Wright Park Arboretum and W. W. Seymour Conservatory
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--This 27-acre garden gem boasts a collection of 145 species of native and exotic
trees, of which 450 are labeled, and many are over 100 years old.
Ed Hume’s Educational Garden Tour
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--The new Ed Hume's Garden is a combination Children’s Garden and adult Educational Garden, consisting of fourteen educational garden areas.
The Gardens at Point Defiance
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--This 760-acre urban park has literally something for everyone. Areas of interest
include a dahlia trial garden, a fuchsia garden, an herb garden, an iris garden, a
rose garden, and a native plant garden. There is also a lovely Japanese garden,
many wooded trails, and access to Owen Beach on the Puget Sound.
The Gallucci Learning Garden and the Viet Huong Garden
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--Join our community partner, Harvest Pierce County for a tour of these two urban community gardens, which are located in the heart of downtown Tacoma, close to the Marriott Tacoma Downtown Hotel.
Guided Tacoma Downtown Walking Tour
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--Join WSU Extension's Pierce County Master Gardener Program Coordinator and Puget Sound local on a stroll through downtown Tacoma.
WSU Research Station and Demonstration Garden Tour
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--Active research at WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center encompasses a wide variety of topics pertinent to Master Gardeners.
The Rhododendron Species Garden
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--Beautifully situated on 22 acres, the Rhododendron Species Garden houses one of the largest collections of species rhododendrons in the world. The garden is joined by many other species of plants with growing conditions similar to rhododendrons.
Garden Allies: An Introduction to Life in the Landscape
Instructor: Frédérique Lavoipierre
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--A frequent topic of gardening questions is about the insects and other life found there – and how to maintain an ecological balance while creating beautiful landscapes.
Community Connections: How Pierce County Extension Master Gardeners Support the WA State Corrections Center for Women
Instructors: Harolyn Engelskirchen, Constance Baird
(Please click on class title to read more)
--Nature is for everyone with no exceptions. Pierce County Master Gardeners have supported the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) since 2000
Edible Perennials for PNW Gardens
Instructor: Lisa Taylor
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--If you want to eat from your yard but you can’t keep up with the planting, composting, watering, and weeding, include perennial edibles in your landscape.
Native Plants for Biodiversity
Instructor: Mark Turner
(Please click on class title to read more)
--Plant diversity supports most of our wildlife, beginning with the insects that feed on them, and makes our state the beautiful and interesting place where we’ve chosen to live.
The Ice Age Flood: The Washington Soil Mosaic
Instructor: Kenneth B. Lacy
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--The class will start with a discussion on the ice age floods that inundated portions of the Pacific Northwest.
Backyard Citizen Science Opportunities in the Pacific Northwest
Instructor: Dr. Joey Hulbert
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--Citizen science projects provide opportunities to learn and conduct research simultaneously.
AIM for Active Learning
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--Teaching for active learning intentionally involves learners in “authentic, interactive, meaningful” (AIM) processes to achieve learning goals.
Integrated Pest Management
Instructor: Rachel Bomberger
(Please click on class title to read more)
--Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is managing plant damaging pests using cultural control methods, like manual pruning or water management but also includes the use of chemical pesticides.
Learning How to Care for Solitary Mason and Leafcutter Bees
Instructor: Thyra McKelvie
(Please click on class title to read more)
--Bees are becoming an increasingly popular addition to gardens – but not just honeybees. If you’re thinking of hosting bees in your yard, releasing solitary MASON bees should be top on your list.
Botanical Latin
Instructor: Ross Bayton
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--From gardener to grower, botanist to blogger, we all utilize botanical Latin when communicating about plants.
BONUS CLASS: Yoga for the Gardener
Instructor: Deb Hammond
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--Easy "Garden Yoga"! No mats or other gear needed.
Common Native Bees of Washington State
Instructor: Connie Mehmel
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--This presentation is an introduction to several of the common and important native bees in Washington State, their life cycles, food plants, and ways to attract them to your garden or farm.
Horticulture for Health & Well-being: Year-round, Nature-based Programming for Special Populations
Instructor: Teresia Hazen
(Please click on class title to read more)
--We know there are physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual benefits of engagement with gardens and nature. Participants will learn strategies to support well-being in these areas of human growth and development with ideas for each season throughout the year.
The Resilient Yard: Design and Maintenance in a Changing Climate
Instructors: Mike Peronto, Barret Carpenter
(Please click on class title to read more)
--The Resilient Yard is for homeowners and Master Gardeners who want to know what actions they can take to combat climate change in their yard.
