The county’s approximately 120 master gardeners volunteer for numerous certified projects, from school gardens, parks, and gardening in the townships. Volunteers are trained for 50 hours through the program, and to become certified they need to provide 50 hours of volunteer time in the community.
Classes will run on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and from Sept. 13 through Nov. 15. Most classes will be based at the extension office, 1802 Princeton Road, Suite 400. The course costs $250, but those who perform the required 50 hours within about a year receive a $100 reimbursement.
During the classes, “We do all sorts of fun things,” Meyer said. “It’s for people who are interested in horticulture who have not gardened before, and it’s for folks who love gardening and horticulture, and maybe they have a specialization, and they want to volunteer their time in that area,” Meyer said.
Some love growing vegetables, and have donated to school vegetable-gardening projects. Others enjoy pollinators, and may be interested in a new pollinator project at Keehner Park in West Chester Twp.
“Education is our mission, to spread proper horticulture practices throughout the county,” Meyer said of the program, which actually is a national effort. “In the state we have over 3,500 master gardener volunteers.”
Instructors include local experts, as well as some from across the state.
Anyone interested in the classes can call the extension office at 513-887-3722 or click here
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