The Green Thumb
news & updates
for Polk County Master Gardeners
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January 2021 - Happy New Year! |
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Message Regarding Covid-19
ISU Extension and Outreach, Polk County is working to adhere to local, state and national recommendations to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Our priority is the health and safety of our staff, volunteers and program participants.
Volunteer guidance in accordance with ISU:
- In accordance with the governor’s proclamation, extension indoor programs and events are limited to 15 people, and outdoor programs and events are limited to 30 people. These limits apply to all extension-related activities, including activities of 4-H clubs and volunteers, Master Gardeners, and other extension volunteers. Masks are required when participating in extension-related activities.
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No prepared food can be served, sold or provided by staff, volunteers or participants at any county extension hosted program or activity regardless of the program or activity location. Prepared food examples include: prepared food fundraisers, food stands selling prepared food, and activities such as barbecues, potlucks, etc. Individually pre-packaged food (ex. individually wrapped granola bars, bottles of water) can be provided.
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The Open for Iowa committee will continue to monitor how the pandemic is impacting our organization and how to best implement the guidelines from the governor.
In-person gatherings relating to the Master Gardener Program are highly discouraged. You may want to host MG meetings online. Please work with the MG coordinator to set this up. People who are at higher risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19 should consider staying home and limiting contact with others. Those populations include older individuals (over the age of 65) or with underlying health conditions. To view a list of higher risk populations, view the CDC website.
A reminder that participating in Master Gardener volunteer opportunities is not obligatory at any time. While some garden activities continue on a small scale, and within guidelines placed by our local health department, ISU, and ISU Extension, we recognize that you may not feel comfortable participating in any activity during the current situation, and that is accepted. The health and safety of our volunteers and participants remains our highest priority during this time. If you have concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to contact Kalsa Parker Browning, the contact for the Polk County Master Gardener program at [email protected] or 515-401-6068, or Paul Gibbins, Regional Director for Polk County Extension at [email protected] or 515-229-9182.
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Message from Steering Committee Chair
and PCMG Volunteer Feature
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Happy New Year to each and every one of you! I become almost giddy and excited during the winter as I begin thinking about the upcoming planting and growing seasons. Since I won’t have my own garden this year, I’m looking forward to contributing even more of my time to the many projects of the Polk County Master Gardener organization. This platform, the Green Thumb newsletter, is providing an opportunity for me to highlight many of our projects and the individuals who lead them. |
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This month I’d like to introduce you to Brenda Peshak. Brenda is a wife and mother, credentialed business analyst and a dedicated volunteer and rising leader for PCMG. Brenda is my go-to during Steering Committee meetings because of her knowledge of and interest in parliamentary procedure—she actually belongs to a club that meets and practices running business meetings! Brenda volunteers to maintain the grounds of her daughter’s elementary school and has recently taken up watercolor painting.
Although Brenda dabbled in gardening as a child, she felt like she needed to learn more before she jumped into gardening for herself. So, she attended a program at a local library and heard about PCMG. She was intrigued by the idea of learning gardening tips from people showing her how to do things and then doing them in the project gardens. Brenda joined PCMG in 2019 and earned her 40 volunteer hours early in 2020. Because of the pandemic limitations, Brenda gains most of her educational requirements through the recordings shared by our organizational communications and has volunteered in multiple projects.
I like Brenda’s volunteerism philosophy: she wanted to volunteer for a lot of projects so she could learn as much as possible and determine where her skills could be put to good use. Brenda has helped to organize for the Garden Tour, among other roles with PCMG. At one time the Garden Tour was a huge draw for PCMG. Members volunteered their personal, home gardens and volunteers helped get them ready for the tour date. Promotions, communications, ticket sales, and day-of activities were handled by dozens of volunteers. A garden tour was scheduled for 2020 but due to COVID and various other concerns, it was canceled. The next PCMG Garden Tour is planned for 2022. It will take many hands to put together a successful event and planning will begin this summer. Watch for news and information coming out!
