Kanawha County Prospective Members
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How do you join?
The first step is to contact your county office and ask about the training program. The WVU Extension Master Gardener Program is offered
through our
local WVU Extension offices. The training program is currently an online-hybrid platform.
You will still need to contact your local WVU Extension office to go over the registration,
fees, paperwork and how to get the manuals.
The Winter/Spring 2025 training series will run from January 9 until May 15. Classes will be held every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.
Over the course of the 18-session online training program, you will receive 54 hours of instruction in a variety of topics, including botany, plant propagation, entomology, pesticides and pest management, plant disease, soil science and nutritional management, turfgrass management, vegetable gardening, tree fruits, small fruit, pruning, landscape design, woody ornamentals, indoor plants, herbaceous plants, garden wildlife management and West Virginia native plants. Learn more here.
From there, pass a test and complete 40 hours of initial volunteer work and you’ll have earned the right to call yourself a WVU Extension Master Gardener.
Extension Master Gardener Volunteer ApplicationExtension Master Gardener Policy Statement & Guidelines
Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Agreement
Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Code of Conduct
Upcoming Classes
To learn about Kanawha County Extension Master Gardener class registration, fees, paperwork and how to get the manuals, email Kanawha County Extension Master Gardener Records Coordinators at sandbkcemga@yahoo.com. Please include your name, phone and email address so you can be contacted, and indicate you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener and attending the upcoming class.
You may also click the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Application above to download, print and mail completed the form to: KCEMGA, 139 Sunset Drive, Charleston, WV 25301. Applications are required prior to December 1 for the 2025 classes.
As noted above, the online-hybrid Winter/Spring2025 training series will run from January 9 until May 15, 2025. Classes will be held every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. On Saturday, January 4 from 10:00 a.m. until noon, there will be an orientation at the Equities Building location in downtown Charleston, West Virginia, to welcome new folks with the overall program and to get acquainted.
What then?
Get out and help others grow while you grow your knowledge! Each year, a WVU Extension Master Gardener must complete 20 volunteer hours and 10 additional hours of horticulture training. Opportunities to volunteer are numerous, everything from helping your local WVU Extension agent answer questions to community beautification projects, coordinating school gardening programs to helping maintain the demonstration garden at the state fairgrounds in Fairlea — just to name a few.
There are numerous opportunities to connect with fellow Master Gardeners, not only in your community, but also across the state. The West Virginia Master Gardener Association hosts an annual conference that allows Master Gardeners from all over West Virginia to share ideas and projects and learn from expert speakers and interactive tours.
If you have questions about the program, contact your local WVU Extension office to get started today.