Friday, June 1, 2001
|
Friday, June 1, 2001 |
|
Junior Gardener program up and running By SHARON
OMAHEN
A new club in town is perfect for kids who like digging in the dirt and helping others. The Junior Master Gardener program, designed by Texas A&M University's Extension Service, has arrived in Georgia, and Fayette is one of the first counties to participate. Chapters are sprouting up through the University of Georgia's Extension Service. The program is modeled after the adult Master Gardener program, a volunteer training for people who love gardening and community service. In the adult program, participants complete a horticulture training program and work as volunteers at a county Extension office. Junior Master Gardener is similar to 4-H. It stresses leadership and community service. Along the way, the students also learn about gardening. "The curriculum can easily be adapted for use as a club, by parents who home school their children or by church groups," said Krissy Slagle, a program assistant with the Georgia Master Gardeners. "The lessons in the manual are horticulture-based," Slagle said, "but they cover many other areas. For example, one lesson teaches math skills using fruits and vegetables." Students get certificates for each completed chapter and must complete eight chapters to become certified Junior Master Gardeners. Each chapter includes club work, homework and a community service project. One of the first clubs in Georgia is in Newnan, a pilot program started by Master Gardener Heidi Roemer. "I started the club in February to fulfill my Master Gardener volunteer commitment," she said. "I wanted to do something with children, and Carolyn Fjeran of the Coweta County Extension office recommended the Junior Master Gardener program." Roemer coordinates her club with Summer Grove, a local environmentally friendly community. "The subdivision contains a nature-friendly golf course and bluebird houses throughout the neighborhood," Roemer said. Roemer and eight members have bimonthly club meetings. "We've completed four chapters in the manual and are now preparing our community service projects," she said. "We plan to make pressed-flower bookmarks for a local convalescence home and build a compost pile for the community." Learn more about the Junior Master Gardener program at http://jmg.tamu.edu. Sharon Omahen is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
|
||