Protecting Plant Biodiversity, Strengthening Our Environment
Engaging university-trained volunteers to empower and sustain diverse communities with relevant, unbiased, research-based horticulture and environmental stewardship education. Read about Extension Master Gardeners in the news around Washington state.
Growing Biodiversity Awareness Across Spokane County
WSU Extension Spokane County Master Gardener volunteers provided research‑based education on native plants, invasive species management, and right‑plant‑right‑place principles through clinics, classes, demonstrations, and youth programs. Their work helps residents make more sustainable landscape decisions at a time when plant biodiversity is declining and Spokane County’s managed landscapes face increasing pressure from invasive species, oversized lawns, and poor plant choices that drive up water use, chemical inputs, and long‑term maintenance costs.
Community demand was high. Volunteers answered 1,692 plant‑biodiversity questions, 210 adults attended eight classes, 282 youth participated in hands‑on learning, and 132 locally relevant publications were downloaded. A native plant demonstration garden maintained by volunteers drew strong public interest—so strong that labeled plants were removed after hours—prompting an expanded native plant offering at the annual fundraiser, which sold out. Volunteers also continued multi‑year testing of an ornamental grass suspected of invasiveness, supporting early detection and prevention efforts.
Survey results showed meaningful learning gains. Class participants reported a 40 percent increase in selecting plants suited to site conditions. Among Master Gardener interns, 63 percent improved plant‑selection practices to reduce irrigation and chemical use, and 55 percent changed weed‑management strategies based on life cycles, eliminating ineffective pesticide applications.
Through education, demonstration, and applied research, Master Gardener volunteers helped Spokane County residents make landscape choices that conserve water, reduce chemical inputs, and support healthier, more biodiverse ecosystems.
Throughout this site there are links to documents of various file types. Please contact our Statewide Program Leader if you require this information in a different format.