The Master Gardener Volunteer year in Clay County runs from November to November and what an amazing year it has been. Throughout 2025, our 71 volunteers donated over 5000 hours back to community! This comes in a variety of ways including:
- School educational gardens at Bannerman Learning Center and Oakleaf High School
- Teaching workshops at our office and out in the community, including our annual Day of Gardening Education (February 6th, 2026!)
- Educational booth at Orange Park Farmers Market
- Horticulture exhibits at the Clay County Fair
- Early Florida demonstration garden at the Clay County Fair
- Educational consultations through our in-office Plant Clinic
- Installation and maintenance of our office’s educational demonstration gardens
- Planning and running our annual Plant Sale (June 6th, 2026 btw!)
- And much more…
In total, Master Gardeners made over 6,000 educational contacts this past year, taught over 40 workshops, and likely most important of all, were a trusted resource to their neighbors, friends, families, and each other. Aside from their work in the community, volunteers also attended over 1200 hours of training this year. This makes sure that they are up-to-date on the most current knowledge about gardening and landscaping from the University of Florida.
If you know a Master Gardener, thank them for their amazing work in teaching our county how to be successful in their gardens.
2025 Master Gardener Volunteer Awards
Each November, we also like to recognize Master Gardener Volunteers for their accomplishments in the program. Some of our major awards for this year include:
- 2025 Master Gardener Lifetime Achievement Awards went to Michael Choate, Kathy Choate, and Marti Whipple
- 2025 Master Gardener Volunteer of the Year was award to Jean Dominguez
- 2025 Master Gardener Educator of the Year went to Corinna Rowe
- 2025 Master Gardener Rookie of the Year was awarded to Denise French
We were also able to recognize our new 2026 Master Gardener Volunteer class at our annual banquet. These new volunteers will each be donating at least 75 hours to their communities throughout the next year to become fully certified as a Master Gardener Volunteer. They are:
- Cheryl Abbott
- Cheryl George
- Jaynie Krichbaum
- Paula Kukelhan
- Lorrie Latner
- Valreca Redden
- Christine Rivas
- Valda Tanner
- Leza Warren
- Benjamin Woodruff
If you are interested in joining our program, information about the 2026 class will be available in Mid-March and with any questions, reach out to our office at if-svc-clay@ufl.edu or call (904)284-6355.
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