About the WSU Master Gardeners
The History of the WSU Master Gardeners
Master Gardeners are Volunteer Community Educators — Cultivating Plants, People, and Communities since 1973
— and into the Future
"The WSU Extension Master Gardener program grew out of the need for Washington State County Extension agents to respond to the growing interest in home gardening over 45 years ago", the founders of the WSU Master Gardener Program recall in their history of the WSU Extension Master Gardener Program. Read more
WSU Master Gardeners Today
Today, the purpose of the WSU Extension Master Gardener Program remains much the same. It is to train volunteers to be effective community educators in horticulture and environmental stewardship by providing science-based information generated from research at WSU and at other university systems.
Today’s WSU Master Gardener volunteers teach local community members to:
- manage their landscapes in a science-based, sustainable manner using integrated pest management (IPM) methods;
- address environmental and social issues such as proper recycling, water conservation, and water quality protection;
- work to reduce the negative impact of invasive species; and,
- increase public awareness of healthy living through gardening and the proper application of IPM techniques.
Master Gardeners do this through staffing plant problem clinics, maintaining demonstration gardens, providing educational and community outreach through teaching and mentoring adults and youth in a variety of settings and platforms, and by continuing their own education.
The Master Gardener Foundation of Washington State
The Master Gardener Foundation of Washington State (MGFWS) is a nonprofit corporation formed by dedicated WSU Master Gardeners to support advanced scientific gardening education of colleagues, all of whom make a difference in the state. This Mission supports the WSU Extension Master Gardener Program in its efforts to provide public education in gardening and environmental stewardship generated from research at WSU and other university systems through education, communication, and advocacy. The Foundation’s purpose is to offer statewide volunteer-based unifying leadership to, and communication among, county and regional WSU Master Gardener Program, Foundations, and affiliates.
The MGFWS enhances the ability of the WSU Master Gardener Program to support the training and projects of county WSU Master Gardener programs throughout Washington State. It is a professional organization respected by Washington State University, politicians, gardeners, agencies protecting our environment and water, and by communities at large.
The membership of the MGFWS consists of the members of chartered chapters of county Master Gardener organizations, either incorporated or non-incorporated, and Board-approved affiliate organizations.