The Homegrown Chicago Farmer's Market needs help cleaning up their market space in Humboldt Park. Homegrown Chicagois sponsored by the Puerto Rican Cultural Center and Growing Power.

Date: Saturday, June 3

Time: 10 a.m. to Noon

Place: 2626 West Division Street

For more information, contact Anita Rico at 773-278-6737

Master Gardeners:

It looks like retired folks and those who work third shift get the most fun volunteer hours this summer.

Check out this: There will be a Farmers Market on the grounds of the Eli Cheese Cake Factory at 6701 Forest Preserve Drive every Thursday this summer beginning in June.

Master Gardeners are committed for the following dates:

Thursday, June 22

MG #1

MG#2

Thursday, July 13

MG #1

MG # 2

Thursday, August 3

MG #1

Master Food Preserver #1

Thursday, August 24

MG #1

Master Food Preserver # 1

Thursday, September 14

MG #1

Master Food Preserver #1

Thursday, October 12

MG #1

Master Composter #1

On June 22, we will bring brochures and reference books for your use to the site. Kathy Kirby, our Eli contact and former Master Gardener, will provide storage area for our use.

To volunteer at the site all you need to bring is yourself and a willingness to be helpful.

The Farmers Market opens at 7:00 am, but we will have our table open from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

The market is located at Eli's Cheesecake Company which is located at 6701 W. Forest Preserve Drive. Driving directions: Go west on Montrose (Montrose becomes Forest Preserve Drive at Normandy) to Normandy which is two stop lights west of Narragansett. Turn left on Normandy. Eli's is the first building on the right (look for signs).

Public Transportation: Blue Line to Montrose, then bus # 78 to the Montrose/ Forest Preserve stop.

Eli's will provide a table and chairs and a free lunch. To reserve your space, sign up at the monthly meeting on May 30 or send your request to:

Elizabeth

ebruhns@sbcglobal.net

The National Gardening Association works with sponsoring companies and organizations to provide funding and in-kind grants to projects that actively engage kids in the garden and improve the quality of life for their communities.

To be eligible for these awards your school or organization must plan to garden with at least 15 kids between the ages of 3 and 18. (The Mantis Award is also open to non-youth organizations.)

Please note that starting with the 2006/2007 grant cycle, all grant winners are required to complete a year-end impact report (see individual grants for details).

For applications and more information, go to http://www.kidsgardening.com/grants.asp

Come and lend a hand at the Chicago Park District's only organic greenhouse located at 3501 N. Kilbourn in Kilbourn Park! (Just south of Addison between Milwaukee and Cicero.). Kirsten Akre is managing the programming and gardens of the Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse. Kirsten has 6 years experience as the Demonstration Garden Coordinator at Garfield Park Conservatory and 5 years with the Resource Center. Learn more about volunteer opportunities, the gardens, and meet some of our dedicated volunteers at one of our open houses. Our next open house will be on Saturday, June 10, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

This summer, volunteers will be working at Kilbourn Park to renovate the children's garden, create an allotment style community space and support other greenhouse and garden needs. In addition, if your neighborhood park is in the Chicago Park District's North Region, let us know! There are over 50 parks, some with over 5 flower gardens or more. With a crew of three it is hard to give them all the attention they deserve. Perhaps you can join the crew for a workday in your park, or help us when we are not there

There is the potential to have a large allotment style garden at Kilbourn Park and I am looking for a few dedicated individuals to help make this a reality! If you are interested in dedicating at least 1½ hours or more per week to the greenhouse and would like a plot of land to garden organically, this might be the right fit! I am looking for 10 volunteers to work with me in developing the design, create guidelines, establish watering systems etc. This is not an option for someone just wanting to garden, we need a few dedicated individuals who want to see more allotment style gardens in the City of Chicago.

Volunteer times at the Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse:

Wednesdays 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Saturdays 9 p.m.-Noon

For other weekday times, please e-mail or call with your preferred times to see if it works with our schedules. Generally Wednesday and Thursday afternoons are good.

Contact Information:

Greenhouse phone: 773-685-3359

e-mail: kakre@sbcglobal.net or soon to be working kirsten.akre@chicagoparkdistrict.com

Benjamin Cox, Executive Director of Friends of the Forest Preserve will speak to the Wild Flower Preservation Society on Thursday, June 1, 1:15 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Cultural Center, 2045 N. Lincoln Park West. The group has over a thousand volunteers working to protect, restore and care for county forest preserves. There is no charge for the meeting and the group meets for an informal lunch at the Original Pancake House, 2020 N. Lincoln Park West at 11:30 a.m. The Center is at 2045 N. Lincoln Park West.

