Marin Master Gardeners - All About the Marin Master Gardeners

All About the Marin Master Gardeners

Who We Are - Purpose, Core Values and Mission of the Program

The intended impact of the Master Gardener Program can be categorized into four important areas:

Healthier Plants

• Increased understanding of plant needs

• Appropriate selection, placement, and

care of plants

Healthier Gardeners

• More vegetables and fruits consumed

• More positive gardening experiences

• More new skills learned and

recognized

• More gardens in the community

• Better health through gardening

Healthier Environment

• Optimum water use

• Improved soil quality

• Reduced reliance on pesticides

• Integrated pest-management practices

Healthier Community

• More people gardening

• More positive experiences

• More group involvement

• Improved communications skills

• Improved cultural understanding

Master Gardener Program Mission

Master Gardener Volunteers are the Go-To-People for UC research-based home horticulture information.

Teaching sustainable gardenening practices for healthy home and garden.

Funding & Volunteers

The University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program (MGP) is an educational program designed to teach and effectively extend information to address home gardening and non-commercial horticulture needs in California. UCCE is the outreach arm of the University of California’s (UC) division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR). Master Gardener volunteers (MG volunteers) promote the application of basic environmentally appropriate gardening practices through UCCE-organized educational programs that transfer research-based knowledge and information. The UCCE MGP is part of UC’s public service educational efforts.

Marin Master Gardeners (MGs) work as non-paid staff members of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), answering public inquiries and providing information on all areas of plant health and gardening practices. In the state’s fiscal year 2007-2008, Marin MGs volunteered 17,394 hours out of a total of 260,158 hours for the entire state. That is the equivalent of approximately $340,000 of volunteer labor. On average, MGs throughout the state volunteer 78 hours per year.

If you are a person with a disability and require this document in an alternate format (example: Braille, Large Print, Audiotape, CD-ROM), you may request an alternate format document by using the contact information below. If you require an accommodation (example: ASL Interpreter, reader, note taker) to participate in any county program, service or activity, you may request an accommodation by calling 415-499-4204 (or CRS dial 711) not less than four work days in advance of the event.