Recognizing the Master Gardener Volunteers

I would like to take a moment to recognize the Master Gardener Volunteers who work so hard to help me answer the gardening questions that we receive in Onslow County.  These volunteers support a variety of projects including manning the Plant Clinic and Ask-A-Master Gardener booths at community events, providing educational classes to the public, and working to plant and grow the Discovery Gardens of Onslow. 

In 2015, the Onslow County Master Gardener Volunteers provided over 4,815 hours of service to our community.  This brings the program to a lifetime total of 46,340 hours donated to Onslow County over the last twenty years.  This group contains many wonderful volunteers and each year I struggle to select one outstanding member to recognize as Master Gardener Volunteer of the Year.  This year, I want to recognize Teri Welch. 

Teri has been an active Master Gardener Volunteer since she graduated from the training class in 2013.  Teri has been active in many roles including the Plant Clinic and as a board member.  She has played a stand out role as chair for our Public Events Committee.  She coordinates our public events, ensures that Master Gardener Volunteers are signed up to work their shifts, and makes sure that they have everything they need to be successful.  Her outgoing nature and people-skills make her a real asset at public events, she can talk to anyone, anywhere!  Teri shows up at each meeting with a smile and a tray of her delightful deviled eggs.  Teri has volunteered over 319 hours this year alone and over 759 hours in her three years with the program.  Thank you, Teri!

A major project of the Onslow County Master Gardener Volunteers is the Discovery Garden.  At completion, this 4-acre teaching garden will serve as an education and outreach tool for the Master Gardener Volunteers as well as a beautiful space for the community to come together and enjoy the natural world.  We have a great group of volunteers that show up every week to weed, water, mulch, plant, haul, chop, fix and dig.  We have made a lot of progress this year and expect to see things move along quickly in 2016 but we couldn’t do what we do without our Workday Wednesday Crew!  For this reason, I would also like to recognize Gary Gerard as Discovery Garden Volunteer of the Year. 

Gary has been an active Master Gardener Volunteer since he graduated from the training class in 2012.  Gary is an anchor of the Discovery Garden Workday crew.  He shows up religiously and doesn’t stopping working.  I struggle to stay out ahead of him and other volunteers struggle to keep up with him!  In addition to his efforts during workdays, he keeps all of our small engine equipment maintained, repaired and ready to go.  He can build anything we need out of wood whether it’s a raised bed (he prepared all of the materials for the raised bed garden) or a birdhouse.  In addition to his work in the gardens, Gary takes an active role in the Plant Clinic, answering client questions each Friday afternoon.  This year, he broke in to teaching as well.  He taught a class on Equipment Maintenance and Repair that students still rave about!

If you see Teri and Gary in the Plant Clinic, public events, the Discovery Gardens or at classes this year, please thank them for their hard work and efforts on behalf of Onslow County’s gardeners and the Discovery Gardens.  Thank you, Teri and Gary!