Do you have a strong interest in gardening? Are you a life-long learner? Do you want to help others and share your gardening enthusiasm and knowledge? Then consider becoming a Penn State Master Gardener in Beaver County!
The demonstration garden at the Beaver Station educates the public about pollinators.
The Penn State Extension Master Gardener application process in Beaver County for the 2025 class is now open! This program consists of a volunteer training course designed to provide experienced home gardeners with the information and skills necessary to share their experience and knowledge.
- Weekly classes will start in October 2024 on Thursday evenings, 6:00 - 8:15 PM.
- Classes will be held online via Zoom.
- 40 hours of training are provided, including botany, plant diseases, soil health, pruning, lawn care, native plants, and more.
- Access to a stable internet connection and a computer, tablet, or smartphone is required to complete the course.
- During training, in-person sessions will be held on select Saturday mornings and weekday evenings. These sessions will include hands-on labs, tours of the demonstration gardens, and/or learning about the Master Gardener projects.
Candidates volunteer 50 hours to the Penn State Extension Master Gardener Program during the first year and must pass a midterm and final exam and complete a small project to become certified. In subsequent years, 20 hours of volunteer time and 10 hours of continuing education are required to maintain the Master Gardener certification. Volunteer activities carried out by the Master Gardeners include planting and maintaining demonstration gardens, consultations on various public gardens, including community gardens, answering garden-related questions on the Garden Hotline, and teaching about plants to youth, among others.
There is a program fee of $200 to cover the cost of training materials, including the award-winning Master Gardener Manual (textbook), hands-on materials, and other expenses.
The deadline to submit the Penn State Master Gardener Application will be July 26th, 2024. You will be contacted to schedule an interview after this deadline (but not before) to schedule an interview for the month of August.
The mission of the Penn State Master Gardener volunteer program is to support Penn State Extension by utilizing research-based information to educate the public on best practices in consumer horticulture and environmental stewardship. Learn more about the Penn State Master Gardener Program.
Please contact Lyndsay Feather at lfeather@psu.edu with questions.
