ome lectures and events will be offered via YouTube or ZOOM technology.  Any Zoom meetings/presentations will require registration prior to start date.
 
The Free Lance Star and MGACRA Facebook page will also be used to post/advertise all activities.
 
All gardening, insect, plant disease, and horticultural related questions can be called into our VCE office: 540-658-8000.  Guy Mussey is our VCE Agent for the four-county area and Fredericksburg.  Additional resources are available at: ext.vt.edu where subjects of interest can be searched.
 

Annual and Special Events - Always Open To The Public:
23 Aug – 4th Tuesday Program.  Speaker:  Alysa Walden & Krystal Williams/4-H Youth Camp
                  Scholarship Fund
                  7:00 p.m. via ZOOM (registration required).   See MGACRA website or Facebook page for registration link.
                  POC:  Margene Sims, mmsims@aol.com


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MGACRA Monthly Meetings: 
10 Aug - MGACRA Board Meeting, 1:30 p.m.  POC: Tina Will brianandtina.will@gmail.com

17 Aug - MGACRA General Meeting at 7:00 p.m., Rappahannock Regional Library,
               1201 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg VA 22401
               Also via ZOOM.  The link will be posted on the MGACRA website (main page) and FB page the week of the meeting.
               Guest Speaker/Subject:  Alvin Calhoun/Cedell Brooks Park Native Plants
               POC:  Margene Sims, mmsims@aol.com
 
 
MGACRA Volunteer Opportunities:
Cedell Brooks Native Demonstration Garden:  Coordinator Alvin Calhoun welcomes volunteers to join him at the Cedell Brooks Park Native Garden in King George VA. Volunteers meet each Thursday (weather permitting) from 10:00 AM-Noon.  The physical address of Cedell Brooks Park is 11215 Henry Griffin Rd, King George, VA 22485.  Please bring appropriate gardening tools including gloves, pruners, loopers, shovels and wheelbarrows.  Contact Alvin with any questions at aac.ac4@gmail.com .
 
Native Garden at Widewater State Park:  Coordinator Beth Daily welcomes all volunteers to join her at Widewater State Park in Stafford VA.  Reach out to Beth with any questions about the garden and the 2022 schedule.  Beth can be reached at  elizabethdaly@juno.com.
 
Belmont Nature Trail:  MG Jody Wilken is the Grounds Coordinator at Belmont, and she is looking for some volunteers to work on the Nature Trail and/or give educational walking tours to visitors.  The trail is located in King George VA.  Though you would be volunteering as an MG, Belmont has its own internal volunteer process which includes a background screening (paid for by Belmont).  Jody can be reached at jwilken@umw.edu
 
Chatham Historical Gardens:  Did you know that you can earn volunteer hours every Wednesday, year-round, from 8am-1pm by joining project Coordinator Carol Hyland in the beautiful Chatham Historical Gardens?  Interested?  You can sign up in Better Impact (click on the Opportunities tab, go to the Opportunities Calendar, and click on whatever Wednesday works for you!), or you can just turn up with your pruners.  Chatham Manor is located in Stafford County.  Please contact Carol if you have any questions at  cahyland@cox.net
 
MWU Elder Study Group:  For their fall semester, the group is looking for a speaker to give a talk, via Zoom, about alternatives to a traditional lawn.  The talk could be on either of the following two dates: Wednesday, September 21 from 10am – 12pm, or Tuesday, November 1 from 10am – 12pm.  The talk does not need to fill the entire 2-hour slot, so a Q and A session after the talk could easily be accommodated.  Contact Lisa Ellis if you are interested at lisae22@vt.edu!​
 
 
Continuing Education Opportunities:
23 Aug – 4th Tuesday Program.  Speaker:  Alysa Walden & Krystal Williams/4-H Youth Camp
                  Scholarship Fund
                  7:00 p.m. via ZOOM (registration required).   See MGACRA website or Facebook page for registration link.
                  POC:  Margene Sims, mmsims@aol.com
 
Soil Sample Video:  The Extension Office has prepared a short video on how to take a good soil sample!  The video is now up on YouTube and will be posted on our website.  You can also click on the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J93LtWMTs0   Watching the video WILL COUNT towards your Continuing Education hours.
 
Do You Need Education Hours?  All 2021 presentations and lectures are available for viewing via YouTube.  The links to all available presentations and lectures are located on the MGACRA website Home Page or contact Lisa Ellis at lisae22@vt.edu for more information







(Page last updated: 4/25/2022 RF)