Events and Activities : Master Gardener training webcasts to be offered in Van Horne this summer

The Iowa State University Master Gardener program will host three Growing Season webcasts this summer. Master Gardeners will gain educational hours while learning about urban tree selection, gardening with youth and landscaping for wildlife. The two-hour webcasts are scheduled at the Van Horne Community Center, 6:30 pm on July 27th, August 10th and August 24th. Summer webcast topics include: · July 27th, 6:30 pm - Urban Tree Selection, presented by Gabbi Edwards, urban forestry specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. Build your skills to make recommendations about tree species selection and explore urban considerations for site selection and tree maintenance. · Aug 10th, 6:30 pm - Gardening with Youth, presented by Chelsea Krist, FoodCorps. The FoodCorps program engages kids in school gardens to build healthy eating habits. The course will teach best practices for gardening with children. · Aug 24th, 6:30 pm- Landscaping for Wildlife, presented by Adam Janke, assistant professor and extension wildlife specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. Learn about simple steps to bring landscaping alive with birds, butterflies and more. It will also explore ways to beautify the yard and provide critical habitats for migratory and resident birds. The webcasts will provide ideas for Master Gardener volunteer projects and expand the knowledge base of volunteers. Master Gardeners can gain six continuing education hours for participating in the webcasts. They are also open to the public. To register, contact Greg Walston at gwalston@iastate.edu or 319-472-4739. The webcasts are free of charge and open to anyone who may be interested.