Biweekly Update for November 10, 2025
- Brenda Bye
- Nov 10
- 6 min read
President’s Message
🍁 We have very exciting news! Dr. Doug Tallamy is coming to Corvallis. BCMGA has made arrangements for Dr. Tallamy to speak on January 24, 2026. His topic is “How Can I Help?: Saving Nature with Your Yard”. His presentation is based on his latest book. Tickets will go on sale on November 10. The promotional flyer is attached to this newsletter. The QR code will take you to the registration page on our website, or you can go directly to the BCMGA website (bentonmg.org). We are keeping the cost low ($20) to make this wonderful opportunity accessible to as many people as possible.
It was through the dogged determination and persistence of Janet Magedanz that BCMGA will be able to offer this to our community. Janet has been in contact with Dr. Tallamy’s wife for the last several years in hopes that he might be in Oregon (visiting children and grandchildren in Portland) at the same time that Insights into Gardening is scheduled. This never happened. BUT, this year, he was scheduled to do a presentation in Eugene on January 23. The sun, moon, and stars aligned, and it is our good fortune that we were able to secure a date for him to speak. A big thank you to Janet for never giving up.
Don’t forget that the annual awards and graduation ceremony is this Saturday. Our talented interior designer Nancy Tovar would appreciate your contributions of interesting dried plant material like seed pods, hips, etc. There is a box at the MG desk in the Extension Office where you can drop this off. Please drop off your materials by noon on Friday
- Paula Lupcho, President
BCMGA Membership News
🍁 Linn and Benton Counties Master Gardener Graduation - Plan to come and celebrate our Trainee Class of 2025 and our BCMGA Award winners with a potluck brunch and awards ceremony.
Saturday, November 15, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Location: Central Electric Training Center in Tangent, Oregon
🍁 Renew Your BCMGA Membership for only $15. Please complete your renewal by Thanksgiving for the benefit of our treasurer and membership secretary.
You can mail your cash or check to: BCMGA
5060 SW Philomath Blvd., #197
Corvallis, OR 97333.
If paying by credit card, use this link: https://square.link/u/vAZplhAF There will be a swipe fee of $0.76 for a total of $15.76.
🍁 Greens Party Announced - Join BCMGA and Corvallis Evening Garden Club for an afternoon to celebrate the Winter Solstice and holiday season. Cut greens and bow making supplies will be provided along with coffee and cider.
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 from 3:00 to 6:00 PM
Location: Guerber Hall, Benton County Fairgrounds
Bring: Wreath making supplies rings, personal embellishments, clippers and gloves.
Share: Holiday treats like cookies. Consider bringing special greens like beauty berry, English laurel, holly, and pinecones.
Volunteer Opportunities
These activities are approved by OSU Extension for volunteer hours
🍁 Plant Desk Sign Up Remains Open - Shifts at the Extension Office help desk are open, morning and afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays (unless there’s a holiday). Questions are still coming in, though not as fast. That makes winter an excellent time to read in our library, practice working with the microscope, or getting refresher training on aspects you’d like to know better. Please sign up when you can! 2025 Signup Genius
🍁 Incoming President, Jill Lodwig, is seeking volunteers to reform the Hospitality Committee. In the years before COVID the hospitality committee was an active helper for membership meetings as well as other social events in the BCMGA Calendar. Building strong social ties is part of what makes our volunteer organization so rewarding and the Hospitality Committee is a key player. Please consider reaching out to Jill Lodwig for more information.
🍁 Mountain View Elementary School Garden wants your help in the garden and classroom. Join this enthusiastic crew for a fun curriculum that grows interesting foods. This program is inspiring future gardeners and scientists. If you are interested in putting some of your time into this NW Corvallis based garden, contact Susan Hoffman or Nancy Tovar.
🍁 Join CGET Leadership - The Community Garden Education Team (CGET) is one of BCMGA’s most public-facing committees and a cornerstone of our garden education mission. These are some of our most popular activities, but the committee needs an additional Co-Chair to help in planning. As a reminder, hours working on committees are approved volunteer hours and can often be flexible for our working members.
