Maine Master Gardener Volunteer Newsletter -June 2025
In this issue…
- Upcoming MGV Training
- Summer of Pollinators
- Volunteering at Events and Speaking Engagements
- New MGV Dashboard Features
- New Resources
- Spring Program Highlights
- Support the Master Gardener Volunteer Program
Greetings, Master Gardener Volunteers!
A little (or a lot) of rain this spring hasn’t stopped you from making a difference in your community! Check out the Program Highlights below to see what your fellow volunteers are up to across Maine.
We’ve got a few updates, some reminders, and a request to help spread the word about this fall’s MGV Training. Plus, find out how to join us in making this the Summer of Pollinators!
Quick Reminders:
- Enroll & Report: Please log into the MGV Dashboard to enroll, update your info, and report hours and impacts. This data is crucial to show the value of the program to funders.
- Project Leaders: Renew your projects for 2025 so volunteers can continue logging hours.
- Update Your Saved Webpages: If you had the old hours reporting page bookmarked make sure you update it to the MGV Dashboard page which includes instructions on logging in, enrolling and reporting hours.
- Background Checks: If it has been 3 or more years since your last background check, watch your email for information about completing an updated check. For more information on background checks, see the program policy page (password: ladybug).
Questions or ideas? Reach out anytime at Extension.mastergardeners@maine.edu.
Your Maine Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator Team
Upcoming MGV Training
Help recruit the next generation of MGVs by spreading the word about the 2025/2026 Master Gardener Volunteer Training. A survey of program participants showed that the #1 way people found out about our program was through word-of-mouth.
- Applications open: July 21, 2025, at noon
- Deadline: August 15, 2025, at 4:30 PM
- Open to all Maine counties (space/project availability may vary).
Make this the Summer of Pollinators
Join us in protecting pollinators with three easy actions:
- Learn: Take (or share) our pollinator-friendly gardening course.
- Certify your garden: Show your support and spread awareness by certifying your garden and purchasing a sign. You may be surprised how many of the requirements for certification your garden already checks! Warning: this sign WILL start conversations with your neighbors!
- Certify your Master Gardener Volunteer Project: This summer we’re challenging Master Gardener Volunteers to get their projects certified as pollinator-friendly! The application fee will be waived for all enrolled Maine MGV projects who apply between now and October 31st, 2025. Email extension.gardening@maine.edu for more information.
Volunteering at Events and Speaking Engagements
Staffing a booth at an event this summer or giving a talk? Here’s a cheat sheet on how to log hours:
- Get coordinator approval ahead of time.
- Track how many adults and youth you interact with, reasonable estimates are fine.
- Log onto the portal to report your hours and impacts under the “One Time Events: Workshops, Presentations, Fairs. Etc.” project.
- Enter your hours, information about the event and how many people you reached.
New Features of your MGV Dashboard
Badges
Have you enhanced your horticulture knowledge by earning a badge or micro-credential? Soon you’ll be able to see them in your MGV Dashboard profile. Currently anyone who has completed the Pollinator-Friendly Gardening badge will be able to see it in their profile!
MGV Directory
Do you want to reach out to local MGVs about a volunteer opportunity in your town? All volunteers who opted in are listed including names, email addresses, towns, and county cohorts.
New Resources Available
Project Map: Checkout the Maine MGV Project Map for a new way to explore the approved projects in your area. Click on a project to learn more. Note: only projects that signed off on being publicly listed will appear on the map.
MGV Video Library: Checkout the library of archived webinars, available exclusively to Maine Master Gardener Volunteers! Includes webinars from Cumberland’s MGV Education Series, Wellness webinars and Advanced Master Gardener Volunteer Trainings.
Spring Program Highlights
Waldo
- In Waldo we have a new project getting up and running in partnership with the Waldo County Sheriff’s Department and MGVs to grow for Maine Harvest for Hunger. Here are Patty Crawford and Chris Stanton picking up seedlings from Villageside Farm in Freedom Maine.
Click on an image to view larger.
- Another new project in Waldo, led by two Master Gardener Volunteers, the Stockton Springs Community Garden opened this year.
Click on an image to view larger.
Cumberland
- Cumberland County Master Gardener Volunteers hosted their 30th annual plant sale on Saturday, May 24! This community focused event brought over 425 attendees who purchased plants and participated in educational activities at Tidewater Farm. All the funds raised through the plant sale go directly to supporting educational and food security projects across Cumberland County.
Click on an image to view larger.
Penobscot
- The Penobscot County team has been busy this spring engaging over 900 local youth in hands-on learning about native plants and pollinators through school garden clubs, recess planting parties, field trips to Rogers Farm Demonstration Garden, and our first annual Pollen Palooza.
Click on an image to view larger.
Oxford
- Thanks to the hard work of volunteers, the Native Demonstration Garden at the Oxford Cooperative Extension office is bursting with pollinator-friendly blooms this spring.
Click on an image to view larger.
Share the hard work of you and your fellow Master Gardener Volunteers! Send us a photo and caption, including the names of anyone in the photo: extension.mastergardeners@maine.edu.
Support the Master Gardener Volunteer Program
A gift to the Master Gardener fund supports financial assistance for training new volunteers and support for your volunteer projects.