March 2025 Volunteer News & Updates
- Mar 15
- 7 min read
3/14/2025
March 2025 Volunteer News |
March Updates |
NEW: 2025 Directory
The 2025 volunteer directory is now available on the RCMG website. Find it on the Quick Links page.
Reminder: Sign-up Etiquette
The community requests for Master Gardener volunteers start coming in fast and frequently starting in March. While we want you to sign up for all of the great volunteer opportunities available, we encourage you to review your schedules and make sure you can manage all that you sign up for.
Badge & Star Pick-Up
If you completed 10-, 15-, 20-, or 25-years of service or 1000+ hours of lifetime service in 2024 OR if you completed your internship in 2024 OR if you started your internship in 2025, you can pick up your star & certificate at the March meeting (Tue 3/18) or Project Fair (Thurs) 3/27. You can also pick these up inside the Resource Center.
Project Lead Tools & Resources
Volunteers who take on a leadership role in RCMG are one of the many keys to our success. If you missed the Project Lead Training on 3/01 you can find the slides and list of available tools and resources here.
New Projects for 2025
If you are considering starting a new volunteer activity this year, please complete the New Project Proposal Form.
Gear up!
Help increase awareness of the Master Gardener program and potentially recruit gardeners to join us by wearing approved promotional apparel. You can order approved promotional apparel via Extension and be ready for all your community-engagement activities this year.
Reminder: Volunteer Database
The State Leadership Team wants to remind all volunteers that we are not able to record their time online until the new tools are available later in March. While we all wait, please print and use this Temporary Hours Sheet PDF or you can download a copy and use this tabbed spreadsheet.
2024 Master Gardener Annual Report
The 2024 Master Gardener Annual Report is now available! The report highlights the program’s public value and features high-impact projects supporting the seven priorities of the program. Be sure to take a few minutes to read about the inspiring accomplishments of Master Gardener volunteers from around the state. Note: if you would like a printed copy of the report, please contact Darren Lochner.
Intern Roadmap |
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Pick up your name badge
Badges will be available at the March Monthly Meeting at the Roseville Oval on Tue 3/18, at the 2025 Project Fair on Thur 3/27, and at the April Monthly Meeting on Tue 4/15. You can also pick them up from the Resource Center at the Maplewood Extension office at 2020 White Bear Ave, Maplewood, MN 55109. This includes current 2025 interns and graduated 2024 interns.
Here come the sign-ups!
All interns will be added to the Sign Up Genius mailing list starting on 3/17/2025 and will start receiving invitations to volunteering activities on Thursday 3/20/2025. If you do not receive any invites, contact Brianna Gohde right away.
RCMG Project Fair – 3/27
RSVP TODAY—The annual Project & Activity Fair is a great chance for ALL volunteers to learn about the many types of volunteer activities that are available in the coming year. The 2025 Project Fair is scheduled for Thursday, 3/27 from 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM!
Goals for March
Fill in the Skills & Interest Survey if you haven’t already (still missing 50%)
Review the Sign-Up Etiquette and Best Practice (see above)
Work with your mentor to write your volunteer introduction if you haven’t already (67% missing)
Complete the following Core Course modules by the end of March
Growing Fruit
Growing Vegetables
Herbaceous Ornamentals
Woody Ornamentals
Lawns
Up Next
Start receiving invitations from SignUp Genius – (Thur) 3/20
Come to the March meeting & get your temporary Name Badge – (Tue) 3/18
Attend the Project Fair – (Thur) 3/27
Expect access for entering hours – late-March/early April
Non-Profit News |
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Board Blurb
The RCMG Board of Directors Meeting was held on March 11, 2025 and covered the 2024 Audit Review, information about the Nonprofit Corporation Technology Report, discussions about the new purchasing policy and a summary of the first meeting of representatives of RCMG and the U of MN Extension.
Volunteer Stories |
RCCF Orchard Pruning In Progress
In February, University Extension Educator, Madeline Wimmer came to the site to train RCMG volunteers in pruning techniques for established fruit trees. Expect regular volunteer shifts in the orchard every 3-4 weeks this growing season so we can improve our harvest this fall.
2024 Awards & Recognition Event
Each year Ramsey County Master Gardener volunteers have an opportunity to nominate fellow volunteers who have provided exceptional initiative and service in the past year. We also celebrate those volunteers who demonstrate phenomenal dedication to the volunteer program. Congratulate these spectacular volunteers when you see them!
2025 Spring Book Club Survey
The votes are in! This summer the Book Club will read the following titles. Watch for upcoming sign-ups to get involved.
