The application period for the 2024 Washington State University Master Gardener Volunteer Training is now open. The 2024 training course has 79 hours of comprehensive virtual, classroom and field-based instruction starting Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, and ending Friday, June 7, 2024. This training is provided by the WSU Thurston County Extension Master Gardener Program.
WSU Extension staff and regional experts will teach trainees how to use resources to research and educate best gardening practices, as well as how to answer horticulture questions from the general public. Training topics include basic botany, integrated pest management, soil science, plant identification, pest, and disease diagnosis and more.
In addition, trainees will complete lesson assignments at home between class sessions. After completion of training, participants are expected to share what they learned via horticultural-related community service.
Tuition for the training is $325 and covers all course training supplies and field trips. Payment plans and a limited number of full or partial scholarships are available. The deadline to submit a volunteer application is 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. Applicants must be 18 years old or older to apply.
For more information about the training and the application process, visit https://extension.wsu.edu/thurston/gardening/wsu-master-gardener-volunteer-training/.