Soil Carbon, Organic Matter, and Health: Myths, Metrics, and Management
Instructor: Nathan Stacey
(Please click on class title to read more)
--Soil carbon (C) is recognized as a critical element in the function and productivity of agricultural soils.
Pesticide Use and Safety
Instructor: Wendy Sue Wheeler
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--Pesticides are classified by mode of action. This presentation will take a look at modes of actions and how they impact the environment and the ecosystem differently.
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RainScaping: Nature-inspired Solutions to Manage Home Runoff
Instructor: Peggy Campbell
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--Rainwater running off residential properties washes pollutants – such as garden chemicals, sediment and bacteria – from yards, roofs and hard surfaces and into local waterways.
What’s Buzzing? Supporting Pollinators in Your Backyard
Instructor: Lisa DeVetter
(Please click on class title to read more)
--Pollination is essential for the development of many of our favorite fruits and vegetables. Insects provide most of our pollination services, but many species are in decline.
School Gardens: Growing Food, Growing Learning, Growing Support
Instructor: Laurie Williams
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--K-12 School Gardens are growing around the globe. These outdoor classrooms and living laboratories are important for connecting student learning in all subjects and helping students become nature's stewards.
Finding Our Way Home: Native Plants in the Garden
Instructor: Robin O'Quinn
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--This presentation explores how our goals and expectations as gardeners may be at odds with the biological truths of natural systems ...
Cultivating a Diverse Extension Master Gardener Program
Instructor: Kenitra Keeney, Ed.D
(Please click on class title to read more)
--Biodiversity is essential to ecologic health. As gardeners we all know that mono-cultures are not sustainable.
Facilitated Networking: Plant Clinics
More information coming soon.
Facilitated Networking: Fundamentals of a Non-profit Board
Tana Hasart, Gilbert Plascencia
(Please click on class title to read more)
--This session is designed for those who want to understand the fundamentals of an effective nonprofit board.
Nutrient Decline in Vegetables
Instructor: Muriel Nesbitt
(Please click on class title to read more)
--Over the past several decades a decline has been noted in the nutrient density of vegetables and other plant-derived foods...
Plant Galls: Beauty and the Beast
Instructor: Christine Heycke
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--You may have seen colorful, bumpy or fuzzy structures on leaves or stems and wondered what they were.
Waterwise Landscaping
Instructor: Kris Moberg-Hendron
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--We all want to reduce our water bill and minimize the time required to maintain a beautiful landscape.
Irrigation System Design for the Home Garden
Instructor: Linda Stock
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--This class will help you in designing efficient irrigation systems for your home garden that provide adequate water delivery and efficient water conservation.
Gardening for Bumblebees
Instructor: Rich Hatfield
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--Pollinators are essential for healthy plants and gardens, and gardens and healthy plants are essential for pollinators.
Waterwise Gardens: Cultivate Your Water Conscious Oasis!
Instructor: Nancy Goodin
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--As climate changes and water demand grows, become empowered to make simple, smart decisions that can have a significant impact on the beauty and health of your garden.
Feeding the Soil: Nature’s Health Plan for Your Garden (and You)
Instructors: David Montgomery, Anne Bikle
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--David and Anne will share the history and science underpinning the new awareness of soil health in gardening and farming.
Cultivating Volunteer Leaders
When gardening, is it the tools and seeds, or the climate and soil condition, that lead to the richest cultivation? The same paradox can be applied to cultivating volunteers. This workshop will focus on many tools and approaches that will lead you to experiencing a rich volunteer network. You will gain awareness of the three major elements of such a network and learn how slight changes in their current program could greatly enhance their volunteer retention, decrease conflict, and improve realized impacts.Two case studies will be presented, and small groups will engage in discussion regarding the representative networks. Professional and…
Pilates
Instructor: Johnette Schiesz
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--The class will be a combination of basic Pilates principles coupled with stretching and spinal mobilization. The movements are something that can used all day during classes and breaks. It would be ideal if each person brought a yoga mat.
Blue Ecology Talking Circle
Instructor: Michael D. Blackstock
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Foundation – Program Relations
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Rewilding with Native Meadows
Instructor: Raylee McKinley
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--Do you own a sunny open space? Is it just a basic lawn? You could be part of the solution to habitat and biodiversity loss!
Washington’s Integrated Approach to Preventing and Addressing Invasive Species
Instructor: Justin Bush
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Bringing Nature Indoors: Houseplants
Instructor: Ann Amato
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-- Houseplants are not new indoor companions; they've only just experienced a dramatic resurgence during a global pandemic. In this session, you'll learn more about our history with them, and the important ways in which they help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, while also building emotional health.