for immediate release

Help Others Learn to Grow, Become a Certified Master Gardener

School of the Chicago Botanic Garden offers Master Gardener Training Program

Media Only:
Julie McCaffrey
(847) 835-8213
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (Oct. 22, 2008)—The Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, in conjunction with the University of Illinois Extension, is offering a 10-week Master Gardener Training Program from January 14 through March 18, 2009. The Master Gardener Program is a community-based, all-volunteer organization sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension at Champaign-Urbana. Through gardening programs and horticultural activities, Master Gardeners are able to educate the public and enhance life in their communities.

To become a certified Master Gardener at the Chicago Botanic Garden, trainees must complete daytime classes taught once a week for 10 weeks. The topics covered include botany, soils, woody and herbaceous ornamental plant materials, fruit and vegetable crops, turf, entomology and pathology. Additionally, trainees must complete 60 hours of Chicago Botanic Garden volunteer service by March 31, 2010. Volunteer opportunities are available in the display gardens, at the Green Youth Farm and the Plant Information Service.

Applications for the Master Gardener Training Program are available now and must be sent in by the end of October 2008. They are available at www.chicagobotanic.org/downloads/school/mastergardenerapp_08.pdf. Acceptance into the program is limited. There are no prerequisites other than some knowledge and experience in gardening or land management, and a willingness to learn about horticulture as well as share that knowledge with others.

For more information about the Master Gardener Training Program, visit the Chicago Botanic Garden’s website at www.chicagobotanic.org/school/mastergardener or, contact Jill Selinger at (847) 835-6849 or at jselinger@chicagobotanic.org.

Parking is free for program registrants. For more information on the Master Gardener Training Program or to request an application call (847) 835-8261, or visit the Chicago Botanic Garden website at www.chicagobotanic.org/school.

###

Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. The Garden is also breaking new ground in urban horticulture and jobs training through a 15-acre project in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago called Windy City Harvest. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.