Community Outreach Working Group

The Community Outreach Working Group strives to promote a love of gardening and to educate gardeners about best practices via several initiatives. We give financial support to community gardens and to school gardens; have a weekly call-in show on Jefferson Public Radio; and offer a native plants garden tour on JCMGA’s website, for example.

But it is mainly via the Speakers Bureau that we strive to reach out into the community with gardening education programs and it is the Speakers Bureau where we have the greatest need for volunteers.

Volunteer speakers may make presentations at garden clubs and other in-person locations; on the SOREC campus in the Demonstration Gardens; on Zoom via the public library; or through classes offered by SOU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

Training is provided for new volunteers who have a chance to “shadow” experienced speakers until they feel comfortable making presentations on their own. Volunteers select the topics they wish to talk about and may choose to present in person, on Zoom or both.

If interested in volunteering for the Speakers Bureau, contact Colet Allen at coletallen1@gmail.com or phone 425-941-7637. For other information about the COWG, contact chair Ronnie Budge at rleebudge@gmail.com.