Master Gardener Annual Conference

University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners celebrated a 50-year legacy rooted in community and growing through connection at the 2025 annual conference in Springfield. With 300 volunteers in attendance to celebrate half a century of helping others learn to grow, volunteers enjoyed tours of some of the capital's exhibits, like the historic Lincoln Home National Historic Site and the heirloom garden. Volunteers also participated in intensive hands-on sessions on topics like native landscape design.

Over the next 50 years and beyond, the program aims to expand its reach and bridge intergenerational gaps to sustain the legacy and provide even more opportunities to grow, connect, and learn.