Our programs train volunteers to use science-based gardening information to help all Vermonters improve their gardening, leadership and environmental stewardship skills. Our vision is to cultivate resilient and healthy communities and be the most trusted resource for horticulture education in Vermont. Extension Master Gardener & Composter volunteers are leaders who conduct education in local communities. Beyond our education goals, we partner with local community groups to help them create access to plants and green space for health and wellbeing, grow and distribute local food, create resilient landscapes, promote native plants and manage invasive species, help pollinators and other wildlife, and maintain healthy soil ecology through home-based composting.
Volunteer Benefits
Volunteer Benefits
Becoming a certified volunteer is the beginning of many great opportunities for Extension Master Gardeners and Composters. You'll be eligible to attend volunteer-only events like private garden tours, advanced horticulture lectures, hands-on workshops, and EMG community projects. These activities are a great way to spend time with fellow horticulture enthusiasts while expanding your gardening education!
Become part of a network of Extension Master Gardeners ... over 50,000 nationwide.
- Access to National and International EMG conferences and events.
- Access to the email listserv that reaches volunteers across the state.
- Invitations from the State office to free and low-cost advanced courses, workshops, and seminars that detail subjects like landscape planning, pest identification, and composting.
- Invitations to local Chapter volunteer gatherings and garden visits where you can meet other Extension Master Gardeners who share your gardening interests.
- Opportunities to take on leadership roles in your local volunteer chapter.
- Membership in a community of like-minded gardener-volunteers wanting to make a difference in their communities.
- Play role as a recognized gardening educator that provides locally relevant research-based gardening information.
- Receive monthly program updates.