Extension Master Gardeners are a valued volunteer group to the Warren County Extension Service and the community. Currently, 15 Extension Master Gardener volunteers in Warren County have kept their Master Gardener certifications up-to-date by maintaining 20 hours of volunteer service and 10 hours of continuing education credits on an annual basis. Volunteer service hours include providing home horticulture education and answering questions through garden related events, serving on leadership councils, as well as assisting with several community gardens. In Warren County, Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are collaborating with these community garden spaces:

1. Barren River Area Safe Space (BRASS) Memorial Gardens- BRASS is the agency in our area that supports victims of domestic abuse.  The Memorial Gardens are located behind the shelter where domestic abuse victims who were killed by their abuser are remembered with a tree or other planting. 
2. Certified Monarch Waystation and Pollinator Patch Habitat- supports more than 300 native plants to demonstrate how to design and grow a wildlife habitat for attracting native pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Certified Extension Master Gardeners have donated countless hours researching plants, planting, and maintaining this space to showcase to the general public on how to incorporate a similar space in their own backyards.
3. Lost River Cave Native Meadow Restoration Project- utilizes conservation efforts made to restore a native meadow in the Lost River Cave valley. Master gardeners have helped with this project since 2018 by growing and planting native plants from seed, performing plant maintenance, and removing invasive plants.
4. Lost River Cave Charlie Miller Butterfly Habitat- receives several visitors and school groups from around the South Central Kentucky area to learn more about butterfly habitats in Kentucky. This year, Master Gardener interns are helping to beautify this space for visitors.
5. Hospice Cut Flower Garden- is the newest garden created in 2023 that is located at Hospice of Southern Kentucky. Master Gardeners have built and installed 4 raised bed gardens for growing cut flowers. Nurses harvest the flowers and add them to vases before taking them to both on-site and off-site patients. The flowers have been a huge hit among the patients and have brought them much joy! 

Through these various community gardens and projects, Extension Master Gardeners are providing skilled work and technical assistance in order to reach diverse audiences and groups in and around Bowling Green, Kentucky. To date, Warren County Extension Master Gardener volunteers have donated a total of 300 hours of volunteer service. According to the Independent Sector, volunteer work in the state of Kentucky in 2022 is valued at $26.85 per hour which gives a total of $8,055 worth back to the community.