Management changes brought about by 1996 budgetary action shifted local Master Gardener (MG) program management from state-funded local agents to a structure of coordinators consisting of locally funded agents, locally funded nonagent coordinators, and volunteers willing to take on additional responsibilities. The Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) MG volunteer program is currently available in 76 unit offices. The unit programs are managed by 46 MG coordinators, including 8 locally funded agents, 8 locally funded technicians, and 30 volunteers. Currently, there are 2747 MG volunteers (trainees, interns, and MGs). To provide consistent, state-level direction and leadership to this less experienced group of local coordinators and to prepare them for their jobs as MG program managers, current management materials were extensively revised and expanded and new resources were developed. These efforts to ensure that everyone understood the purpose and focus of the VCE MG program resulted in revision of MG program policies, development of new volunteer training materials, establishment of a state-level MG planning and work team, new management guidelines, in-service training for coordinators, an administrative website and electronic discussion listserv available only internally to agents and coordinators, and a state MG newsletter focused on the role of MGs as community leaders and educators.
Using Native Plants is a 120-min videotape that was developed as a result of a Cooperative Extension Partnership Programming Grant between the Univ. of Minnesota, Minnesota Extension Service and the Cooperative Extension–Univ. of Wisconsin-Extension. The content covers woodland wildflowers, prairie establishment and maintenance, landscaping lakeshores, and using native plants in traditional gardens settings.Video segments include: Eloise Butler Wildflower garden, Minneapolis, Minn.; Curtis Prairie, Madison, Wis.; Big Sandy Lake, Minn.; and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chanhassen. Developed originally as advanced Master Gardener training, the program was a national satellite broadcast on 29 Feb. 1996. It was viewed by at least nine states and more than 500 participants. Video production costs, including a 20-page participant's handout with extensive references and plant lists, were just under $13,000. A cost analysis, evaluation, sample of the participant's packet, pictures from the videotape and an order form will be presented. Copies of the tape and print packet may be obtained for $50 from Minnesota Extension Service, 1.800.876.8636, or Univ. of Wisconsin-Extension, at 1.608.262.3346.
The BBG is a facility of the City of Birmingham Park and Recreation Board and operates as a coalition of the City's professional staff and resources as well as those of the Botanical Society (Friends), Alabama Cooperative Extension System (both groups maintaining offices at the BBG), 2 local community colleges, 12 specialized plant societies (that aid in the maintenance of collections), 100+ garden clubs, numerous related groups, and a strong community support. Current discussions with the University of Alabama in Birmingham will lead to certified programs at the Gardens. There are no formal contracts but informal agreements that are formed for each project. The Society sponsored the 1980 Master Plan and updates it every 10 years, employs a professional educator, and sponsors numerous special activities and programs, many in conjunction with the previously mentioned groups. Internships are hired and paid through the City. Students are rotated weekly through the various operations of the Gardens, including administration, education, taxonomy, and the Library. A special project is done in the area of interest to the student.
The Wiley-Boone Aviary is a collection of domestic/exotic birds established at the Morgan Poultry Center at Clemson University in the mid-1970s. The area receives 3000 visitors per year, mostly school children. To make the site more aesthetically pleasing and conducive to educational programs, a new design was necessary. The Aviary was selected for redesign as an independent project in Fall 1995. Objectives of the design were: 1) creating an area conducive to housing, attracting, and viewing birds; 2) educating visitors through interactive display areas; 3) creating a bird garden that will attract and educate the public while providing natural food sources, cover, and nesting sites. Plants such as Pyracantha coccinea, Amelanchier arborea, and Juniperus virginiana provide winter berries production and protection from predators. Final plans feature: 1) individual aviary structures for exotic, game, and domestic birds; 2) open habitats for mallards and song birds; and 3) an amphitheater for educational purposes. Project steps include research, site analysis, preliminary design, and final master plan. As part of fund-raising activities, the master plan was displayed at the spring festival of the South Carolina Botanical Garden. This, combined with publications, will stimulate community awareness and participation as we approach the implementation phase of the project in Spring 1997.
