The Rural Voice, 2002-09, Page 61Rhea
Hamilton -
Seeger and
her husband
live near
Auburn. She
is a skilled
cook and
gardener.
By Rhea Hamilton -Seeger
Volunteers are hard people to
come by. They are the ones who find
the time to dedicate to their
community, to projects that improve
both their
lives and those around them.
Volunteers are those busy people
who still manage to carve out a few
more minutes out of their already full
schedules to do something for
someone else. What so few people
realize is that those same busy
volunteers have a better appreciation
for what there is in their community,
the riches, the potential for something
better, happier, more enjoyable,
cleaner. There are projects and
activities in every community that
could benefit from an extra helping
hand. The benefits are personally
satisfying. So how does this tie into
gardening, I hear you murmur.
The Master Gardeners of Ontario
is just one group of volunteers who
literally see the beauty in their
communities through their activities
and the encouragement of the same
activities of others. The Master
Gardener program was created in the
United States by the Department of
Agriculture as a response to the many
inquiries by the public about their
gardens. Volunteers were trained and
turned loose into their communities
to help
gardeners of
all ages and
levels of
expertise.
Here in
Ontario the
Ministry of
Agriculture
and Food
plus the
Provincial
Gardening
Volunteers in gour garden
Horticultural Society adopted the
Master Gardener program. They
sponsored the training which was
supplied through the University of
Guelph. A series of three
correspondence courses formed the
basis for the training with technical
seminars scheduled each year to keep
volunteers up to date.
This is one program that
participants can personally profit
from. The training can literally be
used in their own back yards. With a
commitment of 30 hours per year,
volunteers can maintain their
appropriate~ title of Master Gardener.
In Ontario there are about 36 groups
which turned over 32,000 hours into
their communities last year.
What does a Master Gardener do?
Well they won't come and weed your
garden but they will answer any
questions you may have about a new
garden, problems in the old garden or
just general garden problems:
anything from bugs on your
vegetables to what is best to plant
under the old oak tree.
The MG group in Ottawa is
working with the Friends of the Farm
on some projects. The Farm is the
federal experimental farm where new
plant varieties are tested. In the
Burlington area MGs are involved at
the Royal Botanical Garden. Among
their duties is manning the hotline.
The group in Sarnia has a very big
garden tour and in one community
the group worked with the local
school parent's council to plan a
playground greening project at their
school.
Like a lot of organizations.
volunteers come and go. Some
change focus or circumstances
change or they just plain wear out if
they become too committed to too
much.
Huron County has six trained
volunteers — not quite an army.
Many groups are working with
anywhere from 12 to 20 members.
Here in Huron, MGs would like
to spend more time with school
projects, offer courses or one day
workshops, be on hand for more
events. They have spoken to local
groups, set up at local home shows
and answered calls from the public.
On September 16 the Huron
Master Gardeners are sponsoring an
Open House to kick off their
membership drive. Master Gardeners
will be on hand to talk about the
organization. what is involved in the
training and some interesting
gardening information.
Don't be put off by the
correspondence courses. Depending
on your knowledge you could write
the exemption exam and avoid the
courses. Discover more at the Open
House on September 16 at the Huron
County Health Unit located right
behind Huronview, on Hwy. 4 south
of Clinton at 7:30 p.m.
While you are in the garden this
month, trimming back the spent
blooms, keep an eye open for any
standing water which may be a
perfect breeding ground for
mosquitoes. I can't imagine anyone
who could have avoided hearing
about the West Nile Virus (WNV).
The results of testing dead crows
indicate the virus is here in Ontario
and in fact right across the prairies as
well.
Usually the elderly and those
with weakened immune systems
may experience mild fever, headache.
stiff neck, nausea, and muscle
weakness. On rare occasions the
virus can cause encephalitis
(inflammation of the brain). Those
over 50 years of age are at greatest
risk. To date I don't believe there has
been any record of a human having
contracted the virus in Canada. The
pessimists among us would say it is
only a matter of time.
So be safe in your garden. Those
forgotten toys in the sandbox, the .
kiddie pool or that saucer near the
edge of the garden all are perfect
breeding sites even with the bit of
rain we have had. Give them the flip
and remember to refresh your bird
baths weekly. It's good for the birds.
If you are enjoying one of those fall
evenings sitting outside remember to
wear long sleeves and consider an
insect repellent.0
SEPTEMBER 2002 57