The Jo Daviess County Extension Office is happy to announce that we will be offering Illinois Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training beginning in January. The training will be offered via the online platform with some additional in-person field trips and events scattered throughout. The course opens January 29, 2024 and pre-registration is required by January 10, 2024. The fee for the course is $300 and includes a training manual.
The online training is a self-guided course that offers more flexibility for participants. It is designed to be self-paced and completed at any time. It is estimated that it can be completed in 14 weeks with 4 hours of weekly work. The coursework is a combination of reading materials, videos, and quizzes. Some of the topics covered will include soils and fertilizers, plant diseases, entomology, pest management, and organic gardening.
Local participants will have several opportunities to meet each other and current Master Gardener volunteers during hands-on activities held at the Jo Daviess County Extension Office in Elizabeth. These activities are meant to supplement the online learning modules. Field trips to local sites of interest will also be planned as part of the course to offer another opportunity for participants to connect with local experts and get to know fellow volunteers in the Master Gardener program.
Jo Daviess County already has a strong group of Master Gardener volunteers who are looking forward to adding new faces to the group. Current volunteer projects that exist in Jo Daviess County include youth and adult educational programs, Master Gardener Helpdesk, garden design and beautification projects, and many others.
To become a volunteer, you must submit an application and complete an interview with the local Extension Program Coordinator, Alex Burbach. If you are interested in the training, or would like more information on the volunteer program, please contact the Jo Daviess County Extension Office at 815-858-2273.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact the Jo Daviess County Extension Office at 815-858-2273. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your needs.
Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities. Illinois Extension is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.