Advanced Master Gardener

Tree Stewards Training at MG College 2009

The Advanced Master Gardener - Tree Steward Training was offered in conjunction with Master Gardener College in 2006 and will be offered again in 2009.  This training is intended to help Units that cannot muster enough participants or instructors to host the training in their home unit.  Core training in both technical areas and in programming will be offered at MG College, but the trainees will be expected to return to their units, and work closely with their Agent and/or Unit Coordinator to complete the exercises required to become an Advanced Master Gardener.

Prerequisites:

•  Must be a Master Gardener.  This training is not open to Master Gardener Trainees nor interns.  All participants must have completed all of the requirements to become a Master Gardener prior to commencing this Advanced Master Gardener Training.
•  Must have the express permission of their local Agent and/or Unit Coordinator.
• Must pay an additional fee for the additional instruction, and the Handbook

Course of Study:

•  Candidates will take a prescribed course of study offered at MG College.  In addition to the Advanced Master Gardener Technical Training offered Wednesday all day, and Thursday in the morning, Advanced Master Gardener Tree Stewards will take all of the following courses.
• • Thursday Afternoon 1-5 Air Spade Demo/Urban Soils with Bonnie Appleton, Specialist at the Hampton Roads AREC & Eric Wiseman, VT Department of Forestry, (required for Tree Stewards). Watch Dr. Appleton as she reveals the root system of a tree and discusses the importance of proper planting techniques. Dr. Wiseman will then take you through a discussion of urban soils and the importance of mycorhizzal fungi and the negative impact of compacted soils.
  • Friday Morning Tree Hormones, Joe Murray, Professor, Blue Ridge Community College (required for Tree Stewards).
  • Friday Afternoon 1-3 11) Tree Walk – Jay Stipes Professor Emeritus, VT Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, & Weed Science (required for Tree Stewards). See trees from a forest pathlogists point of view as Dr. Stipes shares his wealth of knowledge about trees and tree health. Be prepared rain or shine and wear comfortable walking shoes.
  • Friday Afternoon 3-5 9) Tree ID with TreeFinder Guides – Pat Reilly, Natural Resources Specialist with VCE in Prince William County (required for Tree Stewards). Pat will teach the basics of tree identification in a hands-on approach using the useful and ever popular TreeFinder Guides. $3.00 lab fee paid on site at the session.
  • Saturday Morning 3) Where Roots Belong: The Dilemma of Planting Too Deep – Bonnie Appleton, Extension Specialist at the Hampton Roads AREC. Dr. Appleton will take you through a trees root history and discuss why planting trees at the right depth begins not when a consumer transplants a sapling, but rather when the bare root seedling makes it into its first pot or directly into the ground at the nursery.
  • Saturday All Afternoon Programmatic Training for Advanced Master Gardeners Please note that this training is specialized for Tree Stewards and strongly suggested for all Advanced Master Gardeners.  If you have already completed this specialized Programmatic Training, and can prove it to the satisfaction of instructors and the State Master Gardener Coordinator, you may petition to be exempt from this requirement.
  • Sunday Morning: 2) Teaming with Microbes – Jeff Lowenfels, founder of Plant-a-Row (required for Tree Stewards).

   

• Candidates will complete the training listed in the table below on Wednesday and Thursday preceding Master Gardener College.

• Candidates will return to their Units and work closely with their unit leadership to develop and implement a program for their community based on an assessment of community needs, and the resources available.
• Candidates will submit their project idea in the form of a report to the State Master Gardener Coordinator for approval.
• Candidates will implement the approved project, volunteer no less than 30 hours, and report on the outcome of the initial project activities.
• In order to remain an Advanced Master Gardener - Tree Steward continued volunteer commitment above that required to remain an Master Gardener is required at a level established by the local coordinator and/or Agent.

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Last changed: June 17, 2008