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Hello Melissa,
The season is in full bloom with counties deep in training, plant sales popping up, and exciting plans taking shape for upcoming UC Master Gardener programming. If you're organizing a plant sale, consider using a UC ANR credit card device to reduce cash handling and help boost your sales.
This past month, we've had the pleasure of honoring Gardeners with Heart—dedicated volunteers who help our program flourish through their passion and service. Thank you for nominating these incredible individuals. It’s been a pleasure to celebrate the meaningful impact their contributions make. As we approach the second half of 2025, please keep in mind who you might want to nominate and celebrate next year. Submissions will open early in 2026 for this important recognition program.
As training sessions wrap up, the statewide office team is happy to help recognize your graduating trainees. Please reach out if you are interested in our in-person participation or with a recorded message to help celebrate accomplishments.
To all of the Coordinators and Volunteer Leaders receiving this newsletter, your care and commitment continue to nurture this program’s growth. We see you, and we appreciate you!
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Missy Gable
Director
UC Master Gardener Program
| | Annual Coordinator Meeting | | |
Please mark your calendar for this year’s Annual Coordinator Meeting at the South Coast Research and Extension Center in Orange County, Calif.
The Annual Coordinator Meeting brings together personnel from around the state for peer sharing, professional development, and collaborative work sessions.
Dates: Monday, Oct. 20, and Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025
Location: South Coast Research and Extension Center
7601 Irvine Blvd
Irvine, CA 92618
Audience: Program staff
Note: In counties without staff leadership, volunteers in a leadership role are invited with permission from the County Director or Advisor.
More details including the registration, draft agenda, and information about travel support are forthcoming! Please keep an eye on the Master Gardener Coordinator Collaborative Tools (CT) and email for updates.
| | National Volunteer Month & Gardeners with Heart | | |
In April, we celebrated National Volunteer Month, honoring all the contributions volunteers make to our communities. All month long, the UC Master Gardener Program featured stories of exceptional volunteers, or “Gardeners with Heart,” making a difference in California communities from the Bay to the borders and everywhere in between. To learn more about the volunteer honorees working to make California gardens more sustainable, bountiful, and more resilient visit:
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Per the UC Master Gardener Program Administrative Handbook reappointment runs from June 1, through July 31. “All UC Master Gardener volunteers must be reappointed by their County Director annually to remain active in the program and to continue acting as agents of the university. Volunteers are independently and personally responsible for meeting all administrative requirements necessary to secure reappointment by correctly submitting the following: Annual Agreement, Code of Conduct, and Driver’s License and Insurance Information.”
Reappointment can be a time-consuming process for coordinators. We recommend blocking out a few hours each week from May 2025 through August 2025 to ensure that your VMS rosters are in order, reappointment communications are complete, and that insurance fees are properly submitted to the UC Master Gardener Program statewide office.
Reappointment Webinar Recording
Other Reappointment Help and Training Resources
Help documentation, training resources, reappointment office hours, links to the webinar resources, and more can be found on the UC Master Gardener Coordinator website’s Reappointment page. Please feel free to use, copy, and share any of the available resources.
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UC ANR Giving Day is almost here! This 24-hour fundraising event on May 15-16 helps connect UC research and extension with local communities.
- Register your participation by May 1 to receive gift notifications
- Set specific goals that tell your story
- Personalize your messaging to connect with your community
The Campaign-In-A-Box Toolkit is available with pre-written communications, graphics, and Canva templates. Remember, personalizing your messages with specific goals and local photos makes them more powerful!
For more detailed information, refer to last month's Rooted newsletter, and download the Giving Day Toolkit here: Campaign-In-A-Box Toolkit
Questions? Contact Emily Delk at eddelk@ucanr.edu.
