Press Releases 2005

Master Gardener Program

FAX: (856) 825-2410
E-MAIL: jpeterson@wheatonvillage.org

WHEATON VILLAGE TO HOST CUMBERLAND COUNTY MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM IN JANUARY 20

MILLVILLE, NJ – As a result of a grant from the Cumberland County Improvement Authority, Wheaton Village will become the new home of the Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension Master Gardener Program in Cumberland County. Classes begin January 3, 2006.

The Master Gardener program is a 20-week volunteer training program designed for individuals with an interest in gardening, horticulture and the environment. Classes will be held on the Village grounds Tuesday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon. Upon completion of the program, trained “Master Gardeners” volunteer their time to community programs such as horticultural therapy projects, community and school gardening projects, or other programs determined by local need. The fee for the 20-week program is $150.00. The cost to attend a specific class will be $10.00 to $15.00. Call for details.

Volunteers may not have to travel far when they graduate because the Improvement Authority and Valero Energy Corp. have provided funds to develop a children’s garden plus a small open-air teaching pavilion next to the Master Gardener office located near the Village’s main entrance. Initial planning features the inclusion of South Jersey plants and food crops, plants cultivated by Native Americans and plants used to make pigments and dyes. Both projects are part of a major environmental initiative at the Village that also includes the replacement of aging picnic tables with new ones built with recycled plastic.

For further information or to obtain an application for the Master Gardner program call Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension at 856-451-2800 or visit the office at 291 Morton Avenue in Rosenhayn, NJ. All applications must be received by December 15, 2005.

For more information about Wheaton Village, call 1-800-998-4552 or 856-825-6800, or visit
online at www.wheatonvillage.org.

Wheaton Village strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events and programs to all persons with disabilities. Provide two weeks notice for special accommodations.       

Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Wheaton Village received a general operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State.

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