The Dirt – August 31, 2018: New Leader, September Classes

September Classes!

Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for our full lineup of September classes including:

Composting 201 on Friday, 9/7
Tree Identification with John Campanini on Saturday, 9/29.
Rain gardens and more!

What’s Inside:

Southern Region Coordinator Introduction
Farms Open House Recap
1 Day Volunteer Opportunity in Chepachet
September Continuing Ed Classes

New Southern Region Coordinator on MGP Council

We are pleased to announce that Cheryl Smith has been appointed as Southern Region Coordinator on the URIMGP Council. Please see the note from Cheryl below and give her a warm welcome!

I am honored to be able to serve as the new Southern Region Coordinator, following in the large footprints of Tom Hoagland. I look forward to getting to know all of the project leaders and fellow master gardeners who volunteer their time on the myriad and truly amazing projects that exist. I know I will continue to learn every day from all of you.

I am a Nurse Practitioner and manager by education, now retired. These were positions that required careful listening, creative problem solving and organization. Since completing the Master Gardener core training in 2016, I have volunteered each year since then in the Vegetable greenhouse and on the plant sale. As a Hotline volunteer for the last 3 years, I was initially surprised at how similar the diagnostic, research and problem solving approach is to that used in Nursing. I enjoyed serving as a mentor for Interns in 2017.

Outside of URI I am the Treasurer and serve on the Board of the South Kingstown Community Garden at Broadrock, where I also maintain my own vegetable plot. At my home in Wakefield I grow mostly shade perennials and share them with the local wildlife.

As I have come to know more of my fellow Master Gardeners I am struck by the knowledge and dedication each of you brings to your work. I am proud to be part of such a remarkable organization.

Cheryl Smith
cherylsmithmg@gmail.com

FAQ: How do I request a shutterbug to take photos at an MGP event?

Please email Mary Doo, Shutterbug Coordinator at marydoo.com@gmail.com to request a shutterbug at least 2 weeks in advance of your event. While a Shutterbug is not guaranteed, Mary will make every effort to recruit a trained MG photographer. We are always looking to add to our photo archive, so please take advantage of this service!

NEWS & INFORMATION

Farms Open House a Resounding Success!

By Rudi Hempe, URIMGP Class of 1999

By all reports the first URI Farms Open House on August 25th was a resounding success. It is estimated that East Farm drew about 600 visitors, Peckham Farm drew about 400, and the Gardner Crops Research Center (agronomy) had about 200 visitors.

The purpose of the URI Open Farms event was to show the public what research and other activities take place at URI’s three farms. Since there were no plant sales, visitors could take their time and explore various exhibits put on by faculty members, students and Master Gardeners. The pace of visitation was steady but there was no overcrowding or parking issues.

At East Farm, which has a variety of tenants, visitors could learn about coyotes and native plants (RI Natural History Survey); mosquitoes, (RI Dept. of Environmental Management); fisheries (RI Commercial Fisheries Center and URI Fisheries); vegetable gardening and poinsettia growing (URI Master Gardeners); entomology and pollination issues (URI Plant Sciences and Entomology ). Commercial Fisheries offered free chowder and two professional chefs gave cooking demonstrations featuring vegetables.

At Peckham, visitors got up close to the animals and there were activities for children. At Gardner Crop Research visitors saw research plots for vegetables and even taste-tested a large variety of carrots.

The entire afternoon was upbeat with lots of smiling visitors who came away with answers to their many questions and a new knowledge about the multiple roles taking place at URI farms.

Pollinator Tour in the East Bay

By Jean Frisbie, URIMGP Class of 2008

Norman Bird Sanctuary (NBS), one of our MGP demonstration project sites in Middletown, hosted a public pollinator exploration on Saturday, August 26. Twenty-one people joined NBS education coordinator Mark Pagliarini on a tour of NBS’s 2.5 acre Monarch Butterfly Restoration Habitat.

