Horticulture | Georgia Master Gardener

Master Gardeners

SAMPLE JOB DESCRIPTIONS

JOB TITLE: MASTER GARDENER OFFICE/TELEPHONE ASSISTANT

Duties: Answer call-in questions on horticultural topics. Mail out Extension brochures and other literature upon request. Consult with Extension Agent on difficult questions before giving a reply. Utilize Extension literature or extension approved literature as information source. Use current Georgia Pest Control Handbook for non-commercial pesticide recommendations. Help walk-in clientele with horticultural questions.

Location: Extension office.

Reporting time and duration: Every Master Gardener is expected to participate as a Master Gardener Office/Phone Volunteer. Duration and frequency will be determined by each Extension Office according to their program’s needs.

Expected results: Residents will receive help with their horticultural problems, Extension Offices will be able to meet the needs of their growing clientele, and volunteers will increase their knowledge of insect pests, diseases, cultural problems and diagnostic techniques.
Resources: The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Web page (www.ugaextension.com), The Georgia Master Gardener Handbook, other Extension or Extension-approved books, pamphlets, fact sheets, etc.

JOB TITLE: GARDEN SPEAKER

Duties: Prepare and present programs on a wide variety of horticultural topics to gardening clientele groups such as garden clubs, civic clubs, homeowners and children’s groups.

Location: Community.

Reporting time and duration: Depends on type of scheduling desired by volunteer, local coordinator, and class participants. All activities and hours contributed should be reported to and recorded by the Evaluation and Reporting Team.

Expected results: Residents will have more resources available for horticultural programs. MG will increase their knowledge of gardening as well as further development of communication skills.

Resources: The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Web page (www.ugaextension.com), The Georgia Master Gardener Handbook, other Extension or Extension-approved books, pamphlets, fact sheets, etc.

JOB TITLE: VOLUNTEER MASTER GARDENER COORDINATOR

Note: Some counties because of agent position vacancies, or budget cuts may benefit from having a Master Gardener volunteer serve in this position.

Duties: Set the positive standard for expectation and achievement among MG volunteers. Meet regularly with the basic organizational teams (Educational Program Team(s), Recruitment and Training Team, Public Relations Team, Resource Development Team, and Evaluation and Reporting Team) to delegate responsibilities related to managing a MG program and ensure that MG activities are achieved and meet local needs and keep with the mission and goals of The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. Train incoming volunteer MG coordinator.

Location: At home and/or Extension office.

Reporting time and duration: The coordinator is responsible for regularly communicating with the local Extension office to ensure Extension awareness and approval of MG activities. The coordinator will oversee the completion of annual report (January) that will be submitted on the state record-keeping program to document local MG accomplishments and impacts. Oversee report of MG activities, accomplishments, and impacts to the Extension office for inclusion in the annual Extension report.

Expected results: The coordinator is expected to facilitate the local MG program so it meets the needs of the local community in keeping with the mission and goals of The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service and to act as a liaison between the State Master Gardener Program and the local program.

Resources: Educational Program Team(s), Recruitment and Training Team, Public Relations Team, Resource Development Team, and Evaluation and Reporting Team. State MG Coordinator in Griffin, Georgia. The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Master Gardener Program Administrative Manual.

JOB TITLE: COMPOST TEAM COORDINATOR

Duties: Establishing goals and educational programs for the Master Gardener Compost Team. Recruit team and provide proper knowledge of general compost practices to team members. Schedule public educational lectures demonstrations at the compost site and other locations, as needed. Schedule community volunteers and MGs to turn, water, and add materials to compost bins, as needed. Have meetings for the MG compost team to provide encouragement and help where needed and to facilitate planning, evaluation, and reporting of activities. Provide materials as requested by the Extension office for demonstration purposes. Train incoming compost team coordinator. Report activities, accomplishments, and impacts to the local MG coordinator for inclusion in the annual Extension report.

Location: Compost site, Extension office, Home.

Reporting time and duration: Provide monthly reports in season to the Evaluation and Reporting Team. Compost site to be maintained from early spring to late fall. MG composting team should meet regularly as necessary throughout the year for planning, evaluating, and reporting.

