YELLOWSTONE COUNTY MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION

Boy Scouts at Metra Park

The Master Gardener Education and Demonstration Garden At Metra Park project or "MaGa-EDGAMP" for short, is progressing with the help of a group of Boy Scouts, their dads, and scout leaders from the Laurel area. A coordinated work effort was organized by Cole Gardner as part of his Eagle Scout Service Project which spanned two evenings this September and was very productive.

Many thanks to Cole Gardner, Preston Gardner, Carter Knight, Parker Allen, Tanner Jordan, Jayden Allen, Sam Ricky, Colton Atkinson, Chad Nelson, Hunter Knight, JT Klinger, Ethan Ricky, Zach Abbott, Kevin Nelson, Joel Townsend, Cameron Townsend, Kyle Ricky, Ed Jordan, and Nathan Tanner for their time and effort which will ensure a more rapid completion of the project.

The scout group helped move and lay block, which completed the wheelchair accessible raised beds patio, moved dirt, tamped soil, raked debris and cleaned up various locations around the project area. Cole Gardner has also built the wheelchair accessible raised beds for the garden.

Check out the photos to the left for action packed shots of the work.

Team Mordeaux and Irvin

Mike Irvin and Project Leader Corry Mourdeau have put up a fence with two gates, erected a hoop house, assembled a tool shed, and installed a watering and drip system with timer. They have also started planning for the construction of raised beds and have arranged with a Boy Scout to build composting bins.

Lead by Team CEG, the stone constructed entrance path to the Teaching Area Hexagon and accompanying seating has been completed along with the walkway to the wheelchair accessible raised bed patio and circular retaining wall.

Our Corporate Sponcers

The YCMGA would like to express our extreme gratitude to the following generous corporate sponsors for their support in the construction of MaGa-EDGAMP.

• ConocoPhillips

  After volunteering with a qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, eligible ConocoPhillips employees and retirees can maximize their community impact by applying for a U.S. Volunteer Grant. With this program, ConocoPhillips will make a monetary contribution of $500 for every 20 hours an eligible participant volunteers and $1,000 for every 40 hours a team of four or more eligible participants volunteers. Individual non-profit organizations can receive up to $6,000 per year from the company. Joann Glasser, a ConocoPhillips retiree, has secured multiple grants for this project.

• ExxonMobil

  After an employee or retiree volunteers 20 hours with an organization, ExxonMobil provides a volunteer grant of $500 to that organization. Each employee is able to request up to four $500 grants each year. Mike Irvin, a retiree from ExxonMobil, has secured multiple grants for this project.

• Hill Masonry

  Hill Masonry, located at 68 Parkway Lane in Billings (406) 656-5955, has donated all of the stone which was used to construct the patios, walkways and edging of Education and Demonstration Garden. There was close to 32,000 pounds of material that was donated and utilized in the project.

• Showalter Grading, Inc

  Showalter Grading loaded and transported the stone blocks donated by Hill Masonry to the Metra project site on their huge semi truck and trailer. The Huntley based business can be contacted by phone at 780-0664.

• T&E Cat Rental Store

  The Rental Store, located at 5200 Southgate Drive in Billings (406) 245-4426, donated the use of one of their forklifts to load the block from Hill Masonry's Location on to the Showalter Grading semi-trailer.

• Big Sky Nursery and Jim's Jungle

  Both Big Sky Nursery in Laurel and Jim's Jungle in Billings provided plants for the three flower beds that have been developed so far. There are many more beds to come in the future.

• EKO Compost

  EKO Compost, based in Missoula, donated compost for the flower beds and the green house vegetable garden. EKO products are now available at all local WallMart stores.

A heart felt THANK YOU to all our corporate sponsors of the Yellowstone County Master Gardener Education and Demonstration Garden at Metra Park!

Call to Arms

Thanks to Master Gardeners Pat Morrison, Shelly Thurman and Linda Brewer for working on the garden and weeding the flower beds. If any Master Gardeners would like to help to continue the project much work is still ahead. Contact the Project Leader Corry Mourdeaux or County Extension Agent Amy Grandpre for more information on becoming involved.