Master Gardeners Claim Honors

Lake Granbury Master Gardeners (LGMG) took two top honors at the 2022 Texas Master Gardener Association State Conference. The group’s “Romancing the Monarch” butterfly festival won first place for a project, in the Medium to Large County Membership category, in the Association’s Search for Excellence awards.

Romancing the Monarch is a free special event held each fall, which seeks to educate the public on attracting and protecting Monarch butterflies. The event includes both educational and entertaining components, such as lessons on butterfly gardening, butterfly releases and tagging butterflies. Hundreds of adults and children attend.

In selecting the project for recognition, one judge remarked, “The project has some of the best impact data of any I have evaluated.” Special credit for the project’s success goes to Master Gardener Deborah Rollins, who is largely responsible for organizing and promoting not only the event, but also the idea of making Hood County a waystation for Monarchs during their migration to and from Mexico each year.

Rollins spent countless hours talking to community groups, encouraging neighborhoods to plant butterfly host and nectar plants and teaching butterfly enthusiasts of all ages the importance of butterflies as pollinators.

In part for her work on Romancing the Monarch, Rollins received third place, outstanding individual, medium large county category. Since joining LGMG, she has been a model volunteer – hard-working, enthusiastic and skilled. In selecting Rollins for the award, judges wrote, “Deborah is an exceptional leader and role model. As an educator and researcher, her dedication and focus on monarchs and native plants has benefited her county and state Master Gardener association, city and county leaders as well as a wide public audience.”

Says Texas AgriLife Extension Agent London Fair, “Our Master Gardeners contributed more than 5,500 hours of volunteer service in 2021. We are proud to acknowledge their hard work and the education they provide.”

Winners of the Search for Excellence were announced May 10 during the state conference, which was attended virtually by Master Gardeners statewide. Associations from all 254 counties were eligible to submit award nominations in eight categories.

Mark your calendars with these events!

JULY MONTHLY MEETING: TO BE ANNOUNCED …

Date & Time:  July 20, from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Place: Hood County Annex I, 1410 W. Pearl Street

Speakers: TBA

ROMANCING THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL

Date & Time:  October 1, from 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Place: Demo Garden behind Hood County Annex I, 1410 W. Pearl Street