Kelly Christensen
Meet Kelly Christensen, a passionate gardener, and dedicated UC Master Gardener since 2011. With more than 850 volunteer hours to his credit, Kelly's contributions to the program are immeasurable. Despite a hiatus, he returned to active status in 2020 and has been actively involved in various projects ever since.
Kelly's background in waste water management spans 30 years, which he coupled with a landscape management education from Orange Coast College's horticulture program. He is a valuable asset to the UC Master Gardener Program of Orange County's Emerging Tree Pests (ETP) project, which he leads, and has been instrumental in expanding its outreach efforts to new audiences at various regional parks and nature centers. Kelly has even taken the project to local farmers' markets and multiple-day booth events.
Kelly's dedication to the ETP project is unwavering, and he is committed to its success. The project aims to educate the public on the risks posed by invasive tree pests, such as the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer, which threatens to wipe out entire tree populations in Orange County. The project provides valuable information and guidance to homeowners, gardeners, and other stakeholders on how to identify, manage, and prevent these invasive pests from spreading.
His contributions to the ETP project have been significant, but he remains humble and continues to work diligently to ensure the project's success. Kelly's love for gardening and his dedication to educating the public on the importance of preserving our natural environment are qualities that make him an outstanding member of the UC Master Gardener community.
Laura Southwarth
In addition to Kelly Christensen's outstanding work with the Emerging Tree Pests project, another UC Master Gardener volunteer has been making a difference in invasive pest detection in Sonoma County. Meet Laura Southwarth, who has been managing the information desk for the past four years. Her mission has been to ensure that the answers given to the public are current, science-based, and reliable.
Laura has been instrumental in updating the training of all volunteers at the information desk in Sonoma County, making them confident in their use of online sources and providing guidance whenever needed. During the COVID-19 shutdowns, Laura managed to sustain the response rate of the information desk, receiving an average of over 900 contacts via email and telephone. Despite the challenges, the service of the information desk remained uninterrupted, ensuring that Sonoma gardeners always had access to reliable information.
“I know that whenever I am confused or feeling at a loss, I can email your information desk, send pictures or drop off a sample and I will get a solid answer in no time,” says a happy farmers' market client praising the information desk. Laura's contributions have greatly benefited the community by providing thorough and well-researched answers to clients' questions. She has used her experience and knowledge to restructure information desk training and web page content, deciphering IPM practices. Through Laura's diligence, the UC Master Gardener Program in Sonoma County has identified several invasive pests in samples submitted to the local Agriculture Commissioner. We greatly appreciate her dedication to delivering exceptional service to the Sonoma County community.
The UC Master Gardener Program relies on volunteers like Kelly Christensen and Laura Southwarth to deliver valuable information to the public, prevent the spread of invasive pests, and promote sustainable gardening practices. Their dedication to the program is truly inspiring, and we are fortunate to have them as part of our team. We hope their contributions inspire others to get involved and make a difference in their communities.
About National Volunteer Month and Gardeners with Heart
During National Volunteer Month (April 1 - 30), the UC Master Gardener Program celebrates its 6,300 incredible UC Master Gardener volunteers and their contributions to California communities. Throughout the National Volunteer Week, will feature stories of special volunteers or Gardeners with Heart from across the state who use their skills to improve program delivery. Gardener's with Heart volunteers were nominated by their local county leadership for the impact they make every day in their communities.