Volunteer Opportunities for Master Gardeners of Wilson County
Projects: Gardens/other horticultural installations managed primarily by MGWC
| Project Title | City | Project Description | Primary Contact/Bedhead |
| Baddour Parkway Arboretum (BPA) | Lebanon | Care and maintenance of designated Arboretum trees in Fiddlers Grove and Wilson County Fairgrounds | Judith & Chad Burgess Mary Ellen Lewis |
| Cedars of Lebanon Butterfly Garden | Lebanon | Planning, planting, maintenance of the butterfly garden next to the Nature Center in Cedars of Lebanon State Park | Rosemary Marshall Amy Ritter |
| Compassionate Hands Healing Garden | Lebanon | Overseeing assigned beds (12 beds) through the growing season, teaching, and helping guest take ownership and responsibility to start growing and maintaining the garden | Deanna Jackson |
| Extension Office Demonstration Garden | Lebanon | Planning, planting, maintenance of Extension office garden | Carol Stroud |
| Fiddlers Grove Demonstration Flower Beds | Lebanon | Planning, planting, maintenance of multiple flower and shrub beds in Fiddlers Grove and Wilson County Fairgrounds | Marianne Pelletier |
| Fiddlers Grove Demonstration Vegetable Garden | Lebanon | Planning, planting, harvesting and maintenance of the demonstration garden next to the Master Gardener building in Fiddlers Grove. | Barbara Nissel |
| Fiddlers Grove Monarch Way Station | Lebanon | Planning, planting and maintenance of the butterfly garden in Fiddlers Grove | Marianne Pelletier |
| Jan Littrell Labors of Love Garden (Charlie Daniels Park) | Mt. Juliet | Planning, planting, harvesting and maintenance of the vegetable garden in Charlie Daniels Park in Mt. Juliet | Deb Williams David Bates |
| Labors of Love Monarch Way Station–Charlie Daniels | Mt. Juliet | Planning, planting, maintenance of butterfly garden in Charlie Daniels Park in Mt. Juliet | Patti Hoag |
| Lebanon Community & Education Garden | Lebanon | Planning, planting and maintenance of the garden at Lebanon Senior Center next to Jimmy Floyd. Designed to create a healthier community by encouraging people to learn about gardening, gather fresh produce. | Alex & Shene Scott Vicki Folsom |
| Mt. Juliet Library | Mt. Juliet | Planning, planting and maintenance of the flower gardens at the entrance to the library | Patti Stein |
| Pickett Chapel Heritage and Peace Garden | Lebanon | Planning, planting and maintenance of the garden at Pickett Chapel. The garden is a peaceful place for reflection on Lebanon’s historical heritage. | Emily Peyton |
| Raising Hope (This is an ongoing project, but not primarily run by MGWC) | Carthage (Smith County) | Native plant demonstration carts, located at schools and parks. Each cart offers signage about the native plants and also QR codes and details about local mental health resources. | Cheryl Puhl |
| Vine Branch Fellowship – School Garden Projects and School Lessons/Classes | Lebanon | Planning, planting and maintenance of the gardens at Byers Dowdy, Coles Ferry and Sam Houston Elementary Schools, need of weekly maintenance. Also teaching classes at the schools. | Alex & Shene Scott |
| TN Native Plant Sale | Lebanon | Planning and execution of the MGWC Native Plant Sale including work in growing operations (seed gathering, planting, propagation and maintenance), sale preparation and day of sale support. | Debbie Williams |
| Academic Award | Wilson County | $1,500 academic award to a Wilson County high school senior or college student planning to pursue an education in agriculture, horticulture, or landscaping. | Maryann Hicks |
| Audio/Visual | Lebanon | Manage the sound system needs, maintaining equipment, set up and tear down equipment, staffing the sound board for operation at any meetings | Jason Bean |
| Extension Agent Support | Lebanon | Participation in horticultural activities as directed by the County Agent e.g. support for 4H & FCS events and UTMG conferences. THIS IS AN INFREQUENTLY USED CATEGORY. PLEASE CHECK WITH THE CERTIFICATION OFFICER FOR THE CORRECT PLACE TO LOG YOUR HOURS. | Extension Agent |
