My local paper ran a news story about a woman here whose garden has
been certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife
Federation. I was shocked to see all the hype, because this is such a
bogus "certification."

When we lived in South Carolina (mistake, not my fault) I heard about
NWF certification and I investigated it. What I found was that it was
ridiculously easy to be "certified" online, and that the only issue was
payment.

So when I saw this article I decided to do my own investigation before
writing the letter to the editor that was bubbling up inside of me. I
Googled "National Wildlife Federation" and within SEVEN MINUTES my yard
was a certified NWF habitat! They presented me with checklists in
order to "qualify," and the instructions were to check at least 2 of
this category, or at least one of that category, etc. Once that was
done (and my $15.00 charge had been processed) I was certified. If I'd
wanted a sign for my front yard it would have cost me another $25.00.

Now I know the NWF has good intentions, but I also remember what the
road to hell is paved with. This is so clearly just a money-generating
scheme that it makes me ill. If I'd wanted to spend another $15 I
could have had the city dump certified as a "national wildlife refuge",
or the parking lot of the local WalMart. There is no verification
process, and anyone can just get online and certify anything. Hey, how
about the county jail? They have a lot of "wildlife."

I am a Master Gardener and I garden completely organically. I eat
organic meat, but I draw the line at tofu and other new age phenomena.
I care very much about this planet, and I do what I can do for it. In
some ways this "certification" program is insidiously evil in a very
strange way, because the NWF has realized what I and people like myself
care passionately about and they have found a way to make money from
our concerns without giving anything back.

So I wrote that letter to the editor, and we'll see what happens with
that.

"Sparky Organic" wrote in message
ups.com...

I am a Master Gardener and I garden completely organically. I eat
organic meat, but I draw the line at tofu and other new age phenomena.
I care very much about this planet, and I do what I can do for it. In
some ways this "certification" program is insidiously evil in a very
strange way, because the NWF has realized what I and people like myself
care passionately about and they have found a way to make money from
our concerns without giving anything back.

So I wrote that letter to the editor, and we'll see what happens with
that.


There are endless ways for people to purchase titles and recognition. You
can get a degree in comparative literature. What does it prove? You read
lots of books and compared them? More books than someone who loves to read,
but doesn't need to diploma to prove it? If you live on a beach, there's
probably a way to have your 100 feet of sand declared an official clam
sanctuary.

What about Master Gardener? You capitalized the words, which suggests it's
an official title given to you for some reason. What's that about?

Do you honestly not know what a Master Gardener is? Oh well. I
disagree with most of what you said. Most titles or degrees reflect
some level of study or achievement. NWF certification does not.

"Sparky Organic" wrote in message
oups.com...
Do you honestly not know what a Master Gardener is? Oh well. I
disagree with most of what you said. Most titles or degrees reflect
some level of study or achievement. NWF certification does not.


I know a number of definitions of "master gardener". I want to know what
YOUR words mean to YOU. Were you certified by some organization?

Ther eis only one legitimate definition of Master Gardener. You're
sounding very trollish, and I don't feel you are asking a serious
question, so I'm not going to play this game.

"Sparky Organic" wrote in message
ups.com...
Ther eis only one legitimate definition of Master Gardener. You're
sounding very trollish, and I don't feel you are asking a serious
question, so I'm not going to play this game.


Trollish? I'm asking you valid questions. You say you are a master gardener.
I know that some organization bestows that title. NGA, maybe? It doesn't
matter, though. I want to know why you sought to have the title. My question
is directly related to your original post.

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Sparky Organic" wrote in message
ups.com...
Ther eis only one legitimate definition of Master Gardener. You're
sounding very trollish, and I don't feel you are asking a serious
question, so I'm not going to play this game.


Trollish? I'm asking you valid questions. You say you are a master gardener.
I know that some organization bestows that title. NGA, maybe? It doesn't
matter, though. I want to know why you sought to have the title. My question
is directly related to your original post.



It's a certification granted by the state agricultural extension service
after the gardener completes some course work and community service (and
pays a fee, of course.) I'm pretty sure it varies from state to state.
A Master Gardener is recognized by the state as being qualified to
give gardening advice (answering calls referred from the county agent's
office, etc.)

Best regards,
Bob

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Sparky Organic" wrote in message
ups.com...
Ther eis only one legitimate definition of Master Gardener. You're
sounding very trollish, and I don't feel you are asking a serious
question, so I'm not going to play this game.


Trollish? I'm asking you valid questions. You say you are a master
gardener. I know that some organization bestows that title. NGA, maybe?
It doesn't matter, though. I want to know why you sought to have the
title. My question is directly related to your original post.

It's a certification granted by the state agricultural extension service
after the gardener completes some course work and community service (and
pays a fee, of course.) I'm pretty sure it varies from state to state. A
Master Gardener is recognized by the state as being qualified to give
gardening advice (answering calls referred from the county agent's office,
etc.)

Best regards,
Bob

Thanks, Bob. I know the question was trollish and rude, but there was still
an answer out there somewhere.

My yard is both WWF and Texas Parks and Wildlife Certified. I have
many snakes, about 30 species of birds, inluding a road runner,
woodpeckers, cuckoo bird and her broods yearly, a great blue heron
atop one of our largest trees, a female grey fox with her pups, etc.
No neigbors have anything close to this. It doesn't cost 25 for a
sign. It's included in the 15 from my recallation.

To slander this organization is disgusting.

On 5 Sep 2006 05:31:33 -0700, "Sparky Organic"
wrote:

My local paper ran a news story about a woman here whose garden has
been certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife
Federation. I was shocked to see all the hype, because this is such a
bogus "certification."