The Wiley–Boone Aviary is a collection of domestic/exotic birds established at the Morgan Poulty Center at Clemson Univ. in the mid-1970s. The area receives 3000 visitors per year, mostly school children. To make the site more aesthectically pleasing and conducive to educational programs, a new design was necessary. The Aviary was selected for redesign as an independent project in Fall 1995. Objectives of the design were: 1) creating an area conducive to housing, attracting, and viewing birds; 2) educating visitors through interactive display areas; 3) creating a bird garden that will attract and educate the public while providing natural food sources, cover, and nesting sites. Plants such as Pyracantha coccinea, Amelanchier arborea, and Juniperus virginiana provide winter berries and protection from predators. Final plans feature: 1) individual aviary structures for exotic, game, and domestic birds; 2) open habitats for mallards and song birds; and 3) an amphitheater for educational purposes. Project steps included research, site analysis, preliminary design, and final master plan. As part of fund-raising activities, the master plan was displayed at the spring festival of the South Carolina Botanical Garden. This, combined with publications, will stimulate community awareness and participation as we approach the implementation phase of the project.
This manuscript includes programs supported and conducted by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, the Texas A&M University System. Mention of a trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of
America the Beautiful and Urban and Community Forestry grant programs, part of the expanded Forestry Title of the 1990 Farm Bill, authorized funding to encourage citizen involvement in creating and supporting long-term and sustained urban and community forestry programs. U.K. Woody Ornamental scientists and the KY Division of Forestry Urban Forestry Coordinator planned and implemented the following educational programs to this end: 1) comprehensive training manual on Managing Trees in the Urban Environment, including a guide for the care and protection of trees, grant application, and managing of volunteers; 2) three publications on small, medium-sized, and large trees for urban spaces; 3) interactive hypertext version of tree selector publications; 4) statewide workshops on Trees in Communities; 5) annual statewide Urban Forestry Short Course; 5) Plant Health Care and Hazard Trees workshops for arborists. The comprehensive program brings city planners, government personnel, public work's personnel, arborists, builders and developers, horticulturists and landscape architects, tree board members, homeowners' associations, Master Gardeners, and other community volunteers together to support quality programming for preservation and enhancement of valuable natural resource of trees.
Most of Nebraska's population resides in the urban centers of eastern Nebraska. Traditionally, however, the Cooperative Extension Service has catered to the rural populations of the state. Now, it is imperative that the public and the legislative representatives from these urban areas learn that the research and outreach programs of the university also serve them. A Festival of Color was the vehicle for educators and aides, Natural Resource District personnel, and other professionals, including government officials. Both professionals and the general public responded enthusiastically to the Festival's innovative use of the research site. The educational objective was to creatively answer questions on low input landscapes; their design and maintenance. Information was presented by Extension Specialists and Assistants, Master Gardeners, Natural Resource District personnel, Dept. of Environmental Quality, State Energy Office, and Nebraska Association of Nurserymen.
Video clips are a type of interactive multimedia that are often incorporated in Internet based training, and recent studies have reported examples of how cooperative extension is beginning to use Internet technology, including video clips, as part of delivering educational programs online. A survey was designed to determine if Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener volunteers trained in 2001 were able to access a video clip online. Eighty percent of the recent trainees had access to or owned a computer and 93% of this group had access to the Internet. Yet, when asked to access the video clip online only 37% of the respondents were successful. This disparity suggests the need for a seamless interface between the multimedia component and the software required to access it. If the end user is unable to access the multimedia component, it is difficult to justify the additional resources required to develop these teaching tools.
The Agriculture Cooperative Extension is increasingly involved in programs that reach out to new audiences to provide information on horticulture and environmentally aware practices. Numerous types of educational displays and demonstrations are used to provide information and create enthusiasm for the topic. Most approaches use static, visual displays. A key factor toward creating a successful display for a lay audience is its entertainment value. A “living display” is a new approach, which entertains and catches the eye of the passing observer and provides information on the featured topic. The “living display” features three-dimensional information and actors that mime the “how-to's” and the benefits of the educational material. We will demonstrate the use of a living display by The Master Gardeners of Pennsylvania entitled “The Splendors of Composting”- a display oriented toward persons of all ages. It introduces how to create a backyard compost and presents the benefits derived from composting. Data on audience response to this display will be presented.