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Do you work with one of the many elementary school
projects sponsored by DCMGA? Do you have an interest outdoor learning
environments and want to learn more?
TREE, (Teaching and Reaching with
Environmental Education) is a new
networking group created by the Denton Independent School District for
educators as well as community members and Master Gardeners with an
interest in outdoor learning environments at elementary schools. TREE
has been approved as a project of DCMGA, with DCMGA members receiving
service hours from participation. The mission of TREE is:
...to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas;
...to build a community of support and encouragement, and
...to seek to become a source of inspiration, empowerment, and renewal
for exceptional teachers who utilize outdoor classrooms, nature, and
urban environments as tools for learning.
TREE's goal is to provide all DISD elementary students with meaningful
"hands on/hearts on" outdoor environmental learning opportunities,
which will broaden their knowledge and connect them with nature though
field experience.
The first quarterly networking meeting will be Monday, October 3,
4:15-6:15
PM, at Newton Rayzor Elementary School cafeteria, 1400 Malone,
Denton. Speaking about "The Importance of Outdoor Education" will be
Kathy Cash, M.Ed., outdoor education teacher, Fort Worth Independent
School District. There will be refreshments and an opportunity to
tour the Newton Rayzor "Cheryl Phillips Discovery Habitat."
Please RSVP if you plan to attend. Contact Brigid Corbett,
(940)384-0089.
 This year's State Conference
pre-empted our usual "Walk Through the Garden Tour" and we are looking
ahead to next year's event. Our garden tour has grown in popularity with
our community and the time is now to begin planning.
So, let's think "spring!" Remember
how wonderful your garden looked last spring? I'm sure there is
something there that could be used to teach new gardeners about
composting, vegetable gardens, flowers, soil amendments, and maybe a few
tricks to share with seasoned gardeners.
Each year, we try to present
several gardens on tour for the purpose of education. We aren't looking
for Martha Stewart's garden...just one like...well, like YOURS!
If you would be willing to allow
us the use of your garden for the tour, there are several benefits:
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You will have workers who
cheerful come to help you clean beds, mulch, plant annuals..of course,
there is a limit of workdays.
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Service hours galore! Yes,
that's right--some of the hours you spend in your garden next spring
will actually count as coveted service hours!
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Fame. Well, you won't become
famous overnight, but your name will be associated with this important
event!
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A warm, fuzzy feeling from
helping out your favorite organization.
So, now it's time to volunteer
your garden...
 A Selection Committee is already
in place. They will visit each of the gardens volunteered or nominated
and choose our five "theme" gardens. As yet, we have not chose a
specific geographic region.
You still have time to volunteer
your garden or nominate the garden of a fellow MG. The Selection
Committee will be visiting gardens in October this year under the
direction of Janie Farler. After gardens are chosen, we will put the
work out for Captains who will be taken on a garden tour in February and
the wheels will be set in motion for layout of brochure and tickets.
Exciting, isn't it? How do you
plan to help this year?
You can contact Janie Farler to
nominate gardens and Darla Bostick to volunteer time and talents.
You'll be hearing more at the next
general meeting.
Darla Bostick, Garden Tour
Coordinator
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