The participants walked through three open spaces. Each area had monarch caterpillars visible on milkweed and butterfly weed. NBS planted a designated monarch habitat meadow with several pollinator seed mixes prepared in Vermont specifically for Rhode Island uplands. Mark pointed out a variety of pollinators and their plant hosts. As the group passed the Good Garden, they could see the thriving native plantings that attract pollinators to the vegetables and fruits grown there.

Following the walk through the property’s unforested areas, URI Master Gardeners divided the group into three sections and presented Mabel’s Garden as a demonstration of a more formal use of native plants. All three groups were eager for plant names and cultivation tips. Several participants had taken part in the July 14 URIMGP design workshop at Mabel’s Garden.

Attendees lingered to ask questions and to photograph butterflies in Mabel’s Garden. From their comments, the URI Master Gardeners felt that the collaboration with NBS was a success. Mark began with an overview of the ecological reasons for promoting native plants, showing the large-scale effect of meadow restoration while URI Master Gardeners brought the discussion to the participant level. Most were enthusiastic to expand their use of RI natives and welcomed the information shared.

MG Wins Ribbons Again!

Aaron Spilka, a member of the URIMGP Class of 1993, was awarded five gardening ribbons at the Washington County Fair for the fifth year running! He credits healthy soil and steady hydration in producing award winning plants.

The North Providence gardener and landscaper earned second and third place ribbons for several entries. His alyssum and hydrangeas took second place and his chives, marigolds, and gladiolas all took third place. What are the MG’s secrets to success? “All the flowers and herbs were not fertilized. Just used good soil that was well weeded and watered every other day except when mother nature provided rain. I am a master gardener in my 25th year who believes in keeping gardening simple and sticking to plants that work, as well as trying new ones now and then.” Good advice. Congratulations, Aaron!

Register for #InclusiveSciComm Symposium by 9/7 for Early Bird Rate

The First National Inclusive SciComm Symposium to Explore Methods for Engaging Diverse Communities in STEM will be held at URI on September 28-29. Register by September 7 to take advantage of discounted rates.

Hosted by the University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute in partnership with the Rhode Island Consortium for Coastal Ecology Assessment, Innovation, and Modeling, the #InclusiveSciComm Symposium will address four themes central to advancing the national conversation on inclusive public engagement: frameworks, challenges, media, and strategies.

Public audiences engage with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) topics every day – in the classroom and museums, in the news, and through public policy. However, many science communicators use a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn’t recognize the diverse experiences and values of our multicultural society.

Given the scope of the environmental and health challenges we face today, it’s essential that science communicators recognize the different insights and experiences people bring to their considerations of STEM topics, perspectives that can be influenced by race, disability, gender, ethnicity, religious faith, and more. Visit the #InclusiveSciComm website to for more information or to register.

MG Quick Tip: Efficient Watering in Drought

Consider drip irrigation or soaker hoses.
Water deeply once or twice a week rather than lightly every day.
MULCH,MULCH,MULCH. It helps to hold the moisture in the soil longer.
Water newly planted trees, shrubs and vegetable gardens first.
Established lawns are in summer dormancy. Leave them alone.

For more information, visit this fact sheet.

HELP WANTED

Help Needed for 1-Day Project in Chepachet

Saturday, Sept. 8 | rain date Sunday, Sept. 9 | 9:00 am–1:00 pm
Job Armstrong Store, 1181 Putnam Pike, Chepachet, RI 02814

Do you live in the Northern region? Need to fulfill volunteer hours? The Job Armstrong Shopkeepers Garden in downtown Chepachet needs your help!

This new site, part of the Glocester Heritage Gardens, desperately needs cleaning and a stone pathway completed to get it up and running. We’re seeking 10-15 MGs with the muscle to get the job done on 9/8. Just a one day commitment!

Please contact Pat DiLorenzo to sign up: pdilorenzo@att.net or 401-568-9940.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Composting 201 and Invasive Earthworm Watch
Friday, September 7 | 10:00am- 12:00pm
URI East Farm Building 75

Join Josef Gorres, Associate Professor of Ecological Soil Management at the University of Vermont, for a talk on advanced composting and invasive worms! Composting is a cheap and effective way to maintain your own nutrient cycling in your backyard. The benefits may be in the health and vigor of your plants. Did you know there are several interesting options: hot composting, vermicomposting and fermenting food waste with the Bokashi method. Josef will discuss how to implement and maintain these composting systems.

