Wakulla County competed in the plant identification contest

The UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Team from Wakulla County competed in the plant identification contest at the biennial 2019 Florida MasterGardener Conference in Kissimmee and placed second statewide.

The four-person team representing Wakulla County included Linda Clemens, JoAnn Green, Sharon Gray and Michele Hackmeyer. All are graduates of the Master Gardener Program based at the UF/IFAS Extension Wakulla County Office in Crawfordville, Florida

The team members matched their skills

The team members matched their skills and knowledge against teams from around Florida during the two-hour contest on October 22, 2019. They were given 140 samples from vegetables, ornamental plants and trees, and then had to identify individual species.

The parts could be leaves, fruit, seed, seedpods and nuts. Their overall team score was an average of all individual scores.

In addition to their Master Gardener training, preparation for the contest included many hours of examining plant-based samples with FAMU horticulture professor Dr. Ed Duke. The evening sessions focused on the details of each species and the keys to correctly identifying similar samples.

The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is volunteer-driven

The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is volunteer-driven and benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. It relies on dedicated volunteers who have an interest in gardening and in giving back to their communities.

Registration for the 2020 class is ongoing. Information can be found at http://wakulla.ifas.ufl.edu or by calling 850-926-3931

If you have any questions or suggestions for future articles please email to wakullamg@ifas.ufl.edu

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