Gardener Training Program!
Applicants must
be able to attend a 60-hour Training Course and complete 50 hours of volunteer
service with Virginia Cooperative Extension during their first year.
The Training Course
will be held March-May 2017 on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:00PM –
4:00PM at the Hahn Horticulture Pavilion at Virginia Tech. Students will get an
equivalent of 3 college credits worth of knowledge from classes taught by Virginia
Tech professors and Virginia Cooperative Extension Agents. The course
provides a thorough understanding of all areas in horticulture and includes the
following topics:
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Topics
covered in the course include:
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Botany
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Entomology
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Indoor Foliage
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Annuals
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Perennials
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Risk
Management
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Trees and
Shrubs
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Abiotic Plant
Stress
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Fruits
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Plant
Pathology
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Urban
Forestry/Pruning
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Landscape
Design
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Propagation
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Vegetables
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Pesticide Use
& Safety
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Water Quality
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The cost for the
60-hour course is $150.00, which covers the Virginia
Master Gardener Handbook textbook and other training materials.
Upon completion
of the Training Course, students will be considered interns and will begin a
50-hour internship designed to provide practical hands-on learning under
guidance of experienced Extension Master Gardeners.
There are many
on-going Master Gardener projects in the NRV that help others learn and use
sustainable gardening and landscape practices, teach youth gardening skills,
provide food for those in need while teaching them how to grow their own,
assist community members through horticultural therapy, and more. Master
Gardening is a fantastic way to volunteer. The skills you learn during the
Extension Master Gardener Training Course will help you not only in your own
gardens but when assisting others as well. We hope you will consider
joining this exciting, fun, and educational group who don’t mind getting their
hands dirty to support the community!
Contact the New
River Valley Master Gardener Coordinator at the Montgomery County Extension
Office for more information or to obtain an application!
Applications are
due by December 19, 2016.
