In the News

Statewide Master Gardener Conference

A contingency of UCCE Fresno Master Gardeners attended the Statewide Master Gardener Conference held in Santa Rosa on June 1-3.  The opportunity to network with Master Gardeners from around the state helps local Master Gardener volunteers fulfill  their mission to provide the public with University of California research-based information, verified by UC experts, about home horticulture, pest identification, landscape management, environmental and other natural resource issues. They took advantage of pre- and post- tours of gardening interest and assisted with various responsibilities in staging the conference including teaching breakout sessions, staffing a marketplace and staging a Silent Auction, as well as attending a full day of educational breakout sessions on topics ranging from soil improvement, architecture in the garden, worst garden pest id, fungi and mushrooms in landscapes, invasive plants, and edible landscaping to name a few.  One popular feature of the conference is the Search For Excellence competition which spotlights county educational projects.  All projects submitted are judged by a panel and awarded for ease of duplication by other counties, educational value and other criteria.  Fresno received a runner-up award for its Smart Gardening Conference event held every two years.