Care about the environment? Become a UConn Extension Master Gardener and make a difference

Article by Sandi Wilson, UConn Extension Master Gardener Coordinator, Fairfield County

UConn Extention master classes — Photo via UCONN Extension

Ask a certified Master Gardener about their experience with UConn Extension’s Program and you will hear things like, “I learned so much” and the program “was life changing.” This comprehensive nine month long horticultural program has made quite a mark on thousands of participants who have completed it since it was first offered in Connecticut over forty-five years ago. In addition to their own personal growth, participants make a difference in their community and environment through the community outreach portion of the program.

The classes, which cover core topics such as soil science, botany, and entomology, as well as numerous specialties like native and non-native invasive plants, tend to stoke an interest in a specific topic or even ignite a passion for one. This newfound horticultural knowledge can then be shared with others; after completing the program, many Master Gardeners find their educational niche.

Nicole Christensen had been interested in insects since she was a child. After becoming a Master Gardener and working on the UConn Extension Fairfield County’s insect collection, her interest grew. “When I started organizing the insects in the office, I really became fascinated, how they work, how they fit in the ecosystem, and how many there are! I find the insect world to be so interesting; there are insects in the world scientists have not even classified yet.” Nicole chooses to share her knowledge and love of insects with adults, school children, UConn 4-H clubs, and scout groups. She enjoys giving insect presentations and displaying the vast UConn Extension insect collection which she continues to add to and diligently helps preserve.

After attending a lecture on non-native invasive plants at her local library, Pam Roman recognized that many of those plants were invading her own backyard. She then took on a daunting project to eradicate them. “Removing invasives became an obsession: discovering how easily one plant might be to pull versus other plants that seemingly fight tooth and nail, was like a years-long cage match for me. I have been rewarded for my combat, because once these plants were gone, many natives returned to the area.” After completing the Master Gardener program and furthering her knowledge, Pam set out to educate others on how to identify invasive plants and eradicate them in their own backyards. She has led invasive species walks for schools, preserves, and other organizations, and has spoken frequently on the topic to various community groups. “Seven years after that first lecture, I’ve given lectures of my own where I’ve encouraged people to make the same changes that I have in my yard, one area at a time.”

Master Gardener Diane Cooke has turned her passion for native plants into leading projects that establish native plant and pollinator gardens at libraries, and historic properties. She has transformed her own yard by embracing native plants and creating a haven for native plants and pollinators. “Since 2017, my focus has been on removing invasives in my property and bringing in native trees, shrubs, groundcovers, grasses and doing everything I can to improve my corner of the world. From there, I have branched out into encouraging others to try doing the same things, sharing native plants that I’ve propagated, promoting and installing native gardens in public spaces; I think the ‘native’ seed was always there but the Master Gardener program watered that seed and gave it the light it needed to sprout.”

Still other special interests have led Master Gardeners to create vegetable gardens to support local food pantries, created tree planting initiatives, sparked regulations to protect insects and other wildlife, and generated other environmentally friendly programs.

Interested in increasing your horticultural knowledge and making a difference in your community? Applications for the 2027 UConn Extension Master Gardener Program, which begins in January, are available on the Master Gardener website at s.uconn.edu/applications.

Each year, classes are offered in multiple in person locations with an online class option also available. After classes wrap up in May, interns begin a 30-hour internship in one of Connecticut’s eight county extension offices or at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford. There, students learn to diagnose plant problems and help field gardening questions from the public. UConn Extension Master Gardener interns also dive into their choice of many available community outreach projects and begin 30 hours of service in the community.

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Care about the environment? Become a UConn Extension Master Gardener and make a difference