Milestone: Local Master Gardener receives national lifetime achievement award

Published 12:31 pm Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Bill Wrobel, a WSU Clallam County Extension Master Gardener, recently was recognized with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his many hours of volunteer service through the Master Gardener program.

Here, Clea Rome, the WSU Clallam County Extension director, presents Wrobel with the award.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is the most prestigious in the President’s Voluntary Service Award Program, established by President George W. Bush after 9/11 to inspire citizens to answer the call to national and community service.

The award recognizes Wrobel’s contribution of more than 4,000 hours of volunteer service to the Master Gardener Program. The purpose of the WSU Extension Master Gardener Program is to train volunteers to be effective community educators in gardening and environmental stewardship. Master Gardeners provide information generated from research at WSU and other university systems.

Wrobel, a Master Gardener since 1984, praised the WSU Extension office for its broad commitment to community activities ranging from 4-H programs to environmental services to technical assistance for small, local businesses.

“It would be hard to find a local resource that contributes as much to the community through volunteers as Extension does,” he said.

The WSU Extension Master Gardener Program is open to everyone with an interest in gardening and a willingness to use their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to make a positive impact on their local community.

For more information on the program, call Master Gardener volunteer coordinator Lorrie Hamilton at 565-2679.