POMEROY — The Master Gardener Volunteer project, one of the Ohio State University Extension programs which involves volunteers willing to donate their time to community beautification and educational programming, is now taking applications for a training program to start in March.

The emphasis of the program is to train people who have a strong interest in gardening and enjoy helping others how to make their communities more attractive. Several local Master Gardener volunteers work with the Pomeroy Merchants Association in its downtown beautification program. For the past several years, Alice Wamsley has chaired activities of planting and taking care of flowers in areas on the parking lot and in pots along the street.

To become an OSU Master Gardener Volunteer, completion of a training program is required. The training program is offered through the county’s OSU Extension office in Marietta. Trainings will take place every Thursday for seven weeks from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. starting March 22 and ending on May 3. There will be one Saturday training from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 31.

To become an OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, applicants will attend all training sessions and complete 50 volunteer hours the first year. This volunteer time will include 4-H Youth Gardening Programs, Farmer’s Market Q&A table, Garden Party planning and teaching, the Memorial Garden project and other educational programs.

To apply, call the OSU Marietta office at 740-376-7431 and request an application be mailed to you or go to the website http://washington.osu.edu and click the link to Master Gardener Volunteer Program.

Meigs Countians wanting more information about the program and how to become involved in activities here may call Hal Kneen, local Extension Educator, who solicits the help of local Master Gardeners in various educational programs.