The MGABC is an affiliation of local Chapters of Master Gardeners working together to support the delivery of quality education to their members and environmentally responsible gardening advice to the public.
We invite you to scroll through our website, ask gardening questions, check out your local Chapter and visit the Events, Community Projects and Advice Clinics we hold throughout the Province each year.
What do we do in our Communities?
Master Gardener volunteers are represented in six different regions of the Province. Their mandate is to provide quality, research and science based information to Home Gardeners in a variety of settings. They respond to questions from the public at garden centres across the Lower Mainland; on the Sunshine Coast; in Greater Victoria; on Vancouver Island; and the Gulf Islands; in the Okanagan; the Thompson/ Shuswap region and in Prince George. These activities are called Clinics or Outreach.
Other volunteer activities include:
- speaking to local community groups throughout the Province
- providing support to local botanical and/or display gardens
- participating in a variety of community horticultural projects
- working with students & teachers in local schools
- advising on and helping with “greening” projects in community parks & public spaces
- writing articles for local papers and garden club newsletters
- coordinating Seedy Saturday/Sunday initiatives or events
- helping families to learn how to grow; to nurture; and to harvest their own food
- Online gardening questions, check out the Ask a Master Gardener section of the MGABC website
Governance Documents:
MGABC Governance Documents are available for Chapter members to use for applications, research or background information when dealing with administrative requirements occurring at the Chapter level. Please contact your local Chapter Rep if you require more information.
Any questions please contact your MGABC Chapter Representative:
Annual General Meeting Documents:
The MGABC holds its annual AGM in late September/early October each year. All members are encouraged to attend the Virtual event. Members are also invited to read the Agenda, previous year’s Minutes and Consolidated Chapter and Financial Reports found below.
Golden Trowel Award Winner
Congratulations to the MGABC 2024 Golden Trowel Award recipient, Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association (VIMGA) member Dorothee Kieser
Dorothee received outstanding letters of support for the application her Chapter members put in for her Nomination. They were as follows: Her commitment, service, mentoring and friendship to the Master Gardeners of VIMGA are truly impressive. Dorothee’s nominations describe how she exemplifies the Master Gardener philosophy, works tirelessly for the Chapter, the Association and her local community throughout her 16 years of volunteer service. She has participated in many Executive and community roles and perhaps most importantly created the standards for VIMGA’s Basic Training and Mentorship roles. Her support as Lead Mentor has lead to an impressive retention result for the Chapter. She embodies patience, level-headedness, warmth and enriches the collaborative spirit of the Master Gardener program.
Please join me in congratulating Dorothee for the Golden Trowel Award for 2024!
The Golden Trowel Award is a provincial recognition and is awarded to a member of the MGABC who has been recognized by their peers as an outstanding Master Gardener, has demonstrated extraordinary volunteer contributions to the MGABC and made a positive impact on the Association and service to the public. Members are encouraged to nominate candidates each year and the winner of the Golden Trowel is announced during the MGABC AGM.
MGABC Golden Trowel Award Winners:
2024 Dorothee Kieser, Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association
2023 Birthe Miller, Prince George Chapter and Rachael Fleming, Okanagan Chapter
2022 Linda Cross, Victoria Chapter
2021 Jill Wright, Vancouver Chapter
2020 Elaine Scott, Victoria Chapter
2019 Pat Zander, Okanagan Chapter
2018 Elaine Sedgman, Thompson Shuswap Chapter
2017 Grace Morrice, Prince George Chapter
2016 Heather Nielsen, Vancouver Chapter
2015 Lynne Chrismas, Vancouver Chapter
2014 Linda Derkach, Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association
2014 Sally Shivers
2013 Jan Hemming, Victoria Chapter
2012 Pam Harrison, Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association (photo below)
