☀️ I hope this message finds you all recovered from our annual BCMGA Plant Sale. With over 2000 visitors and the enthusiastic participation of the majority of our volunteers, it's safe to say that our hard work paid off. Thank you to each and every one of you who contributed to making this year's plant sale a resounding success.
As we transition from the excitement of the plant sale to the tranquility of our gardens, I want to remind everyone that information about summer garden tours can be found on our website calendar. Our Co-Vice Presidents, Lynn and Michelle have put together an interesting program that should give you some inspiration for your own homes.
To our trainee members, it is time to get to business at the Extension Help Desk. Besides being an important part of training, it is a great opportunity to expand your knowledge base. Our desk trainers are there to support you and can also give refreshers to any veteran MGs who want to re-engage with the Help Desk. There is more information below.
BCMGA Membership Meeting - Monday, May 20, 2024
☀️The final Membership Meeting for this spring is this coming Monday. Co-Vice Presidents Lynn Trimpe and Michelle Brown have arranged our guest Dan Blanchard speaking on the OSU Campus Arboretum, a Historical Perspective. Dan is the Curator of Living Plant Collections for OSU Campus Arboretum and a horticulture instructor at OSU. This is a great preview for the Campus Arboretum Tour on July 18, 2024 for BCMGA members.
Location: Extension Building, Sunset Room
Use East side entrance (other doors locked at night)
Format: Hybrid meeting (in-person and via Zoom) Zoom Link here.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m for socialization and snacks
Program starts at 7:00 p.m. for one hour of Continuing Education
Information about BCMGA Membership meetings can also be found on our updated website.
BCMGA News
☀️Plant Sale Yard Signs - Please return any yard signs for the Plant Sale to the Extension Office or to Bob Smythe’s home at 1998 SW Waverly in Corvallis.
☀️Mayday at the Extension Office Help Desk! Lots of questions are coming into the desk, providing opportunities for veteran and trainee Master Gardeners alike. Signup Genius for the desk.
If you are in this year's class and have been cleared by Otillia, please sign up for desk training. Priority in May is for trainees to complete their first session at the desk. Please partner with a classmate who also is ready for their first session. Note: if you sign up and no trainer is available by the evening before, you will NOT be able to work at the desk.
If you are a certified Master Gardener, especially if you've received refresher training, you can work at the desk IF you see an opening the evening before you'd like to do desk duty. Please sign up as a trainee so no one will expect you to be a trainer.
If you are a certified Master Gardener who wishes to receive refresher training at the desk, you may sign up as a trainee if no other trainees have signed by the evening before and a trainer IS signed up. Alternatively, you may contact any of the trainers (Alan Taylor, Deb Kern, Paula Lupcho, Michelle Brown, Cynthia Roler) to make arrangements.
☀️ Seeking new OMGA Representative - Rich Taylor has been the OMGA Representative for BCMGA for the past several years. He is stepping down at the end of 2024. BCMGA needs a replacement for this position as well as theAlternate Representative. The positions offer an opportunity to interact with Master Gardeners from other counties in Oregon and with leaders of the state Master Gardener program. The Rep and Alternate then get to share what they learn with our organization.
The job is not overly time consuming, there are only 4-5 OMGA meetings per year, currently
though Zoom. Each meeting is typically 1-2 hours. Writing a quarterly report of BCMGA
activities is required for each OMGA board meeting. The Rep or Alternate reports the outcome
of OMGA board meetings back to the BCMGA Board. There are OMGA committees, such as
planning the yearly Joy of Gardening Conference, that you can join if you so desire. It’s up to
you how involved you want to become. The OMGA is always looking for Executive Board
members if you are interested in filling one of those positions as well. There is an orientation
meeting at the beginning of each year for new OMGA representatives, to help get them familiar
with their role. A formal job description is written on page 47 of the BCMGA Policies and Procedures manual.
Rich would be happy to mentor someone through the rest of this year to get them comfortable
with the position requirements and introduce them to the OMGA family. If you are interested
or have questions, please contact Rich Taylor.
OMGA Joy of Gardening Conference July 12-13 at CH2M Hill Alumni Center
☀️Registration is now open for the Joy of Gardening Conference, see the OMGA Website for details. Keynote speakers for this year include Dr. Gail Langelloto and Sherry Sheng as well as Dr. Silva Rondon. Two-day tickets are $80 before June 15.
☀️Donations Needed for Silent Auction - Each year Oregon Master Gardener Chapters donate to the Silent Auction at the Joy of Gardening Conference. The proceeds from this auction are used for the awards and grants given by OMGA each year. Popular items are yard art, gardening supplies, tours, and wine. If you have items to donate please email Paula Lupcho.
☀️Additionally they are asking chapters to make a Spirit of Gardening Pole that symbolizes their county to also be auctioned off. If you are looking for a fun project please reach out to Brenda Bye for more information. Trainees and veteran MGs are both welcome.
Volunteer Opportunities - openings for THIS WEEK
☀️Public Seed Library has ongoing volunteer opportunities for veteran MGs throughout the summer including a PopUp table to discuss Growing Warm Season Crops and Flowers this Saturday, May 18, 2024 at the library. Here is the SignUp Genius to get involved.
☀️Community Gardening Education Team (CGET) - Container Workshop on May 16, 2024 at the South Corvallis Food Bank has openings for 2 Certified MGs. You can review the events and sign up for them on SignUp Genius. If you want more information about upcoming CGET events please email CGET.BentonMG@gmail.com.
Continuing Education Opportunities -
Each program year current Master Gardener volunteers are asked to recertify by completing 10 hours of approved continuing education and 20 hours of volunteering. This ensures that your horticultural knowledge stays current. All the opportunities in this section count towards that goal. Try to get one hour of CE on a diversity, equity, or inclusion related topic.
☀️Growing Oregon Gardens: Level Up Series 2024 Get one hour of CE credit for attending free gardening webinars from OSU. Check out the website for more details. Recordings of past talks are also available for credit.
☀️Webinars. Opportunities from across the state are listed on the OSU Master Gardener Program’s event page. Record each as one hour of continuing education.
Extension News
☀️Need help finding information from Extension? Here are some important links to access information.
Solve Pest Problems: A new tool from OSU Extension to help manage pests around your home and garden with reduced risk to people, pets, and the environment. New entries are being added regularly. https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/
Have a gardening question? Get help at: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/linn-benton/have-gardening-question
Interested in gardening classes and events? https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/linn-benton/have-gardening-question
Current volunteers:
Need information about training, volunteering, or logging hours? First check the Volunteer Sourcebook and website https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/activebentonlinnmg/
Need a sign-up, promotions, or printing for an upcoming event?
First, use the Event Checklist to collect all needed information
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