Master Gardener – 2000

Helen Orsak has been an outstanding Nueces Master Gardener for the past 10 years, amassing a total of 2077.5 hours. Below are some of the many things she has done in her time as a MG. When Nueces County was without a Horticultural Agent in 2006 she stepped up and served in the capacity of an Agent and spent hours in the office as MG Liaison while also working as a full time Horticultural secretary for Nueces County Extension Office. Under the direction of Helen, the first Earth Kind beds were built by Nueces Master Gardeners at the S. TX Botanical Gardens & Nature Center.
• Nueces County Master Gardener President-elect, 2002
• Nueces County Master Gardener President, 2003
• Nueces County Master Gardener President, 2004
• Co-chair of State MG Convention & Advance Training held in Corpus Christi, 2004
• MG “Nutrition Starts in the Garden” booth and educational materials for 2004 Children’s Health and Fitness Expo committee chair
• Home and Garden Expo Master Gardener Booth -supervisor 2001-2002
• Educational Display for Corpus Christi Garden Council Fall Flower Show – Supervisor (2003-2004)
• Ag Awareness Day -MG Vegetable Production and Nutrition Display and Presentation supervisor (2003 to current, 2009)
• Learning To Grow Seed Packing -Supervisor (2001-2007)
• Nueces County Horticulture Advisory Committee Member 2003 and 2004 (serving as MG President)
• Nueces Master Gardener Association Liaison, 2006
• Bookkeeper for NMGA for 10 years
Awards
• Golden Trowel Award (100 + annual hours) 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 by NMGA
• G.E.M. (Going the Extra Mile Award) 2004 by NMGA
• Silver Trowel Award, 2006
• 1000 hour service pin NMGA
• Children’s Garden Harvest of Fame 2003
• 2004 State Master Gardener of the Year, 2nd place
• NMGA Outstanding Leadership Special Award 2003
Special Training
• MG Propagation Specialist 2005
• MG Grant Writing Workshop 2008
Personally Created Publications and Educational Books
• Weekly educated youth and parents at Children’s Garden project at the Botanical Gardens for four years
• “Nutrition Starts in the Garden” coloring book now being used with school gardens and at special community events like the Children’s Health & Fitness Expo, Robstown Cottonfest, Ag Awareness Day, Children’s Garden, (LTG) Learning To Grow School Garden and (YEEHA) Youth Environmental Education Health Awareness.
• “Good Bugs, Bad Bugs” coloring book now being used with school gardens and at special community events like the Children’s Health & Fitness Expo, Robstown Cottonfest, Ag Awareness Day, Children’s Garden, (LTG)Learning To Grow School Garden and (YEEHA) Youth Environmental Education Health Awareness.
• “Life Depends on Water” coloring book now being used with school gardens and at special community events like the Children’s Health & Fitness Expo, Robstown Cottonfest, Ag Awareness Day, Children’s Garden, (LTG) Learning To Grow School Gardens and (YEEHA) Youth Environmental Education Health Awareness.
• Created Four Tips to Managing Nueces County Soil
• Created Nueces County Vegetable Gardening publication.
• Organized other handouts, displays and activities at the Children’s Health Expo. She regularly assists home gardeners with questions as special events like the Spring and Fall Home and Garden Expos and the Spring Garden Festival & Fall Naturefest at the Botanical Gardens as well as helps to recruit volunteers and set up attractive educational booths for those events. She also organized the first Master Gardener educational program for the 2003 Ag Awareness Day, working with other Master Gardeners to teach children where vegetables come from and why they are important for good nutrition.