Howard County

Howard County MG Program
Annual Report 2005

1. Basic Information
# of active MGs   139
# of interns   20
# of volunteer hours   5,540

2. Plant Clinics
# of active plant clinic sites   5
# of plant clinics   66
# of residents served at plant clinics   666

3. Bay-Wise
# of new yards certified as Bay-Wise (MGs and other residents)    16
# of total Bay-Wise certified yards (all years combined)    72

4. Composting
# of composting demonstration sites   4
# of residents who received a compost bin   NA given by county

5. Classes taught
# of classes/workshops taught by MGs   46
# of residents educated   765

6. Awards/recognition
None

7. Grants:
$13,807 Chesapeake Bay Trust to support Schools and Streams: A Bay Education and Conservation Program

8. Partners:

Howard County Recreation and Parks Department
Howard County Public School System
Howard County Public Library System
Howard County Conservancy
Friends of the Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway Howard Community College The Whipps Cemetary River Hill Garden Center Elkridge Heritage Society Glenwood Senior Center
Harmony Hall
MD Food Bank Vegetable Garden

9. Highlights from past year:

1.   The spring Bay-Wise garden tour was conducted at the home of a MG. Thirty people participated. Participants were especially interested in learning how the MG had placed planting beds around the edge of the property to catch run off of water and fertilizers.
2.   For the first time, the Whipps Cemetary gardens were included in the MD House and Garden Pilgrimage in May. The site was staffed by MGs as docents. Special publications were prepared for this event.
3.   Under the Schools and Streams program, 2841 fifth grade Howard County students from 29 schools, planted 1,300 trees along a riparian stream. Twenty four MGs supervised the planting of the trees and assisted students in completing their ecology journals. One student wrote: “I enjoyed planting the trees but it it was fun to see the worms”. Master Gardeners devoted 601 hours to this program.

For more information, contact Robin Hessey

Last updated: 02/21/2007