FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICE

             Currituck Master Gardeners celebrated a successful year with their annual recognition dinner at the Extension office on Dec. 4, 2009.  Jodi Lockhart was selected Master Gardener of the Year.  Del Hasslebacher, Jim Martin, Ann McNamee and Patsy Smith each contributed 500 hours to the Master Gardener Program.  Carole Kemp and Jodi Lockhart were recognized for over 1000 hours of volunteer service. Receiving their 5 year pins for volunteer service were Donna Bleier, Sherry Fischlschweiger, Sharon Huttemann, Elizabeth Jones and Ginger Sikes.  Jodi Lockhart received her 10 year pin for volunteer service.  Wood Gardner received his 15 year pin.  The “Golden Shovel” is awarded to the person who is not a Master Gardener but is actively involved at many Master Gardener events.  This year’s recipient was John Miner.  

            Projects for Master Gardeners included working on the new Currituck Botanical Garden at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Currituck County Center on Community Way in Barco.  The Currituck Botanical Garden is a teaching and demonstration garden for residents that will include an arboretum and will feature displays of perennials, vegetables, fruit trees, and turf.   

            Preparations are underway for the  thirteenth annual spring Currituck Home Flower and Garden Show and the 3rd Annual Daffodil Show for the NE NC Daffodil Society.   The Master Gardeners have ordered over 2000 trees which will be given to residents in celebration of Arbor Day in March.  

            Currituck Master Gardeners made a generous monetary donation to the Food Bank at Pilmoor Methodist Church and the Currituck Animal Shelter. 

            The Currituck Master Gardener Volunteer Program is comprised of members of the volunteer staff of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.  They provide unbiased, research based educational assistance and programs in horticulture and environmental issues to the gardening public.  The Extension Master Gardener Program allows the local Extension to extend education to an ever-increasing gardening audience.  It also provides the local Extension center with a highly visible way to meet the public demand for information.  Participants in the program must complete the training program, pass an examination, and volunteer through the local Cooperative Extension center a minimum of 40 hours the first year and 20 hours in subsequent years.  The next class begins Tuesday, January 19, 2010.  Contact Jan Perry-Weber at the Cooperative Extension office at 252.232.2262 for more information or e-mail jan_perry-weber@ncsu.edu.

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