The Latest Dirt - Sept 2023

An Interview with Terri Takusagawa

By David George

When it comes to volunteering hours, no one does it more often these days than Terri Takusagawa. Terri has gone ‘Triple Platinum’ in hours volunteered to the program (7,500+), a level that has never been reached. Yes, many of our longer-tenured UC Master Gardeners have volunteered as many or more hours as Terri through their dedication to the program for many years. But Terri incredibly achieved this distinction in just six years! I had the opportunity to interview her recently about her experiences and learn about her goals for the future.

What was your career background and education before joining the program, Terri?

“I worked as a manager in the IT group of Bank of America during my career, first in Los Angeles, then Hong Kong for a year, and finishing up in Concord for many years. I retired from B. of A. in 2015 and applied for the Contra Costa Master Gardener program the following year. Oh, and I have a Psychology degree from CSU Long Beach and ended up one class shy of a biology/entomology Bachelor of Science degree. I like bugs!”

Cool, me too! So, after you were certified as a UC Master Gardener, which roles have you volunteered for so far?

“I attended the 2016–2017 New Volunteer Training class (Class of 2017 — Best Class Ever!) What I wanted to do after certification was to play the field and try volunteering for different roles to see which interested me most. I worked on the Help Desk and at various Ask A Master Gardener booths and helped with Great Tomato Plant Sale propagation. I also joined the Hospitality team, which organizes and staffs our year-end party and annual business meeting. I’ve staffed the reception desk at the holiday party since 2017. It’s a great way for a new volunteer to get to know the more experienced CoCoMGs. My first year in the New Volunteer Training classroom was in 2018, then I became co-lead in 2019 with Joie Spinelli and in 2020 with Debbi Cooper, and in 2021–22 with Kirsten Mollo before leading the 2022–23 class. Oh, and I’ve volunteered in Continuing Education. I’ve led the CE project for the past three years.”

Wow! What have been the most enjoyable aspects of your volunteering? Any funny stories?

“I loved the opportunity to work with new trainees and stay in touch with them over the years, especially the volunteers I mentored in class. They bring fresh ideas and energy into the program each year. And it’s always fun and rewarding to interact with the public in the AAMG booths. They’re so appreciative of the handouts, posters and advice.

The funniest story I remember is when a lady approached our AAMG farmer’s market booth a while ago and claimed that an army of tomato hornworms had marched across her street! (Terri laughs) “We got a kick out of that one.”

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

That would certainly be modifying and reorganizing the New Volunteer Training classes to an all–Zoom virtual format during the pandemic. It was decided to cancel the 2020–21 class, so we worked on mastering the Zoom technology, using breakout rooms and the like during that time. It’s a powerful tool, and we had a great team of volunteers who managed different aspects of building up the curriculum and format. We were learning as we went and using the monthly Zoom sessions with the recently graduated Class of 2020 as guinea pigs helped. Kirsten Mollo brought many fresh and innovative ideas to enrich that year’s online format. In retrospect, moving NVT online was a lot of work but a positive challenge, not a negative one. As a result, we could cross-pollinate the technology into the CE and (Virtual) AAMG projects, too.

That was a lot to accomplish in a short time, Terri. What projects are you planning to focus on going forward?

“As you know, I won’t be leading this year’s New Volunteer Training, but there are some turnover tasks to get done. Plus, I’ll be helping John Fike out with some Saturday labs. That will allow me to focus more on coordinating Continuing Education, which is a big responsibility. Among other options, we launched three–station CE sessions at Our Garden and the Lunch Box CE series. I’m also the materials manager for our AAMG booths, providing Quick Tips, poster holders, booth handouts or seed packets as needed. And I will continue to co-lead the AAMG San Ramon Farmer’s Market booth with my husband Greg each month.”

You still have a lot on your plate! In conclusion, what advice can you share with our newer volunteers?

“Get out there and get engaged! Try new projects to broaden your understanding of the whole program. Meet and work alongside the wonderful volunteers in our program. You don’t know how fun it is until you try it. Playing the field at first worked well for me. Leadership roles will come along with time. You’ll find out how fun it is. Yes, your gardening skills will benefit, but you’ll soon understand that our primary reason for existence is to educate the public. That’s where our focus should and always will be.”

Thanks, Terri, for your amazing volunteerism in the program and your perspectives on getting involved and having fun. With your energy and project plans, we will see you a lot over the coming years!