Research in action at a Master Gardeners Help Desk. Photo ccourtesy of Mary Barnes.
Volunteers with a passion for playing in the dirt
Master Gardeners are people with a passion for putting their hands in the dirt and a desire to give back to their community.
Mary Barnes, volunteer coordinator for the Yavapai County chapter of Master Gardeners, first became involved with the program in 2003 as a way to meet other gardeners. Initially, she volunteered by staffing the help desk in Prescott. “At first I thought I didn’t really know enough to do that,” she says, “but it’s basically a research position.”
The help desk is a free service where county residents can ask all kinds of questions (call, email, or stop by the office) and Master Gardeners do the research and provide information. Their knowledge covers any aspect of horticulture you can think of: soil health, pests, plant species, growing practices, insects, and irrigation strategies are just a few. Other volunteer opportunities include: giving talks; tending the grounds of public places like museums; staffing information tables at the Camp Verde, Prescott, and Sedona farmers markets during the summer; and educating children in school gardens.
Barnes is quick to clarify: “Master Gardeners are not free manual labor. When someone asks, ‘Can you come out and pull my weeds or plant my vegetable garden?’ I tell them, ‘That’s not what we do, but we’ll show you how to plant your vegetable garden, help you identify your weeds, and tell you how to manage them.’”
Barnes enjoys connecting people the most. In 2007, the Yavapai County chapter created a mentorship program because “it used to be that if you took a class, you would know the people in your class but you may not have a connection with them. With the mentor program, you’ve got someone you can contact and ask, ‘How do I report my hours?’ or ‘Can you tell me more about this particular volunteer activity and if it is something I’d be interested in?’”
Barnes adds, “When someone joins the program, they are given the title of Associate Master Gardener, a nametag, we take their picture, we put a directory together… we want class members to actually get to know each other by the time they finish the 17 weeks. That helps with volunteering because now they know someone they can volunteer with and that, in addition to the mentor program, really helps them stay connected. It’s not just a class; you’re really joining a program.”
The program is also unique in that it has a Master Gardener Association. In addition to being the backbone of the program, it serves as a networking organization for the volunteers. They further find their niche by participating in committees on communications, speakers bureau, or volunteer projects.
She says, “From my perspective as the volunteer coordinator, I don’t want someone to volunteer to do something that they’re not really passionate about or happy doing; it’s supposed to be an enjoyable thing.”
She attributes connecting Master Gardeners to enjoyable opportunities, advertising all opportunities via email, and the mentor program to the success rate in getting people certified and remaining active in the program. The numbers don’t lie. There are 178 active Yavapai County Master Gardeners with roughly 50 holding emeritus status (over 10 years of continuous active service).
As a former project manager in the information technology industry, Barnes also empowers volunteers through the structure she has built within the organization. She says, “Over the years, we’ve built up a lot of processes and documents. People who have been Master Gardeners in other places have said, ‘Boy, this is really organized!’ It’s because there’s been a lot of continuity and when something can be done in a better way we do it and then we keep building on it.”
Barnes is quick to point out, “Being a Certified Master Gardener doesn’t mean we know everything; it means we’re committed to the effort, and we can always find the answers.” To become a Certified Master Gardener, you must attend a course covering various horticultural topics specific to your area and then share the information as a volunteer. Applications for the next year’s program become available online in November.
INFORMATION
Website
extension.arizona.edu/programs/yavapai-county-master-gardeners
Prescott Help Desk
840 Rodeo Dr., Bldg. C
prescottmg@gmail.com
928-445-6590 Ext. 222
Camp Verde Help Desk
2830 N. Commonwealth Dr., Ste. 103
verdevalleymg@gmail.com
928-554-8992