He will also discuss Pheretimoids, aggressively invasive Asiatic earthworms that have recently expanded into the northern US. Common names are snake worms, crazy worms, jumper worms and wrigglers. They are an emergent pest in northern hardwood forests and can change forest soil structure, lead to loss of biodiversity and more. We’ll learn how they get here, what to look out for and what is being done to control them.

If interested, please remember to register through Volgistics!

Champion Trees and the Secret to Their Longevity
Monday, September 17 | 6:00 pm–7:30 pm
Westerly Public Library

Wilcox Park is home to more Rhode Island Big Trees than anywhere else in the state! John Campinini of the Rhode Island Tree Council will tell us what a champion tree is, and what circumstances and practices contribute to them becoming Big Trees. See how the Park fosters their trees to bring them to mature size. Learn how to care for your own future champions! Register on Volgistics.

Touring the Usual and Unusual Flavors in the Garden
Tuesday, September 18 | 11:00 am–12:00 pm
Roger WIlliam Park Botanical Center, Providence

Join Lee Ann Freitas, Botanical Center Director and local farmer, for a tour of the gardens at Roger Williams Park. Learn how to use ALL of the plant parts to enjoy the tastes and aromas of delicious meals, or just a moment of sensory enjoyment. If you would like to attend, please remember to pre-register 24 hours in advance at bcinformation@providenceri.gov.

Rain and Your Gardens: Problems, Pollution, and Possibilities
Wednesday, September 19 | 2:00 pm
Beechwood Center for Life Enrichment, 44 Beech St., North Kingston, RI

Cooperative Extension’s own Kate Venturini speaks on sustainable stormwater runoff solutions for gardens and homes, including developing rain gardens to treat runoff and recharge groundwater. If interested in attending, please contact Rayna Wilcox, Volunteer/ Program Coordinator, at The Beechwood Center for Life Enrichment at 401-268-1594; or email her at: RWilcox@northkingstown.org. These programs are offered to members and the public at no charge. Master Gardeners receive education credits for attending.

Tree Identification New Class Added!
Saturday, September 29 | 12:30 pm–4:30 pm
URI East Farm Building 75

Did you miss our summer session on tree identification with RI Tree Council’s John Campanini? Not to worry! John will be back this September to review how to identify conifers and deciduous trees. Learn a simple but reliable science-based approach to what often is considered a very complicated and confusing topic to understand. This novel approach starts with learning how to profile plants by size, shape and location and ends by developing a descriptive narrative of their important anatomical features. By mastering this protocol both novice and professional alike will have acquired a unique skill-set, one that will surely increase their knowledge and enjoyment of the environment, especially the world of trees. If you are interested in attending, please remember to register in Volgistics.

More upcoming URIMGP Continuing Education.

Have something you’d like to see in The Dirt?

Please email us at thedirtnewsletteruri@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! Have a submission related to the URI Master Gardener Program? Send it to us (in email or MS Word ONLY please) by Wednesday at 4:00 pm to include in that week’s newsletter!

Stay Connected with the URIMGP!

Follow @URICoopExt on Facebook and Instagram. Not into social media? Visit the MGP website for our event listing.

September 1	Enter MG volunteer hours for September Pin Awards Volgistics
September 22 11:30-4 pm	URIMGP Volunteer Recognition Event URI Botanical Gardens, By invitation
October 20 9 am –12:30 pm	MG Project Leader Meeting URI, Pharmacy 170
November 1	MG Project Leader reports due
November 3 9 am – 12 pm	URIMGP Meeting URI Kingston
June 17-21, 2019 TBD	International Master Gardener Conference Valley Forge, PA
June 29 & 30, 2019 TBD	URIMGP’s Gardening with the Masters Tour Gardens statewide