Make A Difference Youth Foundation will be hosting an information/resource fair in Englewood on June 3, 2006 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The Englewood Resource Fair will be held at Ogden Park, 6500 South Racine. We need three Master Gardeners to help with the following activities:

Take Home a Plant - kids will pot up a plant to take home

Make a Butterfly or Bug- kids will make a insect hat or butterfly with flapping wings

Worm Composting- kids will get to observe worms in their bins, plus look at worms through microscopes

Insect Petting Zoo - will have tarantula, giant millipedes and Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

Earthbox Display -will have planted earthboxes with information about Growing Connection -http://www.thegrowingconnection.org/ program for schools

Please call Nancy at 773-233-0476 or email her at kreith@uiuc.edu if interested.

Calling all insect lovers!

We are looking for two Master Gardeners to help us out with our traveling insect petting zoo. It is so much fun and kids just love this activity. Included in the zoo are the Madagascar hissing cockroaches, giant millipedes, a tarantula, and of course we like to include our worms. If you are interested please email Nancy at kreith@uiuc.edu or call 773-233-0476. Please see the details below:

DATE: Thursday, June 8, 2006
TIME: Noon-2 p.m.
LOCATION: George Pullman School
11311 S. Forestville
AUDIENCE: 4 GROUPS - 20 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

Chicago Master Gardener Graduation

Tuesday, May 30

Community Room

Garfield Park Conservatory

6:30 p.m. Pizza, soda and cake. (Non-graduates, please bring a potluck salad to go with the pizza.)

7:00 p.m. Honoring the Grads

7:20 p.m. Speaker: Chicago Master Gardener, radio personality and host of Let's Talk Gardening, noon, Sundays on WGN, Mike Nowak. Mike also writes a column for Chicago Land Gardening Magazine and was our speaker for graduation last year, and is back by popular request.

Don't miss this special night!

Chicago Master Gardener and Master Composter, Michael Howard who started the Eden Place Nature Center at 43rd Place and Stewart will be featured on a Channel 11 Special this Thursday, May 18 at 8:00 p.m. Michael Howard is also the Executive Director of the Fuller Park Community Development Organization.

View this short video clip featuring Michael Howard.You will need Quicktime.

The Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance has a new staff member working in the Demonstration Garden. Her name is Harmony Picciuca and she needs Master Gardener assistance in the Garden.

Tuesdays: 9 a.m. to Noon

Thursdays: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturdays: 9 a.m. to Noon

If none of these times work for you, Harmony would be happy to talk to you to schedule something else.

Please contact Harmony if you are interested in volunteering in the Demonstration Garden:

hpicciuca@garfieldpark.org

773-638-1766 x.24

We are looking for four Master Gardeners to participate in the Illinois Department of Human Services EAP Health Fair.

Time: 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Date: Thursday, May 25, 2006
Location: Clinton Building, Training Room 1
401 S. Clinton, Chicago

Lunch will be provided.

We will have an informational table with our "Ask a Master Gardener Sign" and we will be demonstrating the EarthBox. We would like to have 2 Master Gardeners there at a time. If you can stay only part of the time, please let us know.

Nancy will be there for part of the day. There are going to be some pretty interesting exhibits, so please contact Nancy Kreith at kreith@uiuc.edu or call 773-233-0476 if you are interested.

We need two Master Gardeners on May 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to man a kid's activities table at Lincoln Park Zoo. We will be on the bridge that is between the Farm in the Zoo and the main zoo. We will have our insect petting zoo, worms and our Take Home a Plant Activity. A pay parking lot is available just south of the Farm in the Zoo entrance on Stockton Drive.

On May 20 at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences-3807 West 111^th Street from 9am to 1pm, we need two Master Gardeners to do the same activities.

Call Nancy Kreith at 773-233-0476 or email Elizabeth Bruhns at ebruhns@sbcglobal.net

On Saturday, May 20 over 250,000 tulip bulbs will be given away to the public on a first come, first served basis at Garfield Park Conservatory.The bulbs are from the planted medians in downtown Chicago. Volunteers are needed to bag the bulbs on May 18 and 19. Other volunteer dates may be announced. Volunteers may take as many bulbs as they need for school, church, block club and community projects.

