Position Announcement
Agent Associate (Home Horticulture Educator)
This is a full-time position that will work in support of the Charles County Home Horticulture Extension Program. The Faculty Extension Educator will administer all aspects of the Charles County horticulture program which includes coordination and programmatic support for home horticulture activities in Charles County, including training and management of Master Gardener Volunteers, collaboration on educational programs among partners, outreach to clientele, and related activities. The position will be located in the Charles County Extension Office in Bel Alton, Maryland
Responsibilities:
Develop, conduct, and evaluate educational seminars, classes, workshops, and other presentations related to home horticulture.
Develop educational products based on stakeholder needs including fact sheets and other publications, web content, YouTube videos, social media blogs, podcasts, websites, etc.
Coordinate the Master Gardener Program in Charles County which includes volunteer recruitment, training, supervision and coordination of community-based projects.
Respond to clientele requests via phone, office visits, email, etc., for information on lawn care, landscape plants and trees, fruit and vegetable production, composting, native plants, pest control, and other subject related to home horticulture, providing appropriate literature and advice in a timely and professional manner. (This may be done in consultation with the local Agricultural agent.)
Identify plants, insects, and other horticulture samples submitted by clientele and respond with information and recommendations in a timely and professional manner. Disseminate horticulture information to county residents through news releases, county websites, newsletters and social media updates, etc.
Provide pest control and fertilizer recommendations in accordance with University of Maryland guidelines.
Disseminate horticulture information to county residents through news releases, website updates, etc.
Assist in collecting, reporting and evaluating impact data of local home horticulture programs in accordance with funding requirements and UMD/UME policies and protocols.
Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with community and other relevant organizations to implement and evaluate programs, and seek new partnerships, especially to reach traditionally underserved or marginalized audiences to deliver outreach education.
Collaborate with other UME field- and campus-based faculty and staff on programs and projects of mutual interest when and where appropriate.
Participate in committees and other service opportunities at the county, state and University level.
Best consideration date is June 17, 2023.
For more information, go to the ejobs website.
Outreach Events
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Garden Spring Fling
May 20, 2023
8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Farmer's Market
209 Washington Avenue, La Plata, MD
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Plant Clinic "Ask the Expert"
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Bay-Wise & Master Gardener Info
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Grow It Eat It Info
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Soil Testing Info
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Quiz Wheel with Plant Give Away
Demonstrations on:
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How to make a potato basket
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How to make sweet potato slips
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How to grow a lettuce box
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Vermicomposting
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Seed Bombs
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Kids Corner (interactive activities)
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Backyard Buffers
UME Charles Office
9501 Crain Highway, Bel Alton, MD 20611
The Charles County Master Gardener Bay-Wise program teams up with our county forester to provide residents with free buffers in a bag. Each bag includes 12 bare-root seedlings, approximately 1-2 feet in height, which will be a mixture of various trees. All the bundles have been claimed for this year. Check back in February 2024 for the next give-away!
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NatureFest
Held annually in April. Check back next year!
Tilghman Lake Park
10598 Box Elder Rd, La Plata, MD 20646
Prepare to be amazed, get your hands dirty, and have loads of fun as we learn about the beauties of nature together!
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Nurture Natives Tree Giveaway
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
Hundreds of free native shrubs and trees are distributed to Maryland residents each year.
Join us next year to celebrate 26 years of Maryland Day! Bring family and friends to UMD’s signature campus event dedicated to learning, discovery and new ideas. Free admission and parking plus native trees and shrubs!
Watch the website for more information.
Welcome to Charles County Master Gardeners
Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who are passionate about the environment and community engagement. Our mission is to support the University of Maryland Extension service by educating residents about safe, effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and communities. We use a variety of activities to provide horticulture information such as:
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Plant clinics to diagnose disease and/or pest problems
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Exhibits at local events
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Youth programs
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Maintaining demonstration gardens
Actions you can take to garden more sustainably include:
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Composting
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Growing more native plants
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Implementing Bay-Wise landscaping practices
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Growing food organically
To see what we are currently working on, please visit our Resource Page to get The Compost, for the latest information on new and ongoing projects.
If you or your organization in Charles County would like assistance with planting techniques, or design, or would like to request a gardening presentation, please complete this form.
Charles County Master Gardeners have gone video!
Do you want a garden, but don’t know where to start? Is your garden space limited to a balcony or patio? Does your head want more gardening space than your back can handle?
Charles County Government’s new video, “Your Charles County: Starting a Garden,” answers those questions with help from Charles County Master Gardeners and University of Maryland Extension.
Lee Ann Stone, video production specialist with the county government, interviewed Kaitlyn Baligush, program management specialist for University of Maryland Extension, and Molly Moore, Charles County Master Gardener, on gardening in containers, raised beds and using cardboard and organic matter to create a no-till native plant bed.
Stone and her camera followed Baligush and Moore as they walked through Moore’s property near Newburg in southern Charles County discussing how to choose a garden site and how to pick the right plants for the right spot.
Then Baligush and Moore went to work laying cardboard, raking piles of compost and mulch and planting a new bed of the deer-resistant native, White Snakeroot, which blooms in early fall.
And those strawberries you see in the video? They were quickly devoured as soon as Stone turned off the camera.
Contact the Master Gardener Coordinator
Position Vacant
301-934-5403, Ext. 200
