7/15/2023
Did you know: Only 60% of RCMG spring hours are entered before July?
Message from the Coordinator
It is hard to believe that it is mid-July and only about 40 days until the Minnesota State Fair. I do not know about you but this summer has definitely been flying by.
Since we are easing to the second half of 2023 now is a good time to make sure you are up to date with recording your volunteer time and continuing education. Recently you should have received a mid-year check-in with an update on what you have entered into the State Master Gardener Volunteer Database. Please review this email and/or log into the database to make sure your volunteer hours entered are correct. For help entering hours, view the tutorials on the State Volunteer website.
Finally, read more about the WHY | WHERE | WHEN | HOW | WHO | WHAT of volunteer hours.
The RCMG website has great information on continuing education resources. A foundation of the Master Gardener Program is continuous learning and then, of course, sharing that knowledge. Whether you are an intern or a veteran in the program I think you will agree that there is lots to learn and experience. I encourage you to take advantage of the many education resources around us in addition to sharing your knowledge whenever possible.
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Volunteers in Action!
Photos are great ways to capture your volunteer experience and garden memories. We collect pictures throughout the year and share them with both other Master Gardener and Extension teams and with the public to celebrate our service to the community.
You can help!
When you are out an about this summer, take pictures of what you see. This might be the table event at a local farmers market, a group conversation at National Neighborhood Night Out, or while weeding together with friends at a demonstration garden. The State website has a great list of tips and tricks for the Extension photographer for capturing the moment and a Media Release Form to get permission for sharing pictures that have non-volunteers in them.
You can also share pictures from your garden and nature around you. We look for pictures of insects, vegetables, seasonal gardens, flowers and other similar pictures.
Time spent taking and editing photos can be counted towards your volunteer service hours.
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Regional Gatherings - Save the Date
The State Advisory Board (SAB) is planning and coordinating all-day, in-person regional gatherings across Minnesota to connect with program members, to seek feedback about the program, and to create networking and learning opportunities.
This year’s agenda includes the educational presentation, "The Utility of Turfgrass," which offers a fresh look at how we can and should be using turf, including discussion on the benefits and costs of maintaining turf areas, presented by John Trappe, Ph.D., Turfgrass Extension Educator.
Here are the dates and locations of the 2023 Regional SAB Gatherings:
NW Region: Saturday, September 9 in Becker County
SW Region: Thursday, September 14 in Kandiyohi County
SE Region: Saturday, September 23 in Steele County
Central Region: Saturday, September 30 in Hennepin County
NE Region: Thursday, October 19 in Itasca County
Additional information will be shared with all volunteers via the monthly newsletters.
Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication so far this year.
Darren Lochner
RCMG Program Coordinator
Brianna Gohde
RCMG Assistant Program Coordinator