UConn Master Gardener Coordinator Sandi Wilson recently blogged about the new class year!
Spring 2018 Garden Master Classes Catalog Available!
The 2018 Spring Garden Master Class Catalog is now available!
Visit our Garden Master Class page for the link to the online catalog and information on how to register for classes.
We’re still adding classes so check back often!
NEW GARDEN MASTER CLASS REGISTRATION!
We are excited to introduce the new, online Garden Master Class catalog and registration!
In Fall 2017, the Garden Master Class catalog appears in a new, online format. You can now register and pay for classes and get immediate confirmation of your registration, along with email reminders as the class dates approach.
The catalog is now available at https://uconnmastergardeners.gosignmeup.com/ . The process is similar to any online purchasing you already do. The GoSignMeUp platform that powers the online catalog is used by many companies and schools and has an excellent reputation. A link to the site is posted on our Extension website, http://mastergardener.uconn.edu/garden-master-classes/ and our volunteer website http://www.uconnmastergardeners.com/login/index.php.
You can now pay by credit or debit card, and we encourage you to use this payment method. It provides an immediate confirmation of your class registration. You can still pay by check, but until that payment is processed, you will not have a guaranteed seat in the class.
The new program will provide email reminders both one week and one day prior to your class.
If you have taken Master Classes before, all your attendance information has been saved and will be entered into the GoSignMeUp program. Once the transition is complete, you will be able to check your transcript online at any time to confirm what classes you have taken. This feature should be available in mid-2018.
Your registration information from the old system has also been transferred to GoSignMeUp. When you log into the new system, take a moment to check your account information. If corrections are needed, let us know!
The system also allows us to add classes throughout the term, so check back often. We try to have all classes listed in the beginning of the term, but new opportunities do arise throughout!
Instructions on registering and using the system are attached, and there are instructions on the home page of the catalog. Additionally, if you have any difficulties you can contact us at mailto:MGGoSignMeUp@uconn.edu. Your county coordinator can also help you. Contact information is available at http://mastergardener.uconn.edu/
This new program has been in the works for several years. Middlesex County coordinator Gail Reynolds got us started, conducting a comprehensive search and analysis of the available options, leading to the recommendation of GoSignMeUp. Longtime Master Class volunteer Rebecca Martorelli teamed up with Extension program assistant Amber Guillemette and Tolland County coordinator Jean Madden-Hennessey to make the transition from our old system to the new one. Many thanks to all!
A Positive Approach to Service
Our UConn Extension Master Gardener volunteers are located in each of the eight county Extension centers, and at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford. Master Gardener volunteers donate their time each year to answer horticultural-related questions for the community.
In May, Gail Reynolds, our Master Gardener Coordinator at the office in Haddam received this letter from Carol of Chester, Connecticut:
Dear Ms. Reynolds,
I am writing to make you aware of the exceptional service I received at the Extension program on May 26, 2017 when I brought an insect sample to your office. Your volunteer employees, Kenneth Sherrick, Susan Goodall, and Liz Duffy could not have been more motivated and interested in identifying the specimen and providing me with appropriate information. These employees exhibited a level of energy and competency that I have honestly never encountered in either a public service or private setting. Together they critically analyzed the resource materials, collaborated effectively to identify the specimen, and patiently explained their findings. They were sincere, welcoming, and friendly. My issue was positively resolved in a short time.
Certainly, we are all used to accessing public and private services – libraries, post offices, school systems, doctor’s offices – and we are accustomed to a particular, acceptable standard of service. But when one encounters a greater level of service, a higher degree of motivation, and a overwhelmingly positive approach to service it is remarkable indeed. These three volunteers operate in excellence, and they exceeded my expectations in every regard. You are quite fortunate to have them!
Sincerely,
Carol
Let’s Hear it for our Master Gardener Volunteers!
Our Master Gardener volunteers contribute innumerable hours to their communities by participating on projects, speaking to the public, writing articles, teaching classes, and much more!
We honor our Active Certified Master Gardeners with garden-themed pins as they reach volunteer hour milestones, cumulative over their time as Active Certified Master Gardeners.
One hundred (100) volunteer hours is marked by a trowel pin, 250 hours by an oak leaf pin, 500 hours by a wheelbarrow pin, 750 hours by a pinecone pin, 1000 hours by a sunflower pin, 1500 hours by a pruner pin, and 2000 hours by a gardener’s boot!