What's Your Story?:
I’m looking for descriptions of volunteer activities. The information will be put together to share with new Master Gardeners (interns) taking the 2009 MG General Training. This effort will help the interns see the breadth of volunteer activities possible. Also, this information will be compiled and put on the ECAMG website so those interested in MGVP can see how simple or involved volunteering can be. You can wish to remain anonymous or list contact information so others interested in the described project can get involved. Simply tell what you did, where, how long, how many days, what you enjoyed, etc. in a few paragraphs. No volunteer activity is too small to be described.
You can use this writing experience as volunteer hours too!
Send your hand written or typed documents to Erin LaFaive
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or 227 First St.W Altoona, WI54720.
Please note: volunteer activities are those that benefit the public or MG organization in some way. For example, a volunteer example can not be helping your neighbor plant a garden because it doesn’t benefit the public.
Youth Gardens:
The Horticulture Educator and the WI Nutrition Educator support two Youth Gardens. Help is needed to teach the kids how to water, weed, and harvest vegetables. These activities take place June 9th-August 12, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:30am-10:30am. This is a very informal setting. Some kids will be watering on their own others will be asking you questions. It's so fun to watch them explore plants, worms, bugs, and emerging vegetables. If the wee ones are not your cup of tea assistance is needed throughout the week to water the gardens. You can sign up for certain days or commit to a garden. If you would like to sign up for this project contact Erin LaFaive, 715-839-4714,
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.
Eau Claire Exposition Center:
Need assistance with watering, planting, planning, weeding of gardens of theme gardens, trial gardens, enabling gardens.
Annual Plant Sale:
Help is needed with set-up and take down, planning, advertising, donating plants, cashiering, etc. Takes place in August although growing or dividing plants for the sale can take place anytime. For plant donations-you can count volunteer hours for time taken to dig up, divide and pot plants. Also, if you grow plants only for the plant sale (and not for personal use) then you can count the hours you put into growing those plants.
Winter Garden Seminar:
Assistance needed with planning, set-up and take down, advertising, door prizes, speaker scheduling, etc. for this annual seminar.
Ask-A-Master Gardener Booth:
This booth is at the Eau Claire Farmer’s Market for individuals to ask gardening related questions and pick up brochures and factsheets.
Schlegelmilch House Garden:
We invite Master Gardener Volunteers and other members of the community who are interested in heirloom gardening, landscape design, and Eau Claire history to join us as we continue to rehabilitate the garden of the Schlegelmilch House, located at the intersection of Lake and Farwell. The House was built in 1871 and was occupied by descendents of Herman Schlegelmilch for about 100 years.
Today it is maintained by the Chippewa Valley Museum as a house museum where tours, parties, wedding receptions and other fun events are staged throughout the year.
We have achieved many of the objectives we established in the first year of our planning, namely to rehabilitate the landscape surrounding the Schlegelmilch House; to preserve the historic character of the house; to develop paths and heirloom cottage gardens that would be relatively low maintenance but inviting and colorful enough to attract visitors to the garden and house; and, to create some privacy and a space to allow for outside entertaining.
We have had the help of a landscape architect who specializes in historical properties, the talents of over 20 local gardeners, members of the Boy and Girl Scout organization, 4Hers, the City, the Chippewa Valley Museum and generous donations from civic groups and community members and businesses.
However, there is still much to do and we welcome your help and ideas. We generally open the garden the first of May, plant masses of annuals, do regular maintenance and, this season, we will look at possible redesign of the southwest corner of the property.
Typically our planning meetings are held at the House during the week around the lunch hour with work sessions scheduled for mutually convenient times. For further information, contact Jill Barland at
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or 835-5326.
General Training Brochure