Describe the Issue or Situation.

Master Gardener Volunteers are offered the opportunity to participate in educational tours to gain horticultural skills, build confidence, gain perspective and bring the experiences and insight they gained back to Bullitt County in programming and leadership roles.

Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).

Recent tour opportunities included:

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, Kentucky where participants learned about historical Shaker Village life and culture, traditional and non traditional farming techniques utilized to support the Village and got to eat traditionally prepared recipes using produce grown on property at the restaurant in the Village.

St. Louis, Missouri.  Where Master Gardeners visited the St. Louis Botanical Garden, St. Louis Zoological Gardens, Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, The Jewel Box at Forest Park and the Soulard Farmers' Market.  Participants learned about the variety of native and non native plants that grow in Missouri, a viewed variety of planting and growing techniques in public horticulture, got to explore many varied indoor greenhouse environments, learn about insect and butterfly species both native and nonnative and explored a plethora of horticultural experiences as a team and independently.

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  Master Gardener volunteers got to tour the Mansion of the Biltmore Estate, meander through and explore the vast gardens and natural areas on property, experience the art of Chihuly Glass and hike through Pisgah National Forest.

Provide the Number and Description(s) of Participants/Target Audience.

The target audience for this program is Extension Volunteers, specifically targeted to Master Gardener Volunteers.

Provide a Statement of Outcomes or Program Impact. Please note that the outcomes statement must use evaluation data to describe the change(s) that occurred in individuals, groups, families, businesses, or in the community because of the program/outreach.

Learning about the flora and fauna of different regions helps increase awareness and understanding of horticulture and natural resources, native habitats and ecoregions. These trips encourage team building with volunteers by allowing volunteers to participate in less structured, hands on educational activities that encourage exploration in a low stress environment.  These experiences expose volunteers to interesting and niche horticultural topics that they can then bring back and share with members of their own community through Extension programming. These trips also support mental health and stress reduction by taking volunteer leaders away from their everyday lives to experience beauty, history, and diversity.  From the three trips listed above, 4 volunteer led programs were taught at the county level from information and insight gained while traveling, new friendships were formed between new and established volunteers that led to collaboration in our Extension orchard and greenhouse that support our programming, and future trips are currently being planned to visit additional horticulture and historical sites