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa Sevigny
The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoë Schlanger
Spring Train-the-Trainer
Many thanks to the volunteers who came to the Barn to attend the first Train-the-Trainer since 2023. Train-the-Trainer events are a local source of volunteer training taught by other RCMG volunteers. The event covered resources for project leads led by Darren Lochner with Brianna Gohde, Karen Randall’s unveiling of the new Speakers Bureau class, “Gardening with Native Plants,” which was unanimously approved for public release by attending volunteers, and a demonstration of how to teach the existing “Climate-Resilient Gardening” class by Niki Blue. Watch for a future Train-the-Trainer later in May.
Volunteer Activities |
New volunteer activities are announced on Thursday mornings and Sunday nights. If you are not receiving SignUp Genius notices, please contact Brianna Gohde.
March Monthly Meeting—3/18
Help out at the next monthly meeting on Tue 3/18. This meeting will be both in-person and online. We need volunteers to help as Coffee Pick-up, Time Keeper, Zoom Aide, and Clean-up. If you are a Project Lead and want a few minutes to share an update about or recruit for your project(s), sign up for one of the “Project Updates” slots.
Youth Projects with Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District—3/06-3/26
If you like working with kids, please sign-up! Volunteers will work with small groups of students from several schools take the seeds they stratified in an earlier lesson, help them prepare the soil, move soil into planting trays, lay out seed, and bury the seed.
Yard and Garden Phone Line—3/24-3/30
Sign up to answer resident’s garden questions from home through the Arboretum’s Yard & Garden hotline. These are excellent opportunities to volunteer remotely and build your garden knowledge at your own pace.
Grow for the Plant Sale—5/17
As you plan your 2025 garden, consider contributing some plants to the RCMG plant sale. Sign up to grow Annual Flowers, Vegetables and Herbs, Native Plants and Houseplants. There will be more ways to get involved later this spring.
Continuing Education Opportunities |
Find approved opportunities to learn more on the RCMG website, the State MG Volunteer website, the MN Landscape Arboretum, or through Extension. Check with the program coordinator about other local events and learning opportunities.
2025 Core Course Sign-up
All returning MG volunteers are able to register for access to the Core Course material each year for free. You can complete these modules for education credit. Register for 2025 access and download a free copy of the Companion Guide.
February Education Meeting Recap
Our guest speaker, Michelle Bruhn, a RCMG volunteer, regenerative farmer, author, and White Bear Lake resident, discussed companion planting, interplanting, guilds, and the ecosystem to build healthier soil, suppress weeds, balance pests and diseases, attract more beneficial insects, and increase harvests. Read the recap or watch the recording.
March Member Meeting—3/18
Join us for RCMG’s March monthly meeting on Tue 3/18. This month, we’ll hear from author and RCMG volunteer Michelle Bruhn about “Companion Gardening From The Ground Up." This meeting is hosted both in-person at the Roseville Skating Oval (Rose Banquet room) and online. RSVP today!
Book Club: Twelve Trees—3/25
The next RCMG Book club discusses Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future by Daniel Lewis on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. There are copies of this book available through the RCMG Lending Library, and other copies available through the public library. Sign-up to join the discussion.
Garden Conferences
Spring is a great time to learn new garden information, practices, and skills. Many Master Gardener programs host annual educational conferences around the state. Check out some of these upcoming events!
Spring Days – 3/22 (Wright County)
Horticulture Day – 4/05 (Pine County)
Home Landscaping and Garden Fair – 4/12 (Anoka County)
Garden Fever – 4/12 (Carver-Scott County)
Day of Insects 2025—3/29
Celebrate the 17th annual Day of Insects at Reiman Gardens on the Iowa State University campus. Enjoy a day filled with presentations from professionals, academics, advocates, and enthusiasts. From beginners to seasoned veterans, Day of Insects has something for anyone interested in or involved with insects.
2025 State Master Gardener Conference–6/27 & 6/28
This annual event will be filled with keynote presentations, indoor classes, outdoor guided walking tours, outdoor show-n-tell classes as well as networking and socializing opportunities. Registration will open on April 1st with “Early Bird” discounted registration fees (15% off) for all volunteers who registered before May. For all available information, visit this section of the Volunteer Google site.
Calendar |
Office hours with Darren: In-person Weds (10 am-2 pm) and online Thurs (12 pm-1 pm)
3/01 – Spring Train-the-Trainer
3/02 – Awards and Recognition Event
3/11 – March Board Meeting (on Zoom only)
3/18 – March Monthly Meeting (on Zoom only)
3/25 – RCMG Book Club Discussion
3/27 – Project Fair
3/24-3/30 – RCMG Yard & Garden Hotline shifts
5/17 – Plant Sale
6/27 & 6/28 – Master Gardener 2025 statewide conference
Quick Links |
RCMG Resources
Extension Resources
Report Your Hours – offline for Jan-Mar
Access the MN Arboretum for free with code MG2025
