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What is the Louisiana Master Gardener program? |
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The Louisiana Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program is a service and educational activity offered by the LSU AgCenter. The program is designed to recruit and train volunteers to help meet the educational needs of home gardeners while providing an enjoyable and worthwhile service experience for volunteers.
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What are the requirements for admission to the Louisiana Master Gardening training program? |
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Prospective applicants in the Greater New Orleans area must be residents of Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines or St. Bernard parish. Additionally, applicants should have a keen interest in horticulture, be willing to donate their time to help support various LMG community projects in their parish, complete an LMG application and pay the registration fee of $75.
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What does the $75 registration fee cover? |
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The registration fee covers the cost of your training manual, your LMG name badge and supplemental supplies.
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How often are classes scheduled? |
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Classes are scheduled annually at the discretion of the Louisiana Master Gardener Program Coordinator for Greater New Orleans and based on the availability of instructors and facility. The 8-week curriculum includes two 3-hour classes per week.
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Where are the classes held? |
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Most classes are held in the Garden Study Center at the New Orleans Botanical Garden in City Park.
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Who teaches the program? |
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In the Greater New Orleans area, the LMG program is taught by the Master Gardener Coordinator for GNO, various LSU AgCenter specialists and local horticulture experts as well as other Master Gardeners from Greater New Orleans.
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What is required to complete the LMG course? |
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To graduate and become a Louisiana Master Gardener, you must meet the following requirements:
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What will be expected of me after I complete the Louisiana Master Gardener training program? |
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After completing the course, Master Gardeners are required to volunteer a minimum of 40 hours of service in their parish Extension office and in the community. The volunteer activities for Greater New Orleans are approved by the LSU AgCenter and coordinated through the Jefferson Parish Extension office.
Master Gardeners share their knowledge and skills in a number of ways: answering horticulture calls at the Extension office, speaking to garden and civic clubs, working with youth or senior groups and participating in community gardening events.
In subsequent years, Master Gardeners are required to volunteer a minimum of 20 hours and attend 6 hours of AgCenter-approved continuing education programming to maintain the title of Louisiana Master Gardener.
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What types of activities count as volunteer hours? |
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You’ll be able to participate in a variety of approved projects to earn your service hours. Some of the more common jobs performed by Master Gardeners include:
- Create and maintain LMG/LSU AgCenter demonstration gardens
- Work at area garden shows
- Work at plant health clinics
- Produce a home horticulture newsletter
- Answer telephone calls
- Instruct other Louisiana Master Gardeners
- Conduct garden tours and contests
- Provide leadership for an approved parish activity
- Help create and develop youth, community or school gardens
- Maintain an office reference library
- Compile plant lists for specific areas
- Write and design educational materials and displays
- Give talks to groups interested in horticulture
- Produce educational slide and PowerPoint programs
- Help with 4-H Club meetings and programs
- Assist limited resource (FNP) audiences with vegetable gardening
- Serve on an LMG advisory committee
- Work at a compost demonstration site
- Conduct community gardening and beautification education
- Staff information booths at fairs, festivals and home shows
- Write grants for educational programs
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Will I be required to attend regular meetings after completing the class? |
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You will be invited to join the Louisiana Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans Association. MGGNO meetings always feature an educational speaker on a variety of horticulture or related topics and are generally held monthly in the Study Center at the New Orleans Botanical Garden.
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What will be my responsibilities as an active volunteer in the LMG program? |
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As a volunteer in the LMG program, you will be expected to:
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Represent the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, LSU AgCenter, in a professional manner.
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Complete the agreed upon minimum 40 hours of volunteer time within one year from the end of training.
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Maintain a written (and photographic) record of volunteer activities and provide the Extension agent with timely documentation, preferably a monthly activity report.
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Respect civil rights, confidences and clientele information.
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Provide only unbiased, university research-based information.
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Follow published Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service recommendations.
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Refer all commercial horticulture calls to an Extension agent.
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Use the Louisiana Master Gardener title only when assisting at approved LSU AgCenter-sponsored programs.
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Wear a Louisiana Master Gardener name badge only at approved activities and events.
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Register online and document volunteer volunteer efforts and achievements. |