CMGA General Info

The San Francisco Peaks as seen from Timberline 5 miles northeast of Flagstaff.
Photo by Cindy Murray.

Welcome to the Coconino County Master Gardeners Association blog. The mission of the Master Gardener Program is to create a corps of well-informed volunteers, and to deliver quality horticultural education programs adapted to our regional high elevation environment. The purpose of the association is to provide support for those volunteers and Master Gardener graduates, continuing education, and opportunities to participate in community programs that increase the visibility and participation in the Master Gardener Program.
The Coconino Master Gardener Association (2009) began in 2009. This blog contains information on:
-How to become a member
-Volunteer and Education hours reporting
-Calendar of Events
-General gardening information articles
-Master Gardener Association Documents and forms
-References and Resources
-Interesting Websites and Blogs
-Old Gardening Etcetera columns
-Recipes
-Book Reviews
-How to contact Board or Committee Members
Meetings are held monthly on the 2nd Thursday from 600pm - 8;30pm. We meet at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church at 1601 N. San Francisco. This includes continuing education and a business meeting.

Reporting Master Gardener Hours

All master gardener trainees and certified master gardeners need to report their hours.
Beginning in 2010 certified master gardeners need to have 6 Education hours and 12 Volunteer hours in order to maintain certification.The on line reporting system allows you to report Education or Volunteer hours. You can sign in to record hours in the right hand column under Recording Volunteer and Education Hours. Just click on the U. of A.
If you have any questions or concerns about the new reporting system, please contact Brenda Smith (A - M) or Sue Madden (N - Z). Their contacts are listed at the bottom of the blog under
Contacts.



Ideas for hours------
--Attend monthly meetings
--Work on an association committee
--Work at an informational booth for the Master Gardeners
--Be a speaker about gardening topics at a variety of venues

--Host a garden tour
--Work at a fundraising event (Plant Sale - Garden Tour).
--Work at a MG site (Olivia White Hospice, the Arboretum, Riordan Mansion, or school gardens (many others)). Check out the Assoc. Doc. & Forms under Volunteer Sites.
--Work in the Extension office
--Write an article for the newspaper column -Gardening Etcetera
-Volunteer with the Seed Library
Be creative! There are many ways to fulfill your hours. Just remember for volunteering it needs to be a non-profit endeavor or an approved for profit site.

Change in Contact Information

Have you moved or changed your e-mail address, but would still like to be contacted about high elevation gardening information from the Extension? The Coconino County Extension Master Gardener Program has a site that will let you change your information on-line.

Click here to change your contact information!

Event Calendar

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Summer Plant Hikes

The Museum of Northern Arizona is sponsoring three Plant Hikes this summer as part of its wonderful Ventures Program:
Inner Basin Plant Hike on Sunday, June 22
Kendrick Peak Plant Hike on Sunday, July 20
Wupatki/Sunset Crater Plant Hike on Sunday, August 24

Each hike will be led by Flagstaff Ecologist Gwen Waring, and each will cost $60. 

Go to http://www.mnaventures.org/ for more information.  You will also find out about other 2014 MNA Ventures are planned, including day trips, hotel-based trips, camping and hiking trips, and wilderness trips. 

To register contact ventures@mna.mus.az.us 

"The mission of the Museum of Northern Arizona is to inspire a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau".   (Including all the native plants.) 

Posted by
Dorothy Lamm

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Donating & Volunteering at the Grand Canyon

Here are some interesting facts about the Grand Canyon National Park:
  • It has more plant species than any other park!
  • It has undertaken many successful native plant restoration projects on the North Rim, along the Colorado River Corridor, and on the South Rim, and more and more restoration projects are being identified all the time. 
  • It is collaborating with The Arboretum at Flagstaff to protect the rare and endangered Astragalus cremnophylax var. cremnophylax (Sentry milkvetch) by propagating and growing new plants in its greenhouse, and is undertaking a genetic study to determine how the distant populations in the park are related. 
  • Thousands and thousands and thousands of native plants are grown for restoration projects at a plant nursery and in an out-dated, inadequate greenhouse on the South Rim. 
  • The increasing needs for plant restoration projects make it imperative to expand the park’s plant nursery, establish a seed bank, and build a passive solar greenhouse
  • Grand Canyon Association (GCA), the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, needs to raise an additional $50,000 (Yikes!) to make the new passive solar greenhouse a reality.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Spring Master Gardener Class

Subject: [mastergardeners] spring Master Gardener class

We are taking registration for the spring Master Gardener class.  The class will start Feb. 4 and run thru May 13, 2014.  Class meets Tuesday afternoons, 1-4:30pm at our extension office.  If you know anyone that is interested, please pass this information on.  Class is limited to 20 due to the size of our classroom.  I’ve attached the brochure.
Thanks - Hattie
Hattie Braun
University of Arizona
Master Gardener Program Coordinator
Coconino County Cooperative Extension
2304 N. 3rd St.
Flagstaff, AZ  86004
Phone:  928-774-1868  x 170
FAX:  928-774-1860

1 of 1 File(s)

Saturday, January 11, 2014

2013 Year End Report from President of the CMGA

Debi Stalvey
December 2013
January:  The year started with brainstorming for the organization.  We needed to recruit committee chairpersons and discuss fundraising ideas, as well as lay out our goals for the New Year.  We wanted to focus on raising money to support our Master Gardener Projects.  We also wanted to make our organization more visible to the community through continued calendar sales and participation in Earth Day, the Home Show, Community Market, County Fair, etc. 
February: Tammy Valdovino agreed to be the organization historian and Sherline Alexander became the chair of Community Markets. 
March:  We participated in the Home Show with a beautiful booth organized by Chairperson Kathy Singh.  We had several speakers and a great response by attendees.  At the executive meeting we picked our new logo and agreed to participate in the Arboretum’s plant sale in July.  In addition we decided to go forth with the “Regarden” fundraiser to be held in June and approved Sherry Markel’s T-shirt fundraiser.  At our general meeting we announced that we would award $1250 in grants for Master Gardener Projects. 