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The new website platform, Drupal, has been live for more than a month, and we are all adjusting to this new platform, working through bugs, and figuring out the best ways to create our content. If you haven't logged in to your website or updated your pages, we highly recommend that you do. For information on how to upload content and manage your new website, please check out the IWP Training resources, Rooted Special Edition - IWP, and the current Rooted in Marketing for updates.
If you have questions about your website or need help figuring out how to do something, please join the UC Master Gardener Communications Office Hours on Tuesdays from 11 am - 12 pm or contact Barbra Braaten.
| | | | Welcome! New Coordinators | | Please join us in extending a heartfelt welcome to the newest member of our coordinator community! | | | | Sarah Farley joined UCCE Santa Clara County as the UC Master Gardener Program Coordinator. With nearly a decade of experience in Extension education across multiple states, Sarah brings extensive knowledge in volunteer engagement and community partnerships. Her background includes roles as a Farm Financial Management Educator at Penn State Extension, Youth Development Agent with Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Local Food Systems Educator at the University of Illinois Extension. We are thrilled to have her expertise to support and expand educational opportunities in our growing Santa Clara County program. Email: slfarley@ucanr.edu | | Marketing & Communications | | Looking for the latest on marketing and communications, check the most recent issue of Rooted in Marketing. You can find the current issue and all past issues on the UC Master Gardener Coordinator site here. If there is a topic you would like to see covered in Rooted please contact Barbra Braaten | bbraaten@ucanr.edu | |
Wondering about IPM versus SPM? Learn how Integrated Pest Management relates to the newer Sustainable Pest Management approach, understand UC IPM's position, and discover which terminology UC Master Gardeners should use. Learn more on the blog. | | |
Upcoming Training & Events:
Webinars:
Reappointment 2025
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 1– 2 pm Zoom link: ucanr.zoom.us/j/92211254053
Office Hours:
2025 Reappointment, with the Volunteer and Community Engagement Staff
Tuesdays, 9 – 10 am, May 6 – Aug. 19
Zoom: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/97573424723
Meeting ID: 975 7342 4723
UC Master Gardener Communications, with Barbra Bratten
Tuesdays, 11 am -12 pm,
Zoom: ucanr.zoom.us/j/93698902316?pwd=cVpBVDJIS0JSTld1NytmUXNYRzhKQT09
UC ANR Social Media, with Dora Garay
Wednesdays, 11 am -12 pm
Zoom: ucanr.zoom.us/j/91408257262?pwd=dXl0a1RZbW5nR054OXcxYUVqckZtdz09
Admin and Policy Support, with Missy Gable
Fridays, 9-10 am Zoom: ucanr.zoom.us/j/98021015391?pwd=CFAeiJZf5ionWPcVvAbKbADmmdPxoH.1
Recorded Webinars:
Reappointment 2025
https://youtu.be/eIO7yr8CQ_I (Apr. 2025)
National Volunteer Appreciation Month
https://youtu.be/WQxlxS1c5jg (Apr. 2025)
Volunteer Demographic Data, Part 2
https://youtu.be/iaG5ZurU19w (Mar. 2025)
Volunteer Demographic Survey Results, Part 1 https://youtu.be/nFGPHdUFiH4 (Jan. 2025)
Professional Development:
Extension Skills – Professional Development | Extension Foundation
This resource hub from the Extension Foundation offers professional development opportunities designed to build key competencies for Extension professionals. The "Extension Skills" section focuses on practical, high-impact skill areas including communication, evaluation, engagement, innovation, and more. Courses and content are curated to support career growth, collaboration, and the application of evidence-based practices across the Cooperative Extension System. Ideal for both new and seasoned educators, this site helps build capacity for success in modern Extension work.
| | Thanks for reading this month's issue! To submit questions, topic suggestions, a spotlight story, project feature, new staff feature, or feedback, email Statewide Communications Specialist, Barbra Braaten at bbraaten@ucanr.edu. | | Our Mission
“To extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of California.” | | The University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources (UC ANR) is an equal opportunity provider and employer. | | | | |
