Dare County Master Gardeners have earned international recognition for having a significant impact in the county.

At the state level in 2018, Dare County Master Gardeners received recognition for three of their projects, winning two first place awards and one second place award.

One of these first place projects, the Speakers Bureau, went on to receive an International Search for Excellence Award that will be presented at the 2019 International Master Gardener Conference. This award recognizes outstanding Master Gardener volunteer educational, group projects that result in significant learning. It is the highest award there is in the program and the first time a North Carolina Master Gardener program has ever received this honor.

There were only seven awards granted at the international level in 2019 and North Carolina received two first place awards. Both Dare and Guilford County projects placed first in their respective categories of the International Master Gardener Search for Excellence Awards.

Master Gardeners support the mission of NC State’s North Carolina Cooperative Extension by educating local residents about safe, effective and sustainable gardening practices that grow healthy people, gardens, landscapes and communities.

Gardening on the Outer Banks can be difficult and frustrating. Dare County Master Gardeners created the Speakers Bureau several years ago to provide more opportunities for all residents of Dare County to receive gardening and environmental education.

By partnering with Dare County public libraries, community and senior centers, as well as other organizations and agencies, Master Gardeners are able to offer public educational programs in the winter from Buxton to Corolla. During the summer, presentations and hands-on workshops are offered in the Master Gardener’s Outer Banks Arboretum and Teaching Garden.

From March through November, Master Gardeners are available in-person on Wednesday mornings at the Outer Banks Arboretum & Teaching Garden. A partnership with Dare County Government TV has resulted in a number of Master Gardener Speakers Bureau programs being available on YouTube.

For helping residents with specific questions, Dare County Master Gardeners maintain an online presence with an email account greenlineobx@gmail.com and a Facebook page Dare County Master Gardeners.

The Outer Banks Arboretum & Teaching Garden is located adjacent to the Thomas A. Baum Senior Center at 300 Mustian Street in Kill Devil Hills. This beautifully maintained teaching garden is funded by the Dare Master Gardener Volunteer Association, a 501(c)(3) organization, open from sunrise to sunset 365 days a year, with handicap accessible pathways.

For more information about Dare County Cooperative Extension, the Master Gardener program, or programs presented by the Dare Master Gardener Speakers Bureau, visit dare.ces.ncsu.edu and the Dare Master Gardener Facebook page, or call Amy Jordan at 252-473-4290.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Project Glam Girls again brings free prom attire for girls and guys

Dare’s commissioners split on name for new bridge