The WVU Extension Randolph Tucker Master Gardener Association offers online training classes and local volunteer opportunities for residents of regional counties including Upshur, Grant, Hardy and Pendleton as well as Randolph and Tucker. In 2025, the regional group volunteered 1040 work hours and 650 continuing education hours in 2025.
Some activities included were landscaping in 10 area community gardens, upkeep of historic gardens at Sites Homestead at Seneca Rocks, plant sales and gardening advice at Elkins Farmer’s Market, Energy Express summer children’s programs in Tucker County, an annual state conference with educational sessions, planting of native gardens at Canaan Valley Wildlife Refuge, hands-on gardening sessions with children, educational field trips to local farms, forests and breweries and monthly meetings with expert presenters.
How to become a Master Gardener: Beginning on Thursday January 8 and continuing every Thursday at 6:00-9:00 p.m until May, WVU Extension will offer the yearly Master Gardener certification class online on the Zoom format. A strong internet signal will be needed.
After the 40-plus hours of online instruction is complete, trainees will take an open-book exam and then will need to complete at least 40 volunteer hours within the next year to fully certify. Volunteer hours may be earned in your local county and/or in surrounding counties. There is a regional Master Gardener Association (Randolph, Tucker, Upshur, Barbour, Grant, Hardy and Pendleton Counties included) which has meetings and projects that can count toward volunteer hours. All gardening work should be done in areas open to the public or as an educational session.
To register, call the Randolph County Extension office by January 2nd at (304) 636-2455. There is a $50 fee for the digital (thumb drive) manual or $100 for the hard copy manual (large binder). WVU requires two online mini-classes on working with the public and permission to do a background check. The fee and required mini-classes must be completed by the end of the course in May.