Expected results: The coordinator is expected to manage a team of MGs that uses the compost site as a teaching facility and to ensure that community volunteers (i.e., 4-H club) are active in the maintenance of the site. The site should be maintained in a manner that will provide the public with "how to" knowledge of composting by viewing the bins outside of regularly scheduled educational programs and demonstrations at the site.

Resources: Public library reference materials, Extension reference materials, Georgia Master Gardener Handbook, The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service web site (www.ugaextension.com).

JOB TITLE: COMPOST TEAM MEMBER

Duties: Work with the compost team coordinator to provide to the public with educational lectures and demonstrations about general compost practices at the compost site and other locations, as needed. Provide materials as requested by the Extension office for demonstration purposes. Assist the compost team coordinator in recruiting and scheduling community volunteers to turn, water, and add materials to compost bins, as needed. Participate in team meetings for planning, evaluating, and reporting. Assist the coordinator in training incoming compost team members.

Location: Compost site, Extension office.

Reporting time and duration: Provide monthly progress reports to compost team coordinator. Compost site to be maintained from early spring to late fall. MG composting team should meet regularly as necessary throughout the year for planning, reporting, and evaluating.

Expected results: The MG compost team members should use the compost site as a teaching facility and ensure that community volunteers are active in the maintenance of the site. The site should be maintained in a manner that will provide the public with "how to" knowledge of composting by viewing the bins outside of regularly scheduled educational programs and demonstrations at the site.

JOB TITLE: MG VOLUNTEER FOR 4-H OR SCHOOL GARDEN PROJECT

Duties: Work as volunteer for the 4-H or School Garden Project. Participate in training for all garden volunteers. Work with past MGs to provide training for the new volunteers, if needed. Coordinate activities with the 4-H Extension agent and/or 4-H office. Contact appropriate volunteers for resolutions of problems, if any. Procure all necessary materials for the garden project portion involved with horticulture. Report activities, accomplishments, and impacts to the local MG coordinator and the 4-H Extension agent for inclusion in the annual Extension report.

Location: Extension office, Classroom, Gardens.

Reporting time and duration: The Garden Project MGs are to report to the 4-H Extension agent or other identified coordinator on a weekly basis and to the Evaluation and Reporting Team while the project is ongoing. Projects may vary in duration.

Expected results: Involve as many children as possible in horticulture activities to enable children to learn and experience the joy of growing plants. Help children apply that knowledge to improve their homes and communities.

Resources: Georgia Master Gardener Handbook; 4-H materials from the 4-H office and Extension office.

JOB TITLE: DEMONSTRATION GARDEN COORDINATOR

Duties: Form a garden committee to establish goals, educational programs, and schedule of events at the demonstration site. Work with local MG coordinator and the Extension office to locate a site suitable for the demonstration garden. Recruit MG team for planning, implementing, managing, and evaluating the site. Oversee the involvement of community in development of a site/garden plan; acquisition of materials, such as seeds/transplants, signage, irrigation, etc.; preparation of soil; and establishment of plantings. Work with committee to recruit and schedule community volunteers for development of "clubs" that are trained by MGs, as needed, for a regular maintenance program (weeding, watering, insect control, etc.). Schedule public educational lectures or demonstrations at the demonstration site, as needed. Have meetings for the team to provide encouragement and help where needed, and to facilitate planning, evaluation, and reporting of activities. Train incoming demonstration garden coordinator. Report activities, accomplishments, and impacts to the local MG coordinator for inclusion in the annual Extension report.

Location: Extension office, Garden site.

Reporting time and duration: Provide monthly reports to the Evaluation and Reporting Team. Demonstration site to be maintained from early spring to late fall and accessible from mid-spring to mid-fall. The MG demonstration garden team should meet regularly as necessary throughout the year for planning, reporting, and evaluating.

Expected results: Teach community residents about environmentally sound horticulture by involving them in developing and maintaining a garden site that demonstrates current growing/planting methods and new plant varieties. MGs will increase their knowledge of vegetable/flower gardening.

Resources: The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Web page (www.ugaextension.com), The Georgia Master Gardener Handbook.

JOB TITLE: SENIOR CITIZENS GARDENING PROGRAM AIDE

Duties: Provide instruction on culture of indoor plants, floral design, and/or container and raised bed gardening to groups of senior citizens. The site's activity coordinator can assist volunteers in establishing an appropriate curriculum for the respective programs.

