If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, an article in the Sacramento Bee may be making UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners feel a little puffed up. The story said the Sacramento Tree Foundation is copying the successful Master Gardener model, in which knowledgeable plant enthusiasts are trained and, in return, asked to give back community service hours.
The new program calls its volunteers "LEAF stewards." LEAF stands for Leading Education Awareness in Urban Forestry. LEAF stewards will conduct workshops, write articles about Sacramento Tree Foundation work and lead tree tours in the area, the story said.