When we lived in South Carolina (mistake, not my fault) I heard about
NWF certification and I investigated it. What I found was that it was
ridiculously easy to be "certified" online, and that the only issue was
payment.

So when I saw this article I decided to do my own investigation before
writing the letter to the editor that was bubbling up inside of me. I
Googled "National Wildlife Federation" and within SEVEN MINUTES my yard
was a certified NWF habitat! They presented me with checklists in
order to "qualify," and the instructions were to check at least 2 of
this category, or at least one of that category, etc. Once that was
done (and my $15.00 charge had been processed) I was certified. If I'd
wanted a sign for my front yard it would have cost me another $25.00.

Now I know the NWF has good intentions, but I also remember what the
road to hell is paved with. This is so clearly just a money-generating
scheme that it makes me ill. If I'd wanted to spend another $15 I
could have had the city dump certified as a "national wildlife refuge",
or the parking lot of the local WalMart. There is no verification
process, and anyone can just get online and certify anything. Hey, how
about the county jail? They have a lot of "wildlife."

I am a Master Gardener and I garden completely organically. I eat
organic meat, but I draw the line at tofu and other new age phenomena.
I care very much about this planet, and I do what I can do for it. In
some ways this "certification" program is insidiously evil in a very
strange way, because the NWF has realized what I and people like myself
care passionately about and they have found a way to make money from
our concerns without giving anything back.

So I wrote that letter to the editor, and we'll see what happens with
that.

On 5 Sep 2006 07:32:57 -0700, "Sparky Organic"
wrote:

Do you honestly not know what a Master Gardener is? Oh well. I
disagree with most of what you said. Most titles or degrees reflect
some level of study or achievement. NWF certification does not.

Yeah, and a Master Gardener is given a certificate after they do slave
labor for a certain amount of work, physical hours of work. Then,
each year to maintain your status, you must do it every year.

When you walk out a Master Gardener you know basic information. I
have that certification in three states.

On 5 Sep 2006 07:38:46 -0700, "Sparky Organic"
wrote:

Ther eis only one legitimate definition of Master Gardener. You're
sounding very trollish, and I don't feel you are asking a serious
question, so I'm not going to play this game.

Because you know your busted. Anyway, it was okay for you to libel an
organization which does more for wildlife than everything you'll do in
your life and all your Master Garden friends will ever do.

On Tue, 05 Sep 2006 14:43:46 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Sparky Organic" wrote in message
oups.com...
Ther eis only one legitimate definition of Master Gardener. You're
sounding very trollish, and I don't feel you are asking a serious
question, so I'm not going to play this game.


Trollish? I'm asking you valid questions. You say you are a master gardener.
I know that some organization bestows that title. NGA, maybe? It doesn't
matter, though. I want to know why you sought to have the title. My question
is directly related to your original post.

The county extention office. It's usually taught by several people
using slides, boring. By the way, when I got my three master gardener
certifications, it was 75 dollars each.

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On 5 Sep 2006 07:32:57 -0700, "Sparky Organic"
wrote:

Do you honestly not know what a Master Gardener is? Oh well. I
disagree with most of what you said. Most titles or degrees reflect
some level of study or achievement. NWF certification does not.

Yeah, and a Master Gardener is given a certificate after they do slave
labor for a certain amount of work, physical hours of work. Then,
each year to maintain your status, you must do it every year.

When you walk out a Master Gardener you know basic information. I
have that certification in three states.

If it's based on slave labor, I must be a master gardener, based on the
amount of work I do in my gardens. 33+ years of this, and I've got the
calluses to show for it.

On Tue, 05 Sep 2006 10:05:13 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote:

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Sparky Organic" wrote in message
ups.com...
Ther eis only one legitimate definition of Master Gardener. You're
sounding very trollish, and I don't feel you are asking a serious
question, so I'm not going to play this game.


Trollish? I'm asking you valid questions. You say you are a master gardener.
I know that some organization bestows that title. NGA, maybe? It doesn't
matter, though. I want to know why you sought to have the title. My question
is directly related to your original post.



It's a certification granted by the state agricultural extension service
after the gardener completes some course work and community service (and
pays a fee, of course.) I'm pretty sure it varies from state to state.
A Master Gardener is recognized by the state as being qualified to
give gardening advice (answering calls referred from the county agent's
office, etc.)

Best regards,
Bob

It qualifies you to answer the phones and with mountains of books and
periodicals by your side, you answer questions. Most of the time you
get incorrect recommendations.

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 05 Sep 2006 10:05:13 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote:

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Sparky Organic" wrote in message
ups.com...
Ther eis only one legitimate definition of Master Gardener. You're
sounding very trollish, and I don't feel you are asking a serious
question, so I'm not going to play this game.


Trollish? I'm asking you valid questions. You say you are a master
gardener.
I know that some organization bestows that title. NGA, maybe? It doesn't
matter, though. I want to know why you sought to have the title. My
question
is directly related to your original post.



It's a certification granted by the state agricultural extension service
after the gardener completes some course work and community service (and
pays a fee, of course.) I'm pretty sure it varies from state to state.
A Master Gardener is recognized by the state as being qualified to
give gardening advice (answering calls referred from the county agent's
office, etc.)

Best regards,
Bob

It qualifies you to answer the phones and with mountains of books and
periodicals by your side, you answer questions. Most of the time you
get incorrect recommendations.

This brings us right back to the OP's comments. Why did he want the Master
Gardener certification and secret decoder ring? Probably for the same reason
someone would pay what is essentially the normal NWF membership fee, and get
a certificate in return.