Location: Senior citizen centers, Recreation centers, Libraries, Other sites where senior citizens meet.

Expected results: Senior citizens will have more resources available for horticultural programs. MGs will increase their knowledge of indoor plant culture, floral design, or container gardening as well as further development of communication skills.

Resources: Human Issues in Horticulture web pages at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (http//www.hort.vt.edu/human/human.html)

JOB TITLE: HORTICULTURAL NEWS WRITER

Duties: Develop topical news articles for regular release to newspapers, radio, and TV and for a newsletter to be published by the Extension office. The news releases could go with a byline as a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Master Gardener. Articles to be developed should be timely and, where applicable, have the Extension recommendations for the locality where the article is to appear. Articles can include many topics, such as a "how to" or new plant variety, a warning of a pest problem and how to manage it, a regular feature column on MG at work in the local county, where to find MG plant clinics and demonstrations, or publicity for a gardening activity or program in which readers might want to participate.

Location: At home and/or Extension office

Reporting time and duration: At the discretion of the volunteer, but at an agreed upon time. The nature of the article and the use to be made of the article should be discussed with an Extension agent prior to submission for publication.

Expected results: Readers will have gardening information relevant to the area and local MG activities. Volunteers will increase knowledge of gardening and ability to write news articles. Additional training needed: Orientation in media coverage techniques and exposure to Extension's media resources. Use of computer and office word processing software.

Resources: Office computer and The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service environmental horticulture and entomology information on the World Wide Web(www.ugaextension.com).

JOB TITLE: COUNTY MASTER GARDENER EXHIBIT COORDINATOR

Duties: Coordinate activities of volunteers involved in developing an exhibit that will depict the horticultural programs offered to county residents through the Extension office. Work with the plant clinic coordinator to provide information via handouts and displays. Recruit and schedule volunteers to staff a plant clinic during the hours that the fair is open, ensuring that all time periods are covered by at least two people and that all volunteers fully understand their responsibilities at the plant clinic (outlined in a separate task description).

Location: Extension office, county fair site, flower show or other event

Reporting time and duration: Annual project completed during the months prior to the fair and throughout the event. Accomplishments should be reported to the Evaluation and Reporting Team.

Expected results: A quality exhibit that informs the public of the activities of The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service MG volunteers and the programs available to the public through the Extension office. A plant clinic staffed by MGs that provides accurate answers to the public.

Resources: Local MG Exhibit.

JOB TITLE: COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE PROJECT COORDINATOR

Duties: Recruit a group of local citizens who will work with MGs to improve community landscape sites and continue with project after MG leadership is removed. MGs will provide educational program assistance to a community based beautification project. Types of assistance could include working with citizens to evaluate sites to be landscaped; teaching basic landscape planning and drawing of landscape plans; providing advice on plant selection; and teaching proper planting techniques, pruning, repair, and maintenance to non-MG volunteers who will implement the activity.

Location: Area or community where project will take place

Reporting time and duration: Duration will vary with the project. Outcomes and impacts of the project, including numbers and contributions of non-MG volunteers, should be reported to the Evaluation and Reporting Team.

Expected results: Residents of the community will gain knowledge needed to successfully carry out a landscape project. MG volunteer will increase leadership skills and knowledge of landscaping and community involvement.

Resources: The Georgia Master Gardener Handbook, The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Web pages (www.ugaextension.com), The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Master Gardener Program Administrative Manual.

JOB TITLE: NEIGHBORHOOD PLANT EXPERT

Duties: Answer questions relating to ornamental horticulture; vegetable gardening; soil testing; disease, insect, and weed control; house plants; and related areas. Take referral calls from the Extension office on questions relating to ornamental horticulture. Provide advice based on University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service recommendations and provide appropriate publications available from Extension.

Location: Neighborhood where volunteer resides

Reporting time and duration: Volunteers will work with neighborhood association to devise a schedule for making their services available. (Example: be available at monthly meetings, take phone calls from 10:00-12:00 Saturdays, make home visits in the evenings.) Will keep a general log of types of situations encountered and recommendations made. Refer to local Extension agent the names of persons and nature of problems that could not be answered.

