2017-18 Island County Master Gardener Volunteer Opportunities There are many opportunities where Master Gardener Volunteers can meet their commitment to community service. These include but are not limited to the activities listed below. Additional opportunities are approved on an individual basis. To be counted towards an approved volunteer activity (and be covered by WSU s workers compensation and liability,) volunteer activities need to fit with the mission of WSU and the Master Gardener program by being educationally based and/or working to build community. Activities that support education, research, increase knowledge and improve the needs of the local community all fit the mission of WSU and the Master Gardener program. Demonstration Garden at Greenbank Farm Wednesdays, 9-12 Noon Carolyn Mercer at 360-678-4813 The Demonstration Garden is one of the main educational efforts of the Island County Master Gardeners. There at least 8 different gardens at the farm with mini gardens too. We currently have projects involving upgrades. Pergola garden and the shade garden will be seeing improvement and change in the coming year. Our new garden: Toto garden has been a huge project with two new MGs taking it over. This septic field garden has been swept clean of weeds and is under construction with hundreds of bulbs planted for the spring. The Pond, Native, Cottage, Rhody, and Rose gardens are getting cleaned up for the winter months. Join us. You will learn so much from other Master Gardeners. See you in the garden! Master Gardener Plant Sale May 12, 2018 Barb Douglas at 360-632-9697 A major fundraising event for the Master Gardener program. Master Gardener Hotline Year-round Gabby Leman at 360-678-9236 The Hotline is a number that Island county residents can call at any time to get answers to their gardening questions. Master Gardeners monitor the hotline voicemail on a regular basis and provide direction for retrieving messages and for follow-up actions. An annual log of hotline calls is compiled.
Whidbey Gardening Workshop March 3, 2018 C-J Nielsen at 206-972-3117 In addition to working the event day, there are additional planning and organizational opportunities leading up to the event. Home Horticulture Calls As requested Call the area Plant Clinic Reps listed below Plant Clinics May - August North: Oak Harbor Farmers Market (Thurs.) Dan O Connell at 360-320-1230 or Chris Allen at 360-221-0376 Central: Coupeville Farmers Market (Sat.) Deb Mitchell at 360-678-1417 South: Ace Hardware (Sat.) Carolyn Mercer at 360-678-4813 Volunteers answer gardening questions and do light research using books on hand and the internet using the tablet. As the market is without weather/sun protection, a canopy is set up and taken down for each event. Volunteers bring their own chairs, all else is provided. The coordinator also works with the Market Manager to ensure timely attendance (i.e. everything fully set up BEFORE the market opens and remaining until it closes, weather permitting) and following of market rules. The coordinator is also responsible for ensuring any trainees are paired with a seasoned MG or mentor. Lord s Garden Sundays, 1-4 PM Walt Bankowski at 360-679-2431 or wlbankowski@comcast.net The Lord's Garden exists to provide fresh vegetables and fruits for those in need in Oak Harbor and Coupeville. Those include families at CADA, senior living facilities, and local food banks. Volunteers help to till, cultivate, plant, fertilize, weed, and harvest from mid- February to late October. We maintain the garden organically as much as possible. The garden grows between 20 to 25 types of vegetables and fruits including lettuce, broccoli, raspberries, beets, plums, onions, corn, apples, beans, carrots, and tomatoes. Early in the growing year the tilling and planting is completed as required during the week and weekends. Harvesting is done in the mornings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from early June to late October. Good Cheer Food Bank Garden Times & days vary Good Cheer Garden Manager at 425-789-8248 Master Gardeners are welcome to participate in our Wednesday Work Parties. Every Wednesday from March through October, volunteers come to the garden anytime between 9 am and 4 pm. Volunteers are welcome to stay for however long or short they wish, and can participate in any number of activities ranging from harvesting to weeding to planting. We always share a picnic lunch at noon with soup from the food bank and salad from the garden.
