As a Master Gardener, you will meet people with common interests, develop enduring friendships, and gain satisfaction and recognition from using your talents to enhance the quality of life for the people you help. You will continue to learn “on the job,” and may participate in continuing education opportunities.
With the privilege of taking the classes, comes the responsibility of “helping others learn to grow.” When you sign up for the program, you make a commitment to give back at least 30 hours of your time volunteering.
These hours are as follows:
15 hours serving in any mix of the following:
- Nathanael Greene Demonstration Garden
- Xeriscape
- Hotline
5 hours in other service opportunities in Board-approved chapter activities:
- Presenting a program for the Speakers Bureau
- Be an active member of a committee
- Work on the Plant Sale
- Volunteer at Fairs & Shows, Young Sprouts in the Garden, Potting Shed University
10 hours spent on other activities as approved by the Coordinator including:
- Monthly meetings
- Workshops
- Conferences
- Organizational support
- Work in other Springfield Botanical Gardens
Continuing education is in addition to the above hours and should be reported but does not count towards the 30 hours required. Hours spent in volunteer service for communities, churches, neighborhoods, etc are also counted as additional hours above and beyond the 30 hours required.
Volunteer opportunities begin during the classes and continue throughout the year. You will be contacted by your mentor and by other leaders as well as opportunities will be presented in the Chapter News e-newsletter and at the general meeting membership table. The interest survey that is filled out during the Core Training and each additional year is very valuable in placing our volunteers in positions that are rewarding and fulfilling.
Trainees are required to report their hours on a monthly basis and they have until April 1st of the next year to complete at least 30 hours. It is the trainee’s responsibility to find what works best for their schedule and ability. It is a good rule of thumb to try to volunteer the required hours during the gardening season since the coldest months of the year may be limited when it comes to working in the demonstration gardens or the Hotline. Hours reporting is a required online form and will be sent by email each month. It is also available on the website and on Chapter News. Trainees have all rights of membership including board service and voting privileges.
After completing 30 hours of volunteer work and one year of service, Trainees are awarded the title of Certified University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener at the Spring Banquet. Trainees say they learn as much from the volunteer internship by answering questions as they do during training. The experience is rewarding, enjoyable, and challenging. Many master gardeners choose to continue “helping others learn to grow” year after year.
*All exceptions to this policy may be granted by the Board of Directors.