Monroe County, FL

10/28/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/28/2024 13:47

County Congratulates Local Master Gardener Volunteers on Excellence Award

The UF/IFAS Monroe County Extension Services Master Gardener volunteers recently received an Award of Excellence for Master Gardeners Volunteer Team at the Florida State Master Gardener Conference.

"This is a first for our program and we competed against teams from much larger counties," said Monroe County Extension Director Alicia Betancourt. "This group of five have assisted Florida Keys residents with horticultural issues and have created a blueprint for a virtual approach to assisting our community in widespread gardening and planting areas."

A special thank you and congratulationsto volunteers Kitty Somerville, Susie Reutling, Sharon Thomas, Barbara Martinkosky, and Karen Sunderland.

The virtual Master Gardeners help desk can be reached at [email protected] or 305-292-4501.

The Extension Services continue to offer free plant clinics throughout the Florida Keys:

Upper Keys

  • First Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon at Key Largo Public Library branch
  • Third Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Garden Club of the Upper Keys, Tavernier
  • Fourth Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Island Home Nursery, Tavernier

Middle Keys

  • Third Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at Home Depot, Marathon

Lower Keys

  • Third Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Key Deer Refuge Nature Center, Big Pine Key
  • Third Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at Key West Botanical Garden Nursery, Stock Island

To learn more about the Extension Services or to sign up for the monthly newsletter, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/extensionservices.