DUQUOIN, Ill.— Karen Glynn received the Outstanding Master Gardener Award at the Illinois Master Gardener Conference on Friday, Sept. 6.
Glynn, a DuQuoin resident, was nominated by her fellow Master Gardeners for this recognition. Since her 2014 training, Glynn has helped promote the mission of the program by volunteering over 500 hours and completing over 200 hours of continuing education. Glynn has served as the chair of the Perry County Master Gardeners since 2015 is also served a three-year term with the Master Gardener State Advisory Committee.
Locally, she leads youth programming through Club D.I.G.S. (Doing Interesting Garden Stuff), a 4-H special interest club for third and fourth grade students and the 4-H Kids in the Park programming at Pyramid State Park as well as various youth workshops.
Glynn helps maintain gardening beds at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds and Five Star Industries workshop and has set up information booths at local hospitals, various health fairs, the Du Quoin Farmer’s Market, Home & Garden Show and the Du Quoin State Fair. She has also planned, planted and maintained a pollinator garden at Cache River Wetlands Center.
Glynn has a hard time saying no to groups outside of Extension especially if it involves doing a gardening activity. She planted seeds with the DeSoto Elementary School third grade students, read gardening stories to the Murphysboro pre-K students, propagated plants with the Southern Illinois University Ecology Club and volunteered at the Indigenous Plant Symposium hosted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
This year’s Master Gardener Conference was held in East Moline, Illinois. This annual event is open to all Illinois Master Gardeners. In addition to the awards ceremony, the conference featured a keynote speaker, breakout sessions, lunch and networking opportunities. Guests that arrived on Thursday had the option to tour garden spots around the Quad Cities and attend volunteer breakout sessions.
University of Illinois Extension uses trained Master Gardener volunteers to meet the constant demand for horticultural consumer information by citizens of our state and region. The mission of the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener program is "Helping Others Learn to Grow." To learn more or to become a Master Gardener, visit: extension.illinois.edu/fjprw/master-gardeners.
News writer: Heather Willis, 618-357-2126, hdwillis@illinois.edu