South San Francisco, CA April 23, 2018 Press Release
Nearly three years in the planning, a UC Master Gardeners education center has blossomed in San Mateo County.
A ribbon cutting of the UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo/San Francisco Counties all new Gardening Education Center is slated for May 2 at 9:45 a.m. The celebration will also include a graduation ceremony of the latest crop of UC Master Gardeners. The Gardening Education Center is located on the grounds of the San Mateo Event Center located at 2495 South Delaware.
“The new Gardening Education Center is a collaboration between the County of San Mateo, the San Mateo County Event Center and the UC Master Gardeners,” said Dana Stoehr, chief executive officer of the San Mateo County Center. “We are delighted that this collaboration will benefit the community and the environment through education and promotion of sustainable and environment-friendly gardening.”
UC Master Gardeners are volunteers trained and certified by the University of California to provide community service and educational outreach that helps home gardeners and community organizations garden sustainably and create a healthy environment. The new Gardening Education Center is the latest project for the area’s UC Master Gardeners. Their years of research, planning, fundraising and negotiations has resulted in a beautiful site featuring three small greenhouses, demonstration beds and space to provide educational classes to the public.
“Our new center will help extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices and to showcase the latest green technologies and water-wise practices to the community,” said Ginny Piazza, president of the San Mateo/San Francisco Counties UC Master Gardeners. “The goal of this education is to motivate people to create healthier gardens and communities.”
More than 70 volunteers have contributed time, expertise and talents to the development and construction of the Gardening Education Center, a project that commenced in August 2015. In addition to the UC Master Gardener volunteers, the Boy Scouts are also supporting the project, building a storage shed, raised gardening beds and benches through Eagle Scout projects.
In addition to the site contribution made by the County of San Mateo, the UC Master Gardeners have contributed $20,000 to the Gardening Center project and the Bella Charitable Trust contributed $24,000. Total donations to the project have exceeded $53,000. Ongoing fundraising by the UC Master Gardeners for financial support and donations of in-kind products and services will maintain the project for years to come.
The San Mateo County Event Center is the Peninsula’s premier event space and place to meet in the Bay Area. The event center includes 195,000 square feet of facility, a 100,000 square foot exposition hall, ample outdoor activity space and 48 acres of parking. This venue is also the location of the San Mateo County Fair, an event that attracts more than 120,000 Bay Area guests each year. For more information and to schedule a site visit www.smeventcenter.com.
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