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If you are looking to get involved and volunteer in the community, the Master Gardener Program may be right for you. The program, which began in Mississippi in 1991, is designed to enhance public education in consumer horticulture. It provides educational assistance to any citizen in the area of horticulture through the use of trained volunteers.
Under the guidance and support of Extension agents, selected residents enter a specially-designed 10-week training program. Participants will complete the program and then fulfill a commitment of 40 volunteer service hours through a wide variety of directed projects. There are plant clinics, horticulture hotlines, environmental planting projects, demonstration gardens, research and numerous other opportunities to serve.
Training begins Feb. 21 and will continue until March 29, with classes offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-5 p.m.
In Lowndes County, classes will be offered at the Extension office at 318 Seventh St. N. Classes will be held at the Bost Extension Center on the Mississippi State University campus for participants from Oktibbeha and Clay Counties.
Classes will include basic botany, soils, diseases, weed control, vegetable production, fruit and nut production, and lawn care. A one-time fee of $85 covers materials, refreshments and a one-year membership in the Mississippi Master Gardener Association. Enrollment will be limited.
The deadline for applying is Feb. 11. For details, contact the Lowndes County Extension office at 662-328-2111, the Oktibbeha office at 662-323-5916 or the Clay County office at 662-494-5371.
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