DuPage County Master Gardeners From Hinsdale Earn State Honors

HINSDALE, IL — Several University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners of DuPage County, including two women from Hinsdale, received honors during the 2017 Illinois Master Gardener Conference on Friday, Sept. 8 in Bloomington. Local Master Gardener volunteers won a Teamwork Award for the Cantigny Veterans’ Garden project.

Master Gardener team members from Hinsdale are Carol Burck and Judith Friese.

“The Teamwork Award recognizes Master Gardeners who have worked as a group to better a community,” Sarah Navrotski, Master Gardener Program Coordinator in DuPage County, said in a release. “We are proud to have these DuPage County volunteers honored at the state level, and it is clear they are truly passionate about the Master Gardener mission of ‘Helping Others Learn to Grow.’”

According to a release, this DuPage County project included Master Gardeners and partners Cantigny Park, Oak Park Veteran’s Center and Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans. After years of development and months of work, the first physical seeds were planted in May 2016.

The group repurposed an old research plot; a space that hosts 40 three-foot-wide, round, raised beds, according to a release. Throughout the growing season, Master Gardener volunteers planned and taught weekly classroom-style lessons and led hands-on experience in the garden.

“Together, we were able to provide veterans the opportunity to work and learn in a safe, peaceful environment,” Navrotski said in a release. “Not only did the Master Gardeners provide weekly lessons, but many veterans took the horticulture information and nutritious produce home to share with family and friends.”

The veterans and volunteers also were able to give back to community neighbors, donating more than 200 pounds of produce to local pantries, including Peoples Resource Center in Wheaton, for 2016 and 2017, according to the release.

For more information on the Master Gardener program in DuPage County, visit go.illinois.edu/extensiondkk. University of Illinois Extension provides educational programs and research-based information to help Illinois residents improve their quality of life, develop skills and solve problems.

Photo provided by University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners of DuPage County.