HOOD RIVER — The Central Gorge Master Gardener Association held their annual Recognition Event on Thursday, Nov. 14 at Riverside Church in Hood River to celebrate successes and present awards.
During the Central Gorge Master Gardener 2024 season, the chapter began several new projects related to community outreach. A group of Master Gardeners collaborated with Extension Office and Housing Authority employees to work with families at the Wy’East Vista Apartments to establish community vegetable beds there. The Master Gardeners also joined forces with the OSU Hood River County Extension Service, who launched a new Front Yard Garden Tour in the Hood River Heights. The revamped website, expanded social media presence, and continued work by the Educational Writing Crew, which writes articles for publication in the Columbia Gorge News Home & Garden section, expanded the chapter’s educational mission to the community at large, including those who cannot attend events in person. And the Garden Gathering Series brought this educational mission directly to community members in the form of hands-on monthly workshops about timely garden topics. In all, chapter members spent more than 4,200 volunteer hours, made more than 2,500 contacts with the community, and grew nearly 1,300 pounds of produce for the FISH Food Bank Garden.
Master Gardener of the Year was presented to two recipients this year: Margo Dameier for her dedicated service to the organization in numerous capacities, including educational and community outreach; and Tracy Willett for her commitment to the FISH Food Bank Garden and its impact on the community. Helga Reese was awarded the Behind the Scenes award for her often-invisible labor but always-visible giving heart. These awards were announced at the Oregon Master Gardener Association Joy of Gardening event in July 2024.
Central Gorge Master Gardener Association chapter awards were also presented by CGMGA President for 2024, Jen Harty, at the Recognition Event. Norma Benson received the chapter’s Projects Award for her outstanding work with the water-wise garden at the Hood River Library and her community outreach regarding water-wise gardening through the workshop she delivered this year. Shari Bosler was the recipient of the Communications Award, which recognized her longstanding efforts creating the chapter’s monthly newsletter.
The Community Outreach Award went to a group of Master Gardeners–Anne Gehrig, OraLee Branch, Kelly Oosterbaan, Kelsey Soltysiak, and Jen Munroe for the program they helped launch this year at the Wy’East Vista Apartments, which built raised garden beds and provided education and practical support with vegetable gardening in that community.
The Special Services Award was again given to an individual who is not a Master Gardener but whose volunteer work with the program furthered Master Gardeners’ efforts. This year, the award went to Jack Brennan, whose heroic efforts repairing and maintaining the irrigation at the Extension grounds/Learning Gardens sustained the plants during the most difficult periods.
The chapter’s current President, Jen Harty, was awarded the Chapter Educator Award for the monthly Garden Gathering Series she expanded this year. This series saw substantial audiences come to learn about a range of topics and have hands-on demonstrations that truly extended the Master Gardeners’ work in the community in important ways.
The Golden Trowel Award goes to an exceptional first year Master Gardener who is selected by the Central Gorge Master Gardener Outreach Program Coordinator, Megan Wickersham. This year’s recipient is Kat Sullivan for her creative work to expand our social media presence and make the work done in the chapter even more visible to the community.
Nineteen members of the Central Gorge Master Gardener class of 2024 received their certificates of completion for the OSU Extension Master Gardener program. These new Master Gardeners successfully completed educational and volunteer requirements, and will now be serving the community through Master Gardener projects and educational outreach. The class of 2024 includes Jan Kelley, OraLee Branch, Maude Collins, Lynne Frost, Mary Godwin, Marcy Hasegawa, Katherine Hutter, Lois Kinsfogel, Cheryl McKay, Kellie Oosterbaan, Lynnea Ossello, Katie Puddefoot, Christine Purvis, Kelsey Rairagh, Kat Sullivan, Middy Tilghman, Buzz Umphlet, Peggy Wrobleski, Mark Zanmiller. Additionally, 48 returning Master Gardeners received recertification certificates after completing continuing education and volunteer requirements.
Central Gorge Master Gardeners are a vibrant group of trained volunteers who serve the community through maintenance of and education in community gardens, answering home gardening questions through Master Gardener Plant Clinics, gardening shows on Radio Tierra and KIHR, Seed to Supper beginning gardening classes, hands-on seminars, educational fundraising programs, educational writing for print and social media, and much more.
The Central Gorge Master Gardener program is a division of the OSU Hood River County Extension Office. OSU Extension Service prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials.
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