University of Illinois Extension to offer Junior master gardeners and master naturalists programs

QUINCY — The University of Illinois Extension in Quincy will hold a six-session Junior Master Gardener and Master Naturalist program on Mondays and Thursdays starting June 6 at John Wood Community College for local youths ages 9-12 to learn about gardening and natural resources through hands-on activities and outdoor investigations.

The mission of the Junior Master Naturalist program is to bring together natural resource specialists with young people to foster an understanding of Illinois’s plants, water, soils and wildlife. This program will give local youths the opportunity to discover the local outdoor world through learning from local experts, hands-on activities and outdoor investigations.

The Junior Master Gardener program engages children in novel “hands-on” group and individual learning experiences that provide a love of gardening, develop an appreciation for the environment and cultivate the mind. This program will teach youths about the entire growing cycle, soil properties, nutrient needs of crops, importance of weed and pest control and other growing topics. Kitchen facilities at John Wood will be used to teach the kids how to cook with the food they have grown. 

Registration will close on June 1. The cost of the program is $30 with scholarships available.