MASTER GARDENER FOUNDATION OF KING COUNTY
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Mission Statement
The purpose of THE MASTER GARDENER FOUNDATION OF KING COUNTY, a Washington non-profit corporation (the “Foundation”), is to raise funds in support of the Washington State University Extension MASTER GARDENER Program. Program volunteers are effective community educators in the use of good horticultural practices in King County. Funding provides access to research-based information to manage gardens and landscapes in a science-based, sustainable manner and to increase public awareness of healthy living through gardening.
About This Cause
The Washington State University Extension Master Gardener Program in King County is a highly successful example of collaboration and partnership between a university, a foundation and its volunteers who serve as citizen-scientists. In 2019, 591 King County Master Gardeners (KCMG) donated over 40,000 volunteer hours in the county, serving over 60,000 adults and more than 4,000 children and youth. Washington State University Extension (“WSU”) administers the program and makes it possible for Extension faculty and staff to reach more people with horticulture programs and home gardening information than would be possible without them. This year, with Covid, we found ways to reach people through email and Zoom to help them with their gardening questions. The Master Gardener Foundation of King County was established in 1984 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit source of financial support for the Master Gardener program in King County. Today the Foundation raises funds to train volunteers to be effective community educators in gardening, address environmental and social priorities and reduce the impact of invasive species. Donated funds are used to support Master Gardeners as they serve the people of King County in 35 plant clinics, over 14 demonstration gardens, outreach gardens and youth outreach gardens, a speakers bureau, classroom outreach programs, and classes and workshops for the public. Master Gardener volunteers are trained para-professionals who work in the community in program clinics and gardens as horticultural advisers for home gardeners. Master Gardeners provide research-based information and education tailored to fit local needs, using resources from WSU, the United States Department of Agriculture and other educational institutions, particularly those located in the Pacific Northwest. Master Gardeners encourage the use of sustainable, environmentally-friendly gardening practices, and help urban/rural gardeners, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities get more from their personal spaces and community gardens. Gardening gives participants a sense of community spirit, accomplishment and intellectual stimulation. The WSU Extension Master Gardener program began in King County, Washington, in 1973 to address the need of home gardeners for horticultural information. Today, Master Gardener programs are in all 50 states and many other countries. It is one of the most effective volunteer programs in the United States.