Become a Master Gardener: Volunteers needed at Miami-Dade County Extension

(MIAMI, July 15, 2014) – Do you have time to volunteer? Do you like plants and want to learn more about gardening? Do you like to help others by sharing your gardening knowledge? Become a Master Gardener volunteer for UF/Miami-Dade County Extension! Join this elite group of dedicated gardeners who help others solve their plant problems.

Master Gardeners are individuals who are interested in gardening, educating and helping others, and making civic contributions through volunteer work. They help answer gardening questions on the phone at our office, help establish demonstration & school gardens, are plant consultants at local events, and more. Even if you aren’t physically able to do much gardening, we have plenty of volunteer opportunities for you!

Through the Master Gardener training program, participants receive more than 70 hours of classroom & field training from University of Florida faculty. You’ll learn about: flower & vegetable gardening, fruit trees, insects, disease & plant identification, landscape care, environmentally-friendly pesticide & fertilizer use, and much, much more!

How do you become a Master Gardener? Information about the Master Gardener program and the application is on our website:http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn_and_garden/master_gardener.shtml or contact Patty for an application at 305-248-3311 x 225 (fax 305-246-2932), email [email protected] or write to: UF/Miami-Dade County Extension, 18710 SW 288 Street, Homestead, FL  33030.

Once you are selected to take the Master Gardener training, you will be notified about the class schedule. Classroom training is one day during the workweek from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 pm. and lasts for 11-12 weeks, beginning in September. Volunteering opportunities are at our Homestead office and at other sites throughout the county.

Come join our Miami-Dade County team of Master Gardeners today … Learn, Share and Have Fun too!

For more information, please visit the University of Florida/Miami-Dade County Cooperative Extension website at http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/.