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Congratulations to MGs Jill Skelly and and Lori Racanelli for completing their initial 125 hours. A special thanks to Jill for her donation to the Master Gardener program.
Remember you’re responsible for keeping track of your hours: 1) the number of hours per this calendar year and 2) the number of hours since you became a Master Gardener.
Those working on their first 125 volunteer hours need to contact me directly via email when 125 hours are satisfied.
The Master Gardener reporting volunteers hours survey is linked here. https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aiagRHzCO3z8smO
Where to volunteer?
You may recall the 5 volunteer categories on the MG survey. You can earn hours ANYWHERE in Suffolk County for YOUTH EDUCATION and ADULT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH. You may be engaged in ANY STRIPE of activity for CCE SUPPORT and CONTINUING EDUCATION.
It is ONLY for the category of GARDENING MAINTENANCE that the current, specific guidelines need to be better understood. When I became a Master Gardener in 2005, there were no exceptions. If you were engaged with raising and maintaining plants, this activity had to be at an APPROVED MG site and an APPROVED MG site only.
Why? This guideline was, in part, a recognition that MGs age up and move on or move out of Suffolk County. Yet the garden remains, with or without Master Gardener attention.
Current exceptions and variations.
FOOD SECURITY. Since Extension values the importance of food security, community gardens where vegetables are raised for, and donated to our hungry neighbors, need not be an "APPROVED" site for MG volunteers to earn hours.
FOOD SECURITY at SCHOOLS. Public elementary-high schools have school gardens where children learn how to grow vegetables for nutrition and food security. In addition, schools are protective about the adults given access to their property. Insurance and security concerns have meant that only those Master Gardeners employed by that school will have ready access to the school garden. Master Gardeners teaching at these schools need not be at an "APPROVED" school site.
ORNAMENTAL DEMONSTRATION GARDEN VARIATIONS. Years ago these gardens were labelled as "beautification" gardens. MG graduates since the pandemic (Classes of 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) have been permitted to complete some portion of their initial 125 volunteer hours maintaining demonstration gardens at " NOT APPROVED" sites. This began as a necessity in 2020-2022 as the pandemic made joint public gardening efforts difficult and some sites were off limits.
Current classes. If, and only if, more recent MGs are engaged in demonstration-ornamental garden maintenance exclusively, a smaller portion of their hours may be completed at NOT APPROVED MG sites. For instance, members of the Class of 2025 should complete 2/3 of their initial 125 hours (83 hours) at an APPROVED site and may volunteer 1/3 of their hours (42 hours) maintaining a non approved MG site.
Here's the MG Approved Site List.
This is a matter is revisited by the Master Gardener Advisory Committee each year.
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