Master Gardeners of Kendall County Honored

Submitted by the University of Illinois Extension

Photo 1: The University of Illinois Extension honored its Master Gardeners for their thousands of hours of service to Kendall County in 2015. During an awards ceremony on Oct. 28, volunteers were recognized for various milestone and projects completed this year.

Photo 2: Several Master Gardeners put in more than 100 hours of service already this year, including (from left) Pat Hambly, Connie Hatter, Laura Spang and Hillard Bryant.

Photo 3: Newly-inducted University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners were honored at an Appreciation Night on Oct. 28. They include (from left) Gloria Meyer, Peter Krol, Nann Armstrong and Randy Kremer. Not pictured is Sheila English.

University of Illinois Extension of Kendall County celebrated its Master Gardeners with an awards and appreciation night on Wednesday, October 28 in Yorkville. The volunteer group has already completed 2,250 hours of service for 2015.

“We value our fantastic Master Gardener volunteers, who do so much to serve our communities,” said Sarah Fellerer, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Program Coordinator. “Their hard work and time make the program a success through efforts like the Master Gardener Help Desk, Plano Community Garden, annual plant sale, various service projects, workshops and more.”

The October awards event recognized both new Master Gardeners, as well as those with several years of service, Fellerer said. Five Master Gardener interns were elevated to the official rank of Certified Master Gardener. Each received a certificate, pin and nametag to commemorate the achievement. They are: Nann Armstrong of Oswego, Sheila English of Bristol, Randy Kremer of Yorkville, Peter Krol of Sandwich and Gloria Meyer of Sandwich.

“Master Gardener interns are required to complete 60 hours of training and at least 60 hours of volunteer time, half of which is at our Help Desk,” Fellerer explained. “It makes for a busy year, and our newly-inducted Master Gardeners showed true dedication and enthusiasm for the program and our communities’ needs.”

In addition, Debbie Salois and Jenise Tucker, both of Oswego, earned a 10-year certificate and pin.

“We have a successful Master Gardener program in Kendall County, and that is due in part to the example our seasoned Master Gardeners set,” Fellerer said. “These individuals are as dependable, eager and passionate as any new recruit, and they have the extended knowledge and experience to complement their drive.”

Four Master Gardeners put in more than 100 hours of service already this year: Connie Hatter of Plano with 491 hours, Hillard Bryant of Plano with 280 hours, Laura Spang of Batavia with 138.5 hours and Pat Hambly of Yorkville with 122.5 hours.

Throughout the evening, Fellerer also handed out several other honors, including the: Master Gardener Help Desk award to Armstrong; “Awesome Apple” Intern Award to Meyer; “Spuds Potato” Steady Contributor Award to Hambly; “Apical Dominance” Leadership Award to Spang. Spang also was recognized for earning a State Outstanding Master Gardener Award earlier this year.

For more information on the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener program in Kendall County, visit web.extension.illinois.edu/dkk/.