| Garden Tour | Various | To have a planned place destination for our MG to take a trip with fellow membership for education and pleasure. This could be fellow MG gardens, designated garden of choice, or any sight or learning place that we can log “CEU” hours | Deanna Jackson |
| Green Thumb Workshops | Lebanon | Workshop prioritizes MGWC led seminars/hands-on classes to equip the average Wilson County homeowner and want-to-be gardeners to be able to garden with confidence CEUs ONLY for attendance IF YOU ARE HELPING OR TEACHING A CLASS – volunteer hours | Tonya Gardner |
| Help Line | Lebanon | Respond to routine horticulture questions (including pests and diseases) under the supervision of the County Agent. Work done in the Extension office or at “Ask a Master Gardener” events. | Lucas Holman |
| Hospitality/Social | Lebanon | Planning and execution of themes and meal setup for monthly MGWC meetings | Peggy Fannin |
| Master Gardener Committee | Wilson County | Planning and execution of activities and events supported by MGWC that does not have their own category | MGWC Executive Committee |
Activities: Support for non-project MGWC committees, events or activities
| Activity Title | City | Activity Description | Primary Contact/Bedhead |
| Master Gardener Communication | Wilson County | Writing, photographing, editing, maintaining and updating the MGWC newsletter, website, social media, and other communication tools | Tonya Gardner – Newsletter; Denise Schmidt – Facebook; Sara Chodl – Instagram; Mark Holysz – MGWC website |
| Master Gardener Executive Board | Wilson County | Officer participation and member direct support of the MGWC Board duties & responsibilities | MGWC President |
| Master Gardener Intern Mentor Program | Lebanon | UT Intern class support; post class orientation & mentorship of new interns | Theresa Brown Joni Wohnrade |
| Non-MG Horticultural Activities | Horticultural activities not recognized as MGWC projects, activities or events. Limited to 5 hours annually | N/A | |
| Outreach Projects & Speaker Bureau | Participation in MGWC speakers bureau and other events as designated by the Board and the County Agent | Extension Agent | |
| Technology | Lebanon | Establish, review and publish MGWC policy for technology use and approach including web site, social media, software, tools etc. | Mark Holysz |
Events: Events managed by outside groups where MGWC participates as volunteers
| Events Title | City | Events Description | Primary Contact/Bedhead |
| 4H Day Camp | Lebanon | This is a 3-day Educational Day Camp that allows for children to learn about various outdoor activities, gardening activities, life skills, crafts, and much more. | Carrie Shehane |
| BeHealthy Kids Summer Gardening Camp | Lebanon | 5 fun filled days of hands on activities involving gardening, nutrition, fitness, fire safety and more! THis is for 1st-6th grade. | Shene & Alex Scott |
| Southern Home and Garden Expo | Lebanon | Set up and support for MGWC booth at annual event | Joni Wohnrade |
| Spring Fest in the Grove | Lebanon | Fiddlers Grove annual event including plant sale staffed by MGWC volunteers | Marianne Pelletier |
| Tennessee Tree Day | Wilson County | Each March, Tennessee Environmental Council sponsors the largest native tree distribution program in the U.S.A. WCMG members assist in pick up of the trees for Wilson County residents and businesses, labeling and bundling of the trees, and distribution of the trees to people who ordered trees online through TEC. | Maryann Hicks |
| Wilson County Fair Activities | Lebanon | Participation in direct support of the Wilson County and State Fair including staffing the Adult Fruit & Vegetable Show, the Adult Flower Show, the Rose Show, and the Amateur Wine Show. | Joni Wohnrade (Flower show); David Greer (Vegetable show); Mark Holysz (volunteer signup); Dwayne & Maryann Smith (Wine); Sherry Phillips (Canning); Barbara Nissel (Demo Garden) |
| Wilson County Farm Days | Lebanon | Participation in direct support of this two-day, annual event in May providing Ag related education for children. | Vicki Folsom |
Wilson County Master Gardener Association 