Creating Native Bee-Friendly Gardens
USDA Funding and Resources for Home Gardeners
USDA Funding and Resources for Home Gardeners
Mary Dessel
Pollinators play a vital role in the success of your garden. We are going to look at creating beautiful gardens that will emphasize providing food and habitat for pollinators. Many insect groups are pollinators, but bees are the most important pollinators as they actively seek pollen to feed their young.
Bees are currently declining due to a number of threats including habitat loss. We will look at the importance of native bees, in particular mason bees and bumble bees, and see how to create gardens for them.
USDA Funding and Resources for Home Gardeners
USDA Funding and Resources for Home Gardeners
USDA Funding and Resources for Home Gardeners
Amy Hendershot
USDA programs and resources, including technical and financial assistance (grants, contracts, loans, insurance, etc.), are generally size and location neutral, meaning many of them are available to backyard gardeners, community gardens, and other smaller subsistence agricultural systems in addition to larger, commercial operations. This class will explore some of the most commonly utilized programs in backyard settings, discuss the opportunities available, and provide instruction on how to access these resources.
It’s No One’s Job to Protect Trees?!
USDA Funding and Resources for Home Gardeners
It’s No One’s Job to Protect Trees?!
Ben Thompson
The benefits of trees are well-established, and yet we also know that trees are threatened by many frequent and predictable events. There are many competing needs to be served by the land in our communities, which include having space for trees to grow, remain healthy, and provide their many benefits. However, tree canopy in communities is on the decline. You would think given our awareness of these issues that it would be someone's job to protect trees, but is it? In this session we will explore the role of natural resource professionals, non-profit staff, municipal employees, community advocates, the private sector, and other stakeholders as they coexist and wrestle with how to meet the competing needs of people and nature. We will also discuss barriers for protecting trees and potential actions people can take to overcome those barriers, no matter what role they serve in their community.
Natural Yard Care
Cultivating Program and Foundation Partnerships
It’s No One’s Job to Protect Trees?!
Jim Kropf
Yards are fun, beautiful, and great spaces for relaxing. But in taking care of them, we often use water inefficiently, produce a lot of waste and overuse chemicals that are bad for the environment and our families' health. By planning ahead and working with nature in your yard, you can have a great looking landscape that's easier to care for and healthier for families, pets, wildlife and our great Northwest environment. Learn about the many considerations when planning and maintaining your landscape that can make your life easier and save you money.
Cultivating Program and Foundation Partnerships
Cultivating Program and Foundation Partnerships
Cultivating Program and Foundation Partnerships
Tana Hasart, Jennifer Marquis
WSU Master Gardener Programs and their supporting Master Gardener Foundations work hand-in-glove together. The partnership can be mutually beneficial when the relationship is cultivated and well-tended. Learn best practices for strong Program/Foundation relationships from the experiences of WSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer Tana Hasart and WSU Master Gardener Program Coordinator Jennifer Marquis. Attendees will go away with ideas for growing a positive, mutually beneficial relationship between Programs and Foundations.
Instructors
Mary Dessel
Amy Hendershot
Amy Hendershot
Mary Dessel is a Mason County Master Gardener. She chairs the outreach and educational committees. She is very passionate about pollinators, in particular bees.
Mary has completed a Master's degree in Forestry with an emphasis in entomology and worked for 10 years as a park naturalist in the Hoh Rain Forest of Olympic National Park.
Amy Hendershot
Amy Hendershot
Amy Hendershot
Amy is currently working to stand up the USDA's new Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. In her regular job, she works with an array of agricultural producers (from large commercial growers to small backyard gardeners) and empowers them to achieve compatible goals such as conservation of natural resources and agricultura
Amy is currently working to stand up the USDA's new Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. In her regular job, she works with an array of agricultural producers (from large commercial growers to small backyard gardeners) and empowers them to achieve compatible goals such as conservation of natural resources and agricultural production in the areas of soil health, wildlife habitat, water conservation, water quality, air quality, and more.
Ben Thompson
Amy Hendershot
Ben Thompson
Ben Thompson is the Urban & Community Forestry Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He holds a M.S. in Forest Resources and Conservation from the University of Florida and is has been certified as an Arborist by the International Society of Arboriculture since 1999. Ben Lives with his wife and tw
Ben Thompson is the Urban & Community Forestry Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He holds a M.S. in Forest Resources and Conservation from the University of Florida and is has been certified as an Arborist by the International Society of Arboriculture since 1999. Ben Lives with his wife and two young children in Olympia where together they enjoy access to the many wonderful natural areas, parks, and trails throughout the region.
Fun Fact: Ben delivers many presentations on trees in his professional capacity at DNR, and Master Gardeners are arguably his favorite audience!
Jim Kropf
Amy Hendershot
Ben Thompson
Jim Kropf is currently the Natural Resources Program Director for WSU Extension. He is also the Director of County Administration for the 40 extension offices across the state and the County Director for WSU Pierce County Extension. He has been a faculty member for WSU Extension for 44 years. He was the Area Agronomist in Chelan and Dou
Jim Kropf is currently the Natural Resources Program Director for WSU Extension. He is also the Director of County Administration for the 40 extension offices across the state and the County Director for WSU Pierce County Extension. He has been a faculty member for WSU Extension for 44 years. He was the Area Agronomist in Chelan and Douglas Counties for 14 years followed by four years as the Area Horticulturalist for Pierce and King Counties. In addition to providing technical production skills for farmers, he focused on direct marketing, training new farmers, and on-farm research related to horticultural crops. He continues to provide training and leadership for the Master Gardener program. He has a B.S. and M.S. in Agronomy from Washington State University.
Tana Hasart
Jennifer Marquis
Jennifer Marquis
Tana Hasart became a master gardener in 2017 and now serves as the Board President for the Pierce County Master Gardener Program. Her work experience includes more than 30 years in higher education as a faculty member and administrator. Working with Foundations at WSU, UW, Seattle University, and Pierce and Clark Colleges gives her a un
Tana Hasart became a master gardener in 2017 and now serves as the Board President for the Pierce County Master Gardener Program. Her work experience includes more than 30 years in higher education as a faculty member and administrator. Working with Foundations at WSU, UW, Seattle University, and Pierce and Clark Colleges gives her a unique perspective about best practices for MGF Boards. Tana's areas of research and study include adult education and organizational development and change.
Jennifer Marquis
Jennifer Marquis
Jennifer Marquis
Jennifer has been a WSU Master Gardener program leader for 14 years. She accepted the statewide coordinator position in May of 2019 after serving in a county role for 12 years.
She has 20 years of experience working with non-profit organizations and volunteers to deliver on organizational mission. Her experience coupled with a BAS in Non-
Jennifer has been a WSU Master Gardener program leader for 14 years. She accepted the statewide coordinator position in May of 2019 after serving in a county role for 12 years.
She has 20 years of experience working with non-profit organizations and volunteers to deliver on organizational mission. Her experience coupled with a BAS in Non-Profit Management and a MS in Management and Leadership, make her well skilled as the leader of the world’s first Master Gardener Program. She is known for her strategic thinking and for her ability to engage with diverse teams to create trusting and durable community partnerships that lead to mission and vision success. She is a transformational leader who seeks to elevate the WSU Extension Master Gardener program by engaging university-trained volunteers to empower and sustain diverse communities with relevant, unbiased, research-based horticulture and environmental stewardship education.
General Session and Conference Closing Celebration
