Spring 2024
How to Become a UC Master Gardener of Contra Costa County Volunteer!
by Bonnie Dwyer
Have you ever thought about becoming a UC Master Gardener of Contra Costa County?
Are you someone who gets excited about learning something new?
Would you like to challenge your mind and learn new skills?
Would you like to make an impact on your community?
If so, the Master Gardener Program might be a good fit for you and a rewarding way to share your life skills and contribute to your community in a lasting way.
The UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County makes it possible to impact Contra Costa County in extraordinary ways with lasting change. We do this the old-fashioned way, by engaging with people one-on-one, and it always starts with a question of HOW, WHAT, or WHY. The encounters and discussions result in residents becoming informed gardeners and better stewards of their resources.
While much of our contact is one-on-one, we do have many opportunities to engage with people on a wider platform, through Library Talks and Webinars. Community Gardens and School Gardens give us a unique outlet in many towns and cities around the county. The Help Desk team is a whiz at figuring out a wide variety of sometimes weird, and often challenging questions. Our popular Library talks cover a wide range of seasonal topics. Wednesdays give us the opportunity to open our demonstration garden (Our Garden in Walnut Creek) to the public for teaching, training, and solving garden questions with the help of our Ask-A-Master Gardener team.
As Master Gardeners, we do have one claim to fame we are particularly proud of: ALL the produce harvested from Our Garden goes to support the county’s Monument Crisis Center in Concord. Last year, that amounted to 7 tons (YES, that’s TONS) of fresh organic produce, which was sown, tended, and harvested by the hands of dedicated Master Gardeners. Now that is something to be proud of!
Have I piqued your interest? Think about it, mull it over, and let it settle in your mind and heart. Take a few minutes to learn more about what we do and the steps to take to become a Master Gardener.
For a broad overview of who we are and what we do as Master Gardeners, along with the course length and subjects covered, follow this link to the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County website.
The following link will take you directly to our Survey. Once your contact information is on the survey, you will be contacted with the dates and locations for the Information Sessions, which are mandatory, prior to making your application.
UC Master Gardener New Volunteer Training Survey
Whether you join us or cheer us on from the sidelines, we wish you many happy days in the garden.