Master gardeners celebrate 20th anniversary with ‘Garden Gala’
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In 1992, a seed was planted with the hopes of creating a community volunteer gardening program. Twenty years later, the Southern Nevada Master Gardener program is in full bloom.
To mark the anniversary, the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program is having a number of events. The first, a Garden Gala on April 21, is free and open to all gardening enthusiasts.
The Garden Gala will be at the Lifelong Learning Center and Outdoor Education Center, 8050 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. Cooperative Extension's demonstration and teaching gardens will be open. Garden tours and talks will be offered every half hour between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Throughout the day there will be a native plant sale, an "Ask a Master Gardener" information booth and community project displays. Horticulture expert Linn Mills, who started the local master gardener program, will be honored, as will master gardener Mary Rider, a graduate of the first training class.
Cutting an anniversary cake and a reunion of current and former master gardeners will commemorate the day.
During the years, more than 1,000 individuals have become certified master gardeners and 300 still actively share their knowledge in the community. In contrast to purely vocational training, master gardeners are required to share their gardening knowledge with others. They make a commitment to volunteer a minimum of 50 hours annually on community service projects.
Since the local program began in 1992, master gardeners have contributed more than 273,827 volunteer hours. The cash value is more than $5.7 million (based on 2009-2010 volunteer valuation of $20.85 a hour).
Master gardeners assist government and nonprofit community partners on more than 20 sites across the valley and staff the help desk at the Lifelong Learning Center from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays .
For more information, contact Antoinette Edmunds, program coordinator, via email at edmundsa@unce.unr.edu or by calling 257-5587.
