Bill Text: VA SJR303 | 2025 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Virginia Senate Joint Resolution 303

Bill Title: Commending Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2025-02-04 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ303ER) [SJR303 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2025-SJR303-Enrolled.html

2025 SESSION

ENROLLED

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 303

Commending Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.

Agreed to by the Senate, January 30, 2025

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 3, 2025

WHEREAS, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable gardening practices through public education, celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2025; and

WHEREAS, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia (MGNV) was incorporated on December 3, 1985, and has grown into an organization with more than 250 members; and

WHEREAS, MGNV pursues its mission through a number of endeavors in collaboration with the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE), including eight demonstration gardens displaying best practices in plant selection and garden care, plant clinics, special events, public workshops, and a help desk at the VCE office in Arlington County; and

WHEREAS, MGNV's volunteers give on average nearly 100 hours of their time each year to support sustainable and effective horticulture practices in their communities; and

WHEREAS, in 2023 alone, the Extension Master Gardeners of Arlington and Alexandria working with MGNV contributed more than 22,500 volunteer hours as they provided 32 public education classes, answered hundreds of questions at the VCE help desk, and distributed more than 250 native trees; and

WHEREAS, MGNV has developed an impressive online and social media presence with more than 23,000 followers, earning the organization's Social Media Committee top recognition for its website and online content from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents; and

WHEREAS, several members of MGNV have been presented the Bill Thomas Park Volunteer Award from the Arlington Park and Recreation Commission to honor their outstanding volunteer efforts in support of the health, sustainability, and functioning of Arlington's parks; and

WHEREAS, the MGNV's Simpson Park Demonstration Garden was presented a Community Beautification Award by the City of Alexandria in 2024 in recognition of its exceptional contribution to the city's beauty through distinguished design; and

WHEREAS, the MGNV Youth Education Program, which has provided hands-on youth gardening education at nearly 20 different local schools and youth organizations, received a 2024 Governor's Volunteerism & Community Service Award; and

WHEREAS, with great enthusiasm and sense of purpose, MGNV has elevated gardening practices throughout Northern Virginia and enhanced the natural beauty of its communities, helping to make the region a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia on the occasion of its 40th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the organization's legacy of service to the Commonwealth.