Author Archives: MGNV Webmaster

In 2016, Joan McIntyre, then a recently certified Master Gardener with the Arlington/Alexandria unit of Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE), had an idea for an innovative program. Many of her colleagues regularly shared gardening information with their neighbors on an informal basis, but she envisioned expanding the organization’s public education outreach through a more formalized collaboration of Neighborhood Champions.

These individuals would be Extension Master Gardeners (EMGs) who volunteered to share their horticultural knowledge through neighborhood listservs, newsletters, Facebook groups, or Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social networking service. They might also lead events and activities, such as garden open houses, presentations to civic associations, or community-wide gardening projects. Continue reading →