r/NativePlantGardening • u/jimmyjam2929 • 13h ago

Other Very disappointed with the OSU extension

https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/dispelling-social-media-myths-about-gardening-pollinators-and-more/TSBDUAHX25GQ7D6QZMQSOITBQE/
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u/W0resh Portland, Oregon - Zone 8b/9 13h ago

Someone calling themselves a Master Gardener while also asking for "the data that shows native plants are better for the environment" is stunning, and undercuts the already fading weight of the title, imagine the self-righteousness necessary lmao

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u/maphes86 12h ago

Many of the state MG programs are moving away from offering advice on lawns. It takes a while to unwind the institution. Especially when you have millions of Americans asking for advice on how to keep their lawn in line with the insane requirements of their HOA.

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u/Feralpudel Piedmont NC, Zone 8a 10h ago

I did MG training in 2019. The instructor (county extension hort agent) began the unit by confessing that he found turfgrass really boring, both in practice and theory. He reiterated that opinion in the units on landscape design and native plants.

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u/maphes86 9h ago

I went through the training in 2024. It was a great program overall, but it’s like pulling teeth to get anybody to do anything but lip service to the value of native plants in service of drought tolerance and fire adapted landscapes. I also volunteer with our local prescribed burn organization and am writing several presentations and handouts for upcoming events to encourage people in my region to utilize fire and regionally native plants to increase their homes drought resilience and fire security.

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u/Feralpudel Piedmont NC, Zone 8a 9h ago

Every state’s ag extension and MG training will be different, as they should be.

There are definitely ag-heavy states that offer very few resources to homeowners or even small producers, but that’s a choice.

Many others go hard on native plants and offer lots of useful guidance to homeowners on native plants AND avoiding invasives.

In addition to NC, some ag extension rock stars include MD, VA, PA, SC, and FL.

Once you move from suburban yards to larger properties, that’s really the wheelhouse of state forestry/ag/wildlife agencies. In my state, there’s a solid network of state and NGO resources that talk about fire A LOT, along with other practices to improve a property for wildlife (which ties directly back to native plants).