Expected results: Residents will have extended resources to solve their gardening problems, and MG volunteers will increase their knowledge of horticulture.

Resources: Georgia Master Gardener Handbook, The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Web pages (www.ugaextension.com)

JOB TITLE: PLANT CLINIC STAFF

Duties: MG will be available at prearranged sites and times to examine and diagnose plant specimens and problems brought in by citizens and make recommendations in compliance with Extension recommendations and approved practices.

Form a plant clinic group/committee, and elect a chairman who will coordinate activities.
Work with local MG coordinator or Extension agent(s) to establish regular sites for plant clinics. Establish the frequency of plant clinics and the number of hours MG are to spend at the clinic. Determine suitability of donations for clinics conducted at business sites (i.e., perhaps for every MG hour spent in plant clinics at Lowe's, $7 is donated to the local association fund, and in turn, funds are used to support a local school gardening grant program).Work with Extension staff, local MG coordinator, and MG graphic artist to create plant clinic promotional materials. Keep records of all clients seen, problems diagnosed, and recommendations given. Forward to Extension agent(s) any materials that MG cannot diagnose. Assist with setup and take-down as well as with staffing plant clinics.

Location: Libraries, Recreation centers, Shopping centers, Extension offices, County/State fair, Other appropriate locations.

Reporting time and duration: Master Gardeners will conduct plant clinics at specified frequencies, at designated locations, and they will report time spent on clinic work to the Evaluation and Reporting Team.

Expected results: Residents will receive help with horticultural problems and volunteers will increase their knowledge of insect pests, diseases, cultural problems and diagnostic techniques.

Resources: The Georgia Master Gardener Handbook, The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Web pages (www.ugaextension.com), current Pest Control Handbook available through The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Ag Business office

JOB TITLE: DISABLED CITIZENS PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Duties: Coordinate activities of volunteers involved in providing horticultural instruction or assisting staff in facilities providing services to physically or mentally disabled individuals. Work with participants and facility staff to determine areas of interest, available resources, and possible programs. Patient confidentiality will be respected in all cases. Work with facility staff to develop a curriculum for programs to be presented and establish regular times and dates for horticultural sessions. Assist volunteers with presenting programs on house plant culture, floral design, vegetable gardening, landscape gardening, or other topics in cooperation with staff. Keep records and report progress of the program to the Evaluation and Reporting Team. Develop liaison with county fair staff and encourage program participants to exhibit plants at fair. (NOTE: This does not imply a separate category for "plants grown by the disabled," but recognizes that all are equal participants in such a show.)

Location: Facilities that serve disabled populations.

Expected results: Participating disabled individuals will have greater resources for horticultural information available to them, and horticulture activities will positively contribute to overall individual well-being. MG will increase their knowledge of indoor plant culture, vegetable gardening, landscape gardening, or whatever area they choose. MG will also expand their skills for working with special populations.

Reporting time and duration: Arranged with facility and dependent on specific activity to be performed. All activities and hours contributed should be reported to and recorded by the Evaluation and Reporting Team.

Additional training needed: How to work with disabled persons.

JOB TITLE: COMMUNITY GARDEN COORDINATOR

Duties: Work with FCS agent to develop curriculum for teaching gardening for better nutrition. Teach gardening for nutrition programs to target populations, such as food bank participants and at-risk youth. Work with target populations to grow vegetables in community garden plots.

Location: Extension office and/or home, Garden sites

Reporting time and duration: Project will involve year-round planning, evaluation, and reporting, with implementation occurring mid-spring to mid-fall.

Expected results: Target populations will learn to grow vegetables and to provide food for themselves, as well as increase self-pride and esteem through success in growing a garden. Volunteers will increase their knowledge and skill in nutrition and vegetable gardening.

Resources: The Georgia Master Gardener Handbook, The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Web pages (www.ugaextension.com)

Some other jobs which you may wish to develop job descriptions for: JMG Leader, Records Manager, New Class Coordinator, Recruitment and Selection Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, Communications Coordinator (could establish phone tree, e-mail lists, MG WEB page, etc.), or Special Event Coordinator. The possibilities are endless for Master Gardeners to play an active role in their local community MG Program.