wes students earn master gardener certification

Master Gardeners at Wesleyan
L to r: UConn’s Gail Reynolds, Mairead Kennedy ’24, and Professor Rosemary Ostfeld ’02. Kennedy was one of 10 Wes students who earned their master gardener certificate through ENVS125F in spring 2021.

First-year students enrolled in ENVS125F/Community Gardening, taught by Rosemary Ostfeld ’02, assistant visiting professor of environmental studies, in spring 2021, became University of Connecticut Certified Master Gardeners this fall, thanks to a partnership by the College of the Environment, Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life, and the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program.

The ten Wes students enrolled in the course received hands-on-training and learning about sustainable farming methods on-site at Long Lane Farm while they were concurrently enrolled in the UConn program. Topics of hands-on study included botany, plant pathology, soils, and more. Middlesex County UConn Master Gardener Coordinator Gail Reynolds, who presented Wes students with their master gardener certificates, joined the class via Zoom and led an informative plant identification and diagnostic session, while Sophie Linnett ‘21 served as a teaching apprentice for the course.

“We hope the students continue to stay involved with Long Lane Farm and use the skills they learned so they can garden and grow food for themselves and their community,” said Ostfeld, who will teach the first-year seminar course again in spring 2022.