Gardeners With Heart: Fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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As we bring National Volunteer Month to a close, we are honored to highlight a group of outstanding UC Master Gardener volunteers who have been nominated for their work in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within their communities. These UC Master Gardeners have demonstrated a dedication to creating a more inclusive environment in gardening and volunteerism. Join us as we celebrate these inspiring Gardeners with Heart for their invaluable contributions to fostering diversity and equity in gardening and beyond.

Kathy Kaplan, a UC Master Gardener of Santa Clara County, embodies the spirit of inclusivity and effective volunteer leadership. She cultivates a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, ensuring everyone feels heard and valued. Kathy created and helps run “The One World Kitchen Garden” at the Martial Cottle Park Demonstration Garden. The “One World Kitchen Garden” demonstrates growing edible plants embraced by the many cultures represented across Santa Clara County, showcasing the rich diversity in our local communities. To promote inclusion in the program, Kathy intentionally plans two weekly demo garden workdays, one during the week and one on weekends, to accommodate MGs with different employment statuses and schedules.

Linda Mansell, Julie Avis, Guma, Kim Jacobs, and Rudolfo Milito form a dynamic team within the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County that supports its DEI efforts. This team's extensive work translating resources into Spanish has expanded access to gardening knowledge and resources for Spanish-speaking communities across California. Each month, the team translates its gardening advice column in the Press Democrat for use in the Spanish column, La Prensa, offering seasonally relevant advice on sustainable gardening and increasing awareness of the program and resources throughout Sonoma County. The county's Spanish website features links to videos they have produced in Spanish on multiple gardening topics.  The team translated video scripts from English and reviewed them for cultural appropriateness. The team volunteers at events in the Latino community, distributes documents in Spanish, and answers questions.  All of the UC Master Gardener projects in Sonoma County and across California benefit from the contributions of the Spanish translation team!

Debbie Spurling, a UC Master Gardener of Sutter-Yuba, has demonstrated dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion within her local program. As project leader for the UC Master Gardener training program, Debbie worked alongside several counties to determine best practices for volunteer recruitment. She ensured those elements were used in the volunteer advertising and interviewing process. Debbie also spearheaded a new mentorship program in the county to improve retention of new volunteers. This program was inspired by her own class graduating and experiencing a feeling of not being included in the larger population. She vowed that this would not be something other trainees would feel moving forward. At every step of developing and running the mentorship program, Debbie has worked to ensure that decisions were made through the diversity and inclusion lens, including in choosing a diverse selection of speakers. The mentorship program has gotten rave reviews from new UC Master Gardeners who say they have felt more included and welcomed.

We are immensely grateful for the dedication, passion, and hard work that Kathy Kaplan, Linda Mansell, Julie Avis, Guma, Kim Jacobs, Rudolfo Milito, and Debbie Spurling have demonstrated in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the UC Master Gardener community. Their collective efforts have enriched the lives of individuals and families, fostering a more inclusive and equitable environment for all. As we celebrate National Volunteer Month, let us extend our heartfelt appreciation to these Gardeners with Heart for their invaluable service and commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive world.

About National Volunteer Month and Gardeners with Heart

During National Volunteer Month (April 1 - 30), the UC Master Gardener Program celebrates its incredible volunteers and their contributions to California communities. Gardeners with Heart were identified by local county leadership as diversity, equity, and inclusion leaders because of their commitment to building connections with community-based organizations and underrepresented communities. Join us in honoring their dedication and passion for making a difference in the lives of others. If you would like to get involved and learn more about gardening in your community, you can find your local program here.

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