When I asked Brenda what she would like to see from PCMG in the future her response was: A successful Garden Tour! The Garden Tour is a way to enhance our community outreach, to showcase our talents and has the potential to have a large community impact. The Garden Tour provides volunteer and education opportunities to current master gardeners as well as fulfilling the community education aspect of our mission statement. Brenda is a member of the Steering Committee and is keenly aware of two issues the SC is grappling with: 1) the centralized oversight and funding task force work, and 2) the retention of current Master Gardeners and the recruitment of the next generation.
You’ll be hearing more about volunteer opportunities in the near future. Consider where your talents will be of benefit and sign up—and bring a friend!
I need to see what the postman delivered today—I’ll bet there’s at least one seed catalog!
Marietta
Steering Committee Chair
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Master Gardener Directory Updates
The Master Gardener directory has been updated. Those with contact info in the directory have access through Box.com. Access is restricted through this file sharing service to protect your personal information.
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Record 2020 Hours - Yesterday!
Have unrecorded hours from 2020? Hours were due Dec. 31st, but better late than never! Please record those as soon as possible. No hours were required in 2020, but if you did volunteer, those hours still count towards future awards milestones.
In 2021, the Master Gardener requirements will return to normal - completion of 20 volunteer hours and 10 continuing education hours.
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Program Committee
Save the Date! Virtual Program Night
Feb. 11th, 6-8:30p.m.
Join us for a Virtual Program Night over Zoom, with speaker Tivon Feeley from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources!
Topic and registration information to be sent at a later date, but mark your calendars now!
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Demonstration Garden
Welcome, 2021!
The winter protection from the snow has arrived. Despite the cold, the coverage is appreciated after having such a dry season in 2020.
Most seeds for the 2021 season have arrived. Preparations are being made for sowing and transplant in a couple months. Many of the supplies have been washed in advance and heat mats tested.
With all the uncertainty of Covid, our event calendar for the 2021 season has not been finalized. Hopefully in-person meetings (and meeting spaces) will become available by late spring. Watch for Demo garden related dates in future messages.
The Demonstration Garden is looking for volunteers interested in taking on leadership roles. In addition to expanding the team of co-chairs, we have some beds with positions needing filled (Water-Wise, Birds and Bees, AAS display and others). If you have an interest or have questions, please contact Ruth or Sandie.
Take time to enjoy the beauty of winter. When snow falls, nature listens.
Be safe, stay healthy and we hope to see you in the spring.
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Co-Chairs:
(515) 253-9115
(515) 276-1497
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Discovery Garden
Greetings from the Discovery and hopes for a much more positive and productive New Year.
Do you have an interest in sharing your talents with the Discovery Garden? If so, we have some current bed team openings with some experienced gardeners. Please share your interests with any co-chair and we will try to find a good fit for your skills. Even if you just want to volunteer as a general laborer, expressing your interest helps us plan our manpower needs. You can contact any co-chair with your interest. We are currently planning bed designs for next year's fair.
Take care all, stay safe, and looking forward to spring.
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Continuing Education Opportunities |
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Saturday Webinars
ISU Extension and the University of Illinois Extension are partnering to offer Gardening in the Air webinars! Registration opens on Jan. 11th but you can find more info here.
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Iowa Master Gardener YouTube Channel
Check out these new additions!
- Increasing Wetland Vegetation throughout Iowa - 1 hour
- Becoming an Urban Water Steward - 1 hour
- Forest Impacts to Water Quality - 1 hour
Review concepts from the MG Training with these webinars:
- Plant Pathology - 1 hour
- The Nature of Native Plants - 1 hour
- Botany - 1 hour
- Insect Pest Management - 1 hour
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Learn on Saturdays
The Learn on Saturdays series at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens
is going virtual!
In 2021, catch one lecture each Saturday from Jan.-April.
More info and tickets can be found online:
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Polk County Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources programs aim to help all Iowans, from the home hobbyist to the ag professional, make informed decisions through research-based education. Some programs and focus areas include farm management education, technical expertise for crops, livestock and pests, as well as our Polk County Master Gardener volunteer program; our signature horticulture education program. Our work supports clean water and healthy habitats, profitable farms, and a more secure food system. |
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Contact
Kalsa Parker Browning
Natural Resources Program Coordinator
ISU Extension and Outreach, Polk County
(515) 957-5768
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