Canadian Garden Study Tour connects people, places and plants
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EmailMSU Extension Master Gardeners and friends bring back knowledge and experiences to share with others.
In July 2024, 27 Michigan State University Extension Master Gardeners (EMG), a few of their companions and three MSU Extension consumer horticulture staff (Rebecca Krans, Sarah Rautio and Ruth Marcy) traveled to western Canada to view the magnificent Canadian Rockies and explore various agricultural areas and gardens. A key educational focus of the trip was sustainability, with tours of natural horticultural landscapes, the Columbia River Revelstoke Dam, a public Xeriscape Garden, a fifth generation direct marketing fruit and vegetable farm, Nitobe, UBC Botanical and Van Dusen Gardens, Indigenous traditions, and much more. Although the group had wonderful experiences seeing the beautiful turquoise glacier-fed lakes, mountain top vistas, vineyards and Vancouver’s city streets, perhaps the best memories were the lasting connections participants made with each other and their Canadian educators.
MSU EMG came from across the state of Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula. MSU Extension consumer horticulture educator, Rebecca Kran’s office is in the Upper Peninsula, where she coordinates the MSU EMG program across the U.P. Sarah Rautio is the state leader for the MSU EMG program, and her office is on the MSU campus. Ruth Marcy is a program assistant for the Foundations of Gardening Course. Tour participants came from various backgrounds and different generations, ranging from 42 to 82 years old. Some were retired, others still employed, with diverse and interesting career backgrounds. We had teachers, nurses, engineers, business owners, administrative assistants, social workers and chemists. Of the participants, 78% were EMGs, and those who were not EMGs included spouses and/or friends of MSU EMGs.
MSU International EMG trips are special to the plant and garden enthusiasts who attend because these lifelong learners naturally connect with the behind the scenes plant-based tour guides. Along with a plethora of questions, some used small notebooks to gather notes while others took photos to capture memories and/or identify plants.
Those who participate on this trip are equally passionate about their volunteer projects back at home, too. If you are not aware, MSU Extension Master Gardeners are annually required to volunteer to retain their certification. The key mission for them is to provide gardening education, either formally or informally, that focuses on research-based gardening information. Our staff who travelled on this trip were especially appreciative of the small group setting that enabled us and others to learn where or how they volunteer. Some give of their time at community gardens helping people grow their own food and provide food donations. Some volunteer at educational centers teaching the public about various gardening topics and/or assisting with beautification efforts. Some assist MSU Extension directly as plant diagnostic responders, assisting callers and/or clients on the hotline and the Ask Extension website. Although this trip was enjoyable and had everything one would want on a vacation, MSU EMGs also focus on learning more so they can continue to help other gardeners and communities. MSU Extension is very proud to have them a part of this program.
A key highlight, both for us as hosts and for the attendees was our visit to Davison Orchards in the Kelowna Valley of British Columbia. While we were seated on the tour trolley amid the neatly lined apple trees, Tom, the owner, explained how it is a fifth generation family farm that uses direct marketing for its many products. When he learned that we were from MSU Extension, he was overjoyed and complimentary about MSU Extension’s services as he has had a long-standing relationship with a retired agricultural educator from MSU Extension. He noted how helpful MSU Extension has been and still is to his family operation, specifically mentioning the Michigan-based GLEXPO, held annually in Grand Rapids and co-produced by MSU Extension.
Upon reflection after the trip, one participant noted this about the various cultures, gardens, and landscapes we had explored, “While the peoples were diverse, there was a real commonality in their spiritual views of nature.”
MSU Extension plans these trips for MSU EMGs every two years. If you’d like to learn more about the MSU Master Gardener program and what it offers to its volunteers, please visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/master_gardener_volunteer_program/join-us/.