Resource Management Plan for the Coconino National Forest

Help Plan the Future of Coconino National Forest- attend a public meeting 

The Forest Service just released the Coconino National Forest Draft Land and Resource Management Plan for public comment. EVERYTHING the Forest Service does on the Coconino for the next 15-20 years must comply with this Plan. The Plan includes direction on wildlife protection, logging, fire, recreation, wilderness, water sources, energy development, and more. 

Please attend one of these meetings to learn more about the Plan and offer your suggestions! 

If you'd like to get more involved, see the bottom of this message for information about how to help Sierra Club prepare our official comments on the Draft Forest Plan. 

Friday, January 10, 2014

Spring Catalogs

Poncho Pass Red Sulfur Buckwheat (exclusive from HCG)
This is from High Country Garden's spring catalog (yes they are back). 

Christmas is over and the New Year arrives in just 3 days. I have already received several seed catalogs. If you are as anxious as I am to get started with a new garden year the Seed/Plants & Garden Tools Catalogs list has been revised for 2014. You can download it from this LINK. As usual there a few changes - mergers, bankruptcies, and phone number changes. It is still about 5 pages and includes local as well as national sites, for seeds, plants, roses, bulbs and tools. If you find any error or want to add a source you use that isn't listed please e-mail me (cnslds@q.com).

Loni Shapiro

CMGA Meeting Minutes 1/9/14

Master Gardener Meeting Minutes 1/9/14
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
1601 N. San Francisco

Our outgoing officers President Debi Stalvey and Secretary Ann Eagan were recognized and presented with a house plant from Warner’s nursery for their many contributions to the Master Gardener Association.

President Debi Stalvey introduced the new and continuing officers and committee chairs for 2014.
President Hunter Kemmet, Vice President Charlotte Dodgson, Secretary Sherline Alexander, Co-Treasurer Crys Wells, Co-Treasurer Linda Guarino, Blog/MG Projects Loni Shapiro, Community Markets Ann Eagan, Education Ed Skiba, Historian Tammy Valdovino

Debi also reminded everyone that 2014 membership dues are $10. Linda Guarino began accepting dues immediately. CMGA membership forms are located on the table by the front door.  Fill out the form to join.  There are three levels certified – graduates of the master gardener class who have completed volunteer hours, associate – previous master gardeners who are not current in the required certification and trainee - currently taking class or working on volunteer hours. 
This information is in the CMGA bylaws located on the blog under Master Gardener Association Documents and Forms (under Pages).

Hattie Braun presented Tammy Valdovino with her master gardener certificate and name badge.

Continuing Education 
David Brimhall on “Floral Arranging”
David has been a resident of Flagstaff for 30 years. He is a master gardener, having gone through the class three years ago.  He is an artist and professional florist working at Sutcliff Floral and Floral Arts, Ltd before that. He, Charlotte, and Debi do the MG project at Riordan Mansion.  Attached is the hand out from the lecture - LINK. Dave outlined the basics of “Floral Arranging” while demonstrating several examples (see blog photo). 

Refreshments
Thanks to Loni Shapiro and Julie Holmes for the refreshments.

Monday, January 6, 2014

CMGA January 9, Meeting Agenda

Master Gardener Meeting Agenda 1/9/2014
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
1601 N. San Francisco

6:30pm-6:40pm                       Welcome – Agenda - Debi Stalvey
                                                      Annual Report
                                                      Introduce 2014 Officers
                                                      Brief review of agenda for the evening

6:40pm-6:45pm                       Introduction of speaker – Jim Mast

6:45pm-7:45pm                       Continuing Education
                                                      "Floral Arranging" by Dave Brimhall

7:45pm-8:00pm                       Refreshments - Julie Holmes

8:00pm-8:25pm                       Business Meeting - Hunter Kemmet

                                                      Financial report-Linda Guarino/Crys Wells
                                                     
                                                      MG Programs Happenings (class)-Hattie Braun

                                                      Home and Garden Show, March 28-30, 2014- Hattie Braun
                                                      Volunteers to plan and work the show

                                                      Committee Reports:

                                                      Continuing Education – Jim Mast
                                                      Community Markets-Sherline Alexander
                                                      MG Projects/Blog-Loni Shapiro
                                                      Volunteer Support-Crys Wells

8:25pm-8:30pm                       Gardening  Questions ?

Next meeting:                         February 13, 2014 - Charlotte Dodgson on House Plants



Educational and Volunteer Opportunities from the Blog

coconinomgassociation.blogspot.com