If you love vegetable gardening and want to make a meaningful impact in the community, this is a rewarding opportunity. To learn more, contact CGET.BentonMG@gmail.com.
🍁Dahlia Tubers Donations Needed for the Plant Sale. So it’s time to look ahead to digging dahlias for our plant sale. Please contact Chere Pereira if you plan to have tubers to donate. The tentative plan is to wash and dip them at Nellie’s barn around Nov 20 or 21, then pack them up around Dec 1. We need to have all of them at that time, even if we have not had a freeze.
🍁Demonstration Garden Has Been Put to Bed for the Year - After another successful year at the demonstration garden the beds have been cover cropped or mulched for the winter, although there are still some persimmons to be picked. The committee will meet again in January for our planning meeting.
The committee is also hoping to work with Otillia to put on some workshops in the garden next year. If you have ideas and would like to be involved please email Committee Chair David Mandel.
Continuing Education Opportunities
Approved for CE by OSU Extension
🍁 How Can I Help? How We Can Save Nature in Our Own Yards
A Talk by Dr. Doug Tallamy
Author, Entomologist, and Professor, University of Delaware
Founder of Homegrown National Park
Join acclaimed author and entomologist Dr. Doug Tallamy for an inspiring and practical presentation on how we can all make a difference—starting right outside our doors. Discover simple, effective steps to help restore and protect nature through the choices we make in our own landscapes.
You’ll Learn:
How to transform your garden into a thriving, healthy habitat
Why native plants are essential--tough, easy to grow, and provide “comfort” food for wildlife.
What “keystone plants” are and why they matter
How native insects and plants are the foundation for healthy bird populations. No bugs, no birds!
Saturday, January 24, 2026 1:00-2:00 p.m. Book signing to follow. Doors open at noon.
CH2M Hill Alumni Center
725 SW 26th St., Corvallis, OR 97331
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door
Get your tickets now before they sell out! Go to www.bentonmg.org to purchase.
Questions: bcmgatallamy@gmail.com
🍁Benton County Master Gardeners YouTube Channel - If you still need more Continuing Education Credits consider catching up on past lectures from our Membership Meetings. They are available on our very own YouTube Channel at:
🍁Outdoor Learning School & Store: An on demand, online webinar that counts towards Growing and Belonging credit.
Extension News
The following news items were provided by MG Coordinator Otillia Schreuder
Thank you!
Thank you for the incredible amount of dedication and time y’all have put into the Benton Master Gardener Training for the 2025 Master Gardener year!
For the 2025 program year, Benton County Master Gardener volunteers logged:
11,617 volunteer hours
1,439.85 hours of continuing education
9,099 contacts
11,547.60 miles
4,088 lbs of produce donated.
95 Veterans Master Gardeners Recertified
15 Benton County Trainees Graduating
VRS Still Broken?
If you have TRIED to enter your hours for the 2025 Master Gardener program year into VRS, but were unsuccessful due to glitches in VRS, please reach out to Otillia Schreuder for one-time assistance by email.
Within the email please include:
The total number of hours
Volunteering or continuing education category OR a brief description
Date (only if you have it)
Location (only if you have it)
# of pounds of food donated
Graduation & Awards
Saturday, November 15, 2025 from 10:00 am – 11:30 pm
Central Electric Training Center at 33309 OR-99E, Tangent, OR 97389
Come celebrate the 2025 trainee cohort class and 2025 Master Gardener award winners! If you volunteered over 100+ hours or recertified there will be a prize for you at the graduation ceremony. You are encouraged to come to socialize and celebrate the accomplishments of your peers.
Community News
The following news items were submitted by members as items of interest to our membership, they are not officially endorsed by BCMGA
🍁OSU Healing Gardens: A Place for Healing and Growing
The OSU Foundation, Beavs Give, and the Campus Arboretum are launching a new initiative to create Healing Gardens across Oregon State University’s campus. This will make OSU one of only 3 college campuses nationwide to feature this therapeutic resource. If you are interested in donating to this new initiative please look at their website:
🍁Alan Taylor has a 10 ft wooden orchard ladder that is looking for a good home. Please contact him if you would like more information.
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