Please contact:

Mike Thomas, Director,New Communities Program

Garfield Park ConservatoryAlliance

773-638-1766 X 14

mtomas@garfieldpark.org

Chicago Master Gardener MaryAnne Spinner will appear on the "Let's Talk Gardening Show" with Mike Nowak, this Sunday, May 7, sometime between noon and 2:30 p.m. MaryAnne coordinates the Cook County/Chicago Master Gardener Electronic Plant Clinic. MaryAnne and her team of 14 Master Gardeners have answered hundred's of gardening questions online from all over the world. Mike Nowak now sends gardening questions that are emailed to him to our Electronic Plant Clinic. Mike will regularly read answered questions on his show. MaryAnne also writes two articles a month for our online column, "The Gardeners Place."

In addition to hosting the City of Chicago's Kids and Kites Festival this spring weekend, the Museum's front lawn will be buzzing with activity in honor of its first Da Vinci Days celebration. Da Vinci Days is inspired by the genius of the Renaissance inventor and celebrates innovation and the integration of art, science and technology. The free event will feature interactive activities, science demonstrations and hands-on fun for kids and families.

Master Gardeners, we need help. There are still slots to be filled on both Saturday and Sunday, this weekend.

Come on, it will be fun! Free parking! Free Breakfast! Free t-shirt! If you can volunteer, please contact Elizabeth Bruhns at ebruhns@sbcglobal.net

We are going to be a part of Da Vinci Days at the Museum of Science and Industry. We will have a 20 X 10 tent with tables and chairs. We will need 6 MGS on Saturday, May 6 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6 MGS onSunday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to help with the following:

Take Home a Plant - kids will pot up a plant to take home.

Make a Butterfly or Bug - kids will make an insect hat or butterfly with flapping wings.

Worm Composting - kids will get to observe worms in thier bins plus look at worms through microscopes.

Insect Petting Zoo - will have tarantula, giant millipedes and Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.

Earthbox Display - will have planted earthboxes with information about Growing Connection program.

Hello, Master Gardeners! This is Mike Nowak, fellow Chicago Master Gardener and host of WGN Radio's "Let's Talk Gardening." While Elizabeth has already sent you information about "Garden in a City," you might not know about "Eco-Chicago," one of the participants. We are a unique partnership of more than a dozen green industry professionals and organizations, including The Midwest Ecological Landscaping Association, Midwest Groundcovers, Northwind Perennials, Terry Guen Design Associates, J. Siegel Designs, The Care of Trees, archi-treasures and more.

We have created three gardens for the show: a front yard, a back yard and a rooftop. Our exhibits are all about sustainable choices home owners can make about their properties that are good for the environment and look good, too, including compost bins, rain gardens, recycled materials and more.

We need volunteers to do interpretive work during the show. You will explain plant material and design elements to show visitors. However, it isn't necessary to know about all of the garden elements beforehand. We will have training for volunteers on May 3^rd at Chicago Center for Green Technology 445 N Sacramento Blvd Chicago from 9am-11am. It isn't brain surgery; in fact, it should be fun. Teachers will be Christine Nye, Shedd Aquarium horticulturist; Shawn Kingzette from The Care of Trees; and Julie Siegel from J. Siegel Designs, Inc. And, of course, you will receive Master Gardener hours for your work.

If you're interested in signing up with us, please contact me at mikenowak@ameritech.net. The times we need people are listed below.

If you don't want to volunteer, please know that I am speaking at the Master Gardener graduation ceremony next month and you will be singled out and berated in front of your fellow Master Gardeners. (Okay, I made that part up.)

Thanks for all that you folks do. MGs rule!

SatMay 13 -10am-3pm 3pm-8pm

Sun May 14- 10am-3pm 3pm-8pm

Mon May 15- 10am-3pm 3pm-8pm

Tue May 16- 10am-3pm 3pm-8pm

Wed May 17- 10am-3pm 3pm-8pm

Thur May 18- 10am-3pm 3pm-8pm

Fri May 19 -10am-3pm 3pm-8pm

Sat May 20 -10am-3pm 3pm-8pm

Sun May 21- 10am-3pm 3pm-8pm

One volunteer per spot will probably be adequate, but we do have three exhibits to cover, so we need three volunteers for each time slot .We will have a Front Yard, a Back Yard and a Green Roof to interpret.