Master Gardener Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities

COVID-19: Approved Master Gardener Volunteer Projects (Updated 4/13/20)

The following activities will count toward volunteer hours until further notice. Please seek approval from your MGV coordinator before beginning a project.

  • Submit an idea for an article for the monthly electronic newsletter published by UMaine Extension  Maine Home Garden News. FMI – Please contact MHGN editor katherine.garland@maine.edu
  • Help write a plant disease fact sheet. These will be posted on the UMaine Cooperative Extension website and will be a valuable resource for all. The fact sheets will be written in collaboration with Dr. Alicyn Smart from the Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab.
  • Grow extra food in your home garden to support Maine Harvest for Hunger initiatives in your community.  Solarize or tarp a new garden area so you can grow more food.
  • Organize and facilitate a virtual garden club or network of gardeners in your neighborhood, community, or region.  Identify the purpose of such a group and share research-based information. Consider making it a private page and very local.
  • Support your local garden club by offering on-line facilitation, presentations, resources specific to their needs, or organizing memberships.
  • Develop a one-hour presentation on a topic you’re passionate about. Choose your subject, do research, take photos, develop a script. Practice. Send an outline to your MGV coordinator for approval and additional resources.  Once you have your show on the road, we’ll add you to a list of regional speakers for garden clubs, conferences, etc. There’s a huge demand for this!
  • Serve on your local UMaine Extension Association Executive Committee. Read about their roles here. These county-based groups meet virtually until further notice.
  • Make garden signs for schools, community and city gardens. Paint row markers and/or signs at home on tongue depressors, cedar shingles, rocks or boards. Styles can be sophisticated or whimsical, but always educational.
  • Assemble a list of frequently asked questions for beginning gardeners.
  • Review the material on the UMaine Extension Garden & Yard website. Do you have a particular interest in a topic that is missing from our website/MGV Manual? Would you like to do research on a topic and work with a member of the Home Horticulture team to develop a factsheet?
  • Do a photographic tutorial. Topics like planting methods, how to make lasagna gardens, making grow bags, etc. You might consider doing this for insects, diseases, or weeds you see in your yard.
  • Serve on our Tidewater Farm Education committee by helping us develop lesson plans and teaching kits for schools. Contact Pamela at pamela.hargest@maine.edu for more information.
  • Design an educational display about gardening, garden-related topic, or a gardening project for possible use at your local agricultural fair or community event.
  • Mentor a new gardener or student by phone, email, text or photos. Create a garden checklist and use it to guide them through the season.  There’s a need for mentoring on all levels of gardening for adults and children.
  • Grow seedlings for others, being aware that the COVID-19 issue may not be resolved by planting time. Although delivery of seedlings and produce is not allowed at this time, Extension is working on guidance about how to do so safely and our hope is that it will be possible by the time they are ready for pick up, however there is no guarantee.
  • Amplify UMaine Cooperative Extension on social media. Like and share posts, re-tweet, etc. (do we have hashtags we’d like to use/promote? Some thoughts: #VictoryGardens4ME #MaineMGV #UMaineExtension)