Queen Anne’s and Talbot County Extension in Cooperation With Chesapeake College Announce Their 2011 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program

Queen Anne’s and Talbot County Extension are taking registration for the Fall 2011 Master Gardener volunteer training program to be held at Chesapeake College in Queenstown beginning Friday, September 9 and running through November 4, 2011. Classes will meet Fridays from 9 am to 3:00 pm. The deadline for registration is Thursday, August 11, 2011.

This well-rounded 40+ hour course is designed to give you basic information in preparation for volunteering as a Master Gardener representative of the University of Maryland Extension. Topics include: ecology, botany, soils, plant diseases, insects – both pests and beneficial, weeds, and much more. This program emphasizes community involvement and outreach as well as environmental stewardship. A $225.00 fee is charged to cover all costs including the Maryland Master Gardener Handbook. Space will be limited to 25 participants, so registration will be taken on a first come first serve basis. This University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener volunteer training program is open to the public, 18 years of age and older and payment assistance is available based on need.

The University of Maryland Master Gardener vision is a healthier world through environmental stewardship. In keeping with this vision, University of Maryland Extension Master Gardeners volunteers work on a variety of projects in cooperation with local schools such as Kennard Elementary in Centreville, Chapel District Elementary in Cordova; help maintain various public gardens such as the rain garden at the Centreville Library, St. Michaels Library and at the Talbot Ag Center, volunteer at local Senior Centers and Assisted Living facilities working with therapeutic gardens and hands-on gardening programs, host an annual community Garden Affair on the grounds of the library in Centreville and Wright’s Chance, provide community education through free workshops and classes open to local residents, visit home and public gardens as part of our Bay-Wise certification program…and much more. University of Master Gardener volunteers for Queen Anne and Talbot County provide more than 8,000 hours annually in volunteer services that help save taxpayer dollars.

For information contact: Rachel Melvin, (410) 758-0166 or rmelvin1@umd.edu; or Heather Buritsch, (410) 822-1244 or buritsch@umd.edu;

If You Need Special Assistance to Participate In The Master Gardener Training Please Contact Rachel Melvin, University of Maryland Extension-Queen Anne’s County At (410) 758-0166 or Heather Burtisch, Talbot County at (410) 822-1244 by Wednesday, August 18, 2010.