Kick-off meeting held for Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists

OGLESBY — On March 2, the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programs for Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall and Putnam counties held a unitwide 2018 kick off meeting on the campus of Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby.

The purpose of the kickoff meeting was to connect with Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists in the four counties, and to discuss program goals and visions for 2018 and beyond.

The Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programs support local communities by providing numerous volunteer hours through Extension approved community service projects, as well as educational programs, services and events. The mission of the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener program is "Helping Others Learn to Grow." Master Gardeners involve people in improving the quality of life by helping them find sound management practices for home and urban natural resources, by creating aesthetically pleasing environments, by promoting well-being through people-plant interactions and horticultural therapy, and by contributing to a safe, abundant food supply through home fruit and vegetable production.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Master Gardener or Master Naturalist programs, how to become a Master Gardener or Master Naturalist, and about some of the things these volunteers do for their communities, you can visit the following websites: Master Gardener — https://web.extension.illinois.edu/mg/default.cfm; Master Naturalist — https://web.extension.illinois.edu/mn/who.cfm.

The next meeting for Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 28, at the IVCC–Oglesby campus, Room CTC 125. For more information, contact Meg Overocker, Extension program coordinator, at meo@illinois.edu, or call the LaSalle County Extension Office in Ottawa at 815-433-0707.