Prepping for first day of class

Just before the New Year another letter arrived with information about our first day of class and how to register for online training.  Housekeeping stuff...... having done online courses in grad school some time back I was in familiar territory, so just went through the instructions to get set up.  Nothing to it.

So far I've been very impressed with how things are going..... they certainly seem to have their administrative act together.  No major barriers/irritations to getting started, which can be a real turn-off.  I've heard from MG friends of mine that it's quite a tight knit group - friends will get made quickly, and there'll be a lot of fun intermingled with the hard work to come.

As I walked through the garden up to the compost bin the other day, to add the latest batch of kitchen scraps to the pile, I looked around at the plants.....jeepers, I really don't know the proper names for most of these guys.  Many of my non-MG gardening friends know way more than I do and can crank out names for this, that and the other with total ease.   It's been mostly luck that the plants in my garden have survived to my tendings.  I'm not totally clueless, don't get me wrong, but I'm certainly not wise to the details beyond general rules like "stick to natives", "know what works well in sunny spots or the shade", "don't over-water", "compost is a good thing" etc.  

Here I am, on New Year's Eve 2009 with so much to be thankful for, and lots to look forward to in 2010 and beyond.  Can't resist the metaphor, but as it pertains to my MG journey, I look forward to growing as a gardener, blossoming and yielding abundant fruit that I can share with others. 

Happy New Year everyone!

First things First - the application

OK.  First thing I had to do was apply for a position on the program.  Folks told me there were around 100 spots available each year and usually 200-300 people apply for one of those spots.  2010 classes will be taught on Saturdays, which is more popular than the Tuesday schedule offered in alternating years, so the volume of applicants goes up, increasing the chances of me not making the cut.   So, what would increase the odds of me getting in?   Well, since the key focus for the program is "Education: sharing information with others", it means the volunteering/being able to speak in public/get up in front of people part is a critical element.  Since I average 130+ hours of volunteering/community stuff each year, have done lots of presenting/training-type stuff for work, that should serve me well.  I hope!

I went to an information session late summer 2009 to learn more.  In a nutshell here's what I learned:  classes will start Saturday, January 9th and run for 12 consecutive weeks: 8:30am - 4:00pm, with about 4-6 hours homework per week.  Each week there's a mini-test and the final exam is open book.  If you pass the exam you then enter an internship period which consists of 90 hours of volunteering.  You must complete at least 45 hours of that internship time in 2010 and the remainder in 2011.  Part of the time will be spent in "clinics" (Q&A events), more of it doing work at demo gardens and then the rest can be done at approved events.  Serious time committment for the first year or so, wow, but after the internship period you officially become a Master Gardener and demands lighten up considerably... 25 hrs volunteering + 10 hours continuing ed required per year.   
 
So, I came home from the information session with a multi-page application.  A 6-pager covering the following topics: a) general contact information, b) volunteer experience/history, c) public speaking experience/history, d) occupations, e) other interests, f) gardening background, g) experience working with special populations, h) language fluency, i) why do you want to become an MG?, j) what is your understanding of MG mission? k) how did you learn about MG? l) service area you wish to volunteer in, m) WA state criminal background check, n) committment to the training/internship requirements, o) references.  Phew!  Didn't need to ponder "shall I, shan't I?" stuff.  I was ready to jump in and dig.  So, I filled everything out and mailed it in - had to be postmarked no later than October 2nd, 2009 and then had to wait until the middle of November to learn if I'd made it in or not.

November 15th, bang on time (wow, these guys run a tight ship) an envelope arrived in the mail.  A fat one.  That was a good sign.  Doubt they'd be sending me a big fat rejection notice!  I'd made it into the program.  Yabba dabba!  There was a nice acceptance/welcome letter and another form to fill out and submit, along with initial payment to confirm I still wanted to be in the program. 

Then it was time to sit back and enjoy the holiday season.  Another letter would be sent late in December with information about getting ready for our first class.

Deciding to become an MG

Ever thought about becoming a Master Gardener? Ever wondered what you have to do to become one? Well, wonder no more! Come along on my journey as I take on the challenge.   I've been accepted to the King County, Master Gardener program for 2010 here in Washington State.  First class starts on January 9th, 2010.   



Why am I doing this?  I'd say first and foremost I love, respect and value the natural world and want to be a better steward of it, and share that knowledge with others.  Secondly, I enjoy gardening but don't really know much beyond the basics so would like to learn to become a smarter/better gardener.  Finally, I love learning new things and the best way I can think to spend my free time is to learn / experience something new.  Marry all that together and voila.... here I am, ready to become a Master Gardener. 

Hope you'll come along for the ride.....