MG Booth at the Island County Fair July 19-22, 2018, times vary Melissa Evans at 360-321-8502 The Master Gardener display at the fair educates visitors on gardening and environmental issues of importance to our community and promotes the Master Gardener program. Meerkerk Rhododendron Garden Thursdays, 9-12 Noon Frank Simpson or Susie Reynolds at 360-678-1912 The Friends of Meerkerk Gardens is a 501c3 charitable organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the 10 acre Rhododendron display and demonstration garden. Volunteer opportunities include: During the peak bloom season, volunteers staff the entrance as "Gatehouse Greeters", welcoming visitors, informing them a bit about the garden's purpose and history, and collecting admission fees. Thursday mornings, the team of "Grateful Deadheaders" remove spent Rhodie blossoms, also known as deadheading. Pruning, planting, weeding, and nursery tasks are also done. A nutritious lunch is served, and after attending 3 workdays, volunteers are entitled to a free tie-dyed tee shirt! The Meerkerk Nursery has volunteer opportunities to propagate, transplant, and care for containerized Rhodie plants, as well as to assist visitors and answer general garden questions during sales hours. The "Construction Crew" performs repairs to benches, greenhouses and other structures within the garden. No matter what you are interested in, horticulturally, we have a job that fits! Youth Botany Adventure Program at Meerkerk Garden Tue & Fri, 9-12 Noon Martha Hollis at 360-678-4101 or Frank Simpson at 360-678-1912 At Meerkerk Gardens, we believe that the outdoor classroom experience is an important element in the education and well-being of children. The Botany Adventures program features "hands-on" activities aligned with Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements. The common thread woven throughout is the interdependence of life on earth. Children learn about the importance of plants and pollinators, plant a seed to take home, and spend time in nature in a beautiful space. Botany Adventure tours are available during April, May and early June. Classes are scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays, from 10:00 am to Noon. Guides and helpers are needed for each tour. Volunteers are provided with training and arrive 30 minutes before, and stay approximately 30 minutes after the tours.
Pacific Rim Institute Wed & Thurs, 10-3 PM Robert Pelant or Mosa Neis at 360-678-5586 Two volunteer opportunities to invest in a healthier environment for us all. 1. Native Plant Seed Collection - help collect native plant seeds from our site and prepare them for storage for use in expanding native prairie throughout the region. 2. Work in our Native Plant Center - includes seeding, growing, maintaining and outplanting various native plants in propagation beds and out in the field. SNAP-ed School Gardens Times & days vary Anza Muenchow at 206-794-3442 There are several ways to volunteer at the SNAP school gardens in Oak Harbor. One way is through quarterly work parties which will be scheduled for cleaning up the beds and paths and working the soil. Watch the list-serve for these opportunities. For gardening with the children in the classes, it is recommended that the MG fill out a volunteer application with the Oak Harbor School District. The children have weekly garden lessons led by Anza Muenchow or Tricia Heimer. Classes come out every other week, so if the volunteer wants to be engaged with a particular group, that would be every other week usually. Some classes may be indoors in bad weather. Besides food production and tastings, consider some opportunities for more science exploration and art in the garden. Whidbey Garden Tour May June June Davis at 360-321-4191 Volunteers for the annual Whidbey Island Garden Tour serve as individual Garden Guides, Docents, and Master Gardeners. The Island County Master Gardener demonstration garden at Greenbank Farm is a regular recipient of Whidbey Island Garden Tour grants. wigt.org ICMG Foundation Volunteer with the board and committees Ilze Zigurs at 360-221-0376 WSU Extension Office Volunteer Opportunities Office Manager Stinger Anderson at 360-679-7327 Help with occasional activities to support the office. Stinger answers many garden related questions from the public, either from walk-ins or by phone. A goal of Tim s is to have a regular weekly Master Gardener on Duty. Master Gardener Coordinator Loren Imes at 360-678-2343 Help with various organizational activities to support the program, including selecting relevant WSU fact sheets to include on the website for Whidbey gardeners, and planning posts for the MG Facebook page.
Noxious Weed Coordinator Seth Luginbill at 360-678-7992 Volunteer activities include: 1. Physical removal of noxious weeds from County Right of Ways (ROWs) and other county property within Island County 2. Help noxious weed program staff display booths at various events (i.e. Farmers Markets, Sound Waters conference, Whidbey Earth and Ocean events, etc.) 3. Help with preparing educational literature for mailings and distribution to public. Waste Wise Coordinator Sarah Bergquist at 360-678-7974 Volunteer activities at the compost Trail at Fort Casey State Park include: 1. Trimming brush around the bins and trail, adding water to piles that need it in summer; harvesting as necessary. 2. Compost bin upkeep and feeding Bringing in browns and greens for all the bins. 3. Feeding the worms. This could be an hour a month, a half hour per week, or completely random. There are also worm bins at the schools in Oak Harbor that need attending. Thanks so much for all the volunteer work you do. And very importantly, don t forget to Log Those Hours! http://ext.wsu.edu/volunteers/logon.aspx