Mason County Master Gardeners
welcome requests to speak at local
educational events.
The Master Gardening Program focuses on
nine Program Priorities that align with our mission.
Please complete the below form to request a speaker.
You can select from our Speakers Bureau preset topics or,
if you are interested in a broader topic, please select one
of the Program Priorities.
If you have a specific topic in mind that differs from our
Speakers Bureau, there is a place on the form to enter it.
We will do our best to accommodate your request based
on available speakers and their specialties.
- Guidelines
Please note the following guidelines:
- Allow speakers a minimum of 1/2 hour for their presentation.
- WSU Master Gardeners may not accept payment for speaking engagements. They may accept reimbursement for mileage and materials.
- Honorariums may be donated to the Master Gardener Foundation of Mason County and are very much appreciated.
- Our speakers make themselves available for speaking engagements to share information that is relevant and research-based about horticulture and environmental stewardship within their community
- Speakers Bureau Topics
Growing Culinary Herbs, Dee Ann Kline (30-45 Minutes)
Learn how to propagate and grow annual and perennial culinary herbs. This talk also includes information on different types of herb gardens.Little Giants of the Forest, Mary Dessel (20-40 Minutes)
Children’s program; Even though insects are incredibly small, they play a very big role in the health of a forest. May also include a skit on insect anatomy physiology.Managing Garden Insect Pests, Mary Dessel (20-40 Minutes)
How to manage your garden pests using an integrated pest management approach.The World of Succulents and their Propagation, Laurie Williams (45 Minutes)
The world of succulents encompasses a wide range of plant. This presentation highlights commonly grown succulents and then focuses on easy methods to propagate four popular indoor and outdoor NW succulents; sedum, sempervivum, echeverias and aeoniums.Creating Pollinator Friendly Gardens, Mary Dessel (45 Minutes)
Learn about the food and habitat needs of our important pollinators and how to create pollinator friendly gardens for them.Mason Bees, Mary Dessel (20 Minutes)
Learn about the life cycle and needs of this important pollinator.Conifers of the PNW, Mary Dessel (60 Minutes)
Find out why conifers dominate the PNW and learn about our important conifer species.The Wonderful World of Rhododendrons, Jeanne Kinney (45 Minutes)
Overview of the wide variety of rhododendrons to encourage exploring leaf colors and shapes as well as expanding the blooming season. Advice and help for common questions, such as: my rhododendron is too big, do I need to prune, why won’t my rhody bloom, what is eating my rhody and what about fertilizer?Seed Saving Savvy, Dorothy Skans (30-60 Minutes)
Learn how to grow peas, beans, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes for seed saving. Find out when to harvest seeds and how to prepare and store them.
- Program Priority Topics
Climate Change
Create resilient landscapes that are adapted to our changing climateClean Water
Promote Integrated Pest Management practices to minimize polluted runoffWater Conservation
Teach water-wise gardening and landscaping practicesSoil Health
Build healthy soils to ensure long-term viability of local food security and natural resourcesPollinators
Teach ways to help native bees and other pollinators thrive in home and community landscapesLocal Food
Advocate for sustainable techniques for growing local food to improve individual and community health and wellnessPlant Biodiversity
Steward local ecosystems through invasive species management, native species conservation, and restoration in landscapesNearby Nature
Increase access to plants, green spaces, and public landscapes to benefit the health and well-being of allWildfire Preparedness
Promote fire-resistant landscaping principles to reduce the risk of loss due to wildfire