Want to become a Extension Master Gardener?

What is an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer?

The Extension Master Gardener volunteer (EMG) is an individual who, after receiving specialized training in horticulture through Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE), acts on behalf of VCE as a volunteer educator within their community. These volunteer educators serve as partners with VCE to promote, inform, and work with communities, leaders, industry, and individuals presenting programs on all aspects of horticulture to protect and enhance the environment, including turf, landscape, vegetables, trees and shrubs, and pest management practices.

The EMG training program prepares volunteers to implement research-based Cooperative Extension educational programs to address community issues. When an individual works as an EMG, he or she acts as a representative of Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, and

Virginia State University.

What is the Extension Master Gardener program?

Extension Master Gardener volunteers are trained volunteer educators. They work within their local communities to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through sustainable landscape management education and training. As an educational outreach component of Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Master Gardener program brings the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities – Virginia Tech and Virginia State University – to the people of the commonwealth. All volunteers are trained and have at least 50 hours of horticultural classes and return at least 50 hours of volunteer community service through their local Extension office.

Since 1979, Virginia Extension Master Gardeners have served communities throughout the Commonwealth by providing unbiased and research-based horticultural information to home gardeners.

Master Gardeners provide a resource for all Extension program areas and for professionals from many other agencies. They provide communities with locally identified programs, including answers to individual questions via help desks and plant clinics; radio, newspaper, and online resources; educational programs to meet targeted needs; school and community gardens; urban tree planting programs; and guidance in making the natural environment accessible to all residents regardless of disabilities, incomes, or where they live.

What are the requirements to become an Extension Master Gardener?

Training to become a Master Gardner consists of 50 hours of learning through remote study and hands-on laboratory workshops on a broad range of topics including Botany, Entomology, Plant Pathology, Soils/Nutrients, Water Quality, Woody Landscape Plants, IPM(Integrated Pest Management)/Pesticides, Herbaceous Plants and more.  Each unit has a required open book quiz to be completed and submitted. You can work at your own pace but we recommend that you complete one unit  approximately every 7 days.  A teaching experience will replace a course final exam, whereby you will plan and lead an educational program on a topic of your choice.  

Each trainee will be teamed up with a Master Gardener Mentor to answer your questions and help you to be successful. Training coordinators will be available to answer questions at any time during the course. After training you become a Master Gardener Intern, where you have one year to complete an additional 50 hours of internship training before graduating to become a Master Gardener Volunteer. After graduating you are required to achieve 20 hours of volunteer time and 8 hours of continuing education per year to maintain your certification as a Master Gardener. 

Volunteer hours are completed through numerous opportunities including speaking events, public outreach events, working at any of our gardens, leading workshops, farmers market, symposium, plant sale, library programs as well as any new approved project that fits our mission.. No matter your background there's an opportunity for you to combine your skills, talents, and passion for gardening