Mason County WSU Master Gardeners Working With Youth

The Master Gardeners of Mason County work with youth in a variety of projects countywide. A team of MGs built the greenhouse at Hood Canal School and then joined the fifth grade classes in planting a variety of vegetables. These vegetables were then used by 25 classes at five different schools for their Square Foot Nutrition program. Each school had raised beds or pots planted on site for the students to care for during the last few months of school. Master Gardeners helped by hosting a salad party for classes at Pioneer Intermediate School. Students harvested their crops and added them to salads for a healthy meal. Volunteers also teach garden related classes at day camps in the area during the summer. One popular game developed by a Master Gardener was “Who wants to be a pest?” modeled after the popular game show “Who wants to be a millionaire?” Students learned differences between beneficial insects and pests in the landscape and how important our insect friends are to the environment.