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NEWS & INFORMATION <br />UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA <br />NEWS RELEASE <br />Media Contact: Lia Spaniolo, Program Coordinator, Anoka County Master Gardeners, <br />University of Minnesota Extension. Spaniolo c(r�umn.edu, 763-324-3498 <br />Anoka County Master Gardeners bring back weekly plant clinics to <br />help answer residents' pest and disease questions. <br />ANDOVER, Minn. (June 23, 2021)—The Anoka County Master Gardeners invite the public to join <br />them again in -person on Wednesday evenings in July and August for the return of the <br />Plant and Insect Diagnostics Clinics at the Bunker Hills Activities Center in Andover. <br />Residents are invited to bring plant and insect samples collected from their yards and <br />gardens to the clinics, which help Master Gardener volunteers identify species, <br />diagnose issues and offer solutions for growing healthy gardens. <br />Master Gardener volunteers learn from University of Minnesota Extension educators <br />and receive ongoing training to use evidence -based research and best practices to offer <br />accurate and high -quality education to the wider community. <br />During these popular clinics, which were on hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, Master <br />Gardeners are equipped with magnifying lenses and microscopes to help identify <br />garden pests and diseases. "What makes these clinics so popular with residents is that <br />people can see the identification and diagnosis process happening before their eyes," <br />said Lia Spaniolo, program coordinator for the Anoka County Master Gardeners. <br />"Volunteers are also happy to teach people the diagnostic tools for themselves and <br />which trusted smartphone apps make identification easier," Spaniolo said. <br />The mission of the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Volunteer <br />Program is to use research -based horticultural knowledge and practices to deliver <br />educational outreach and project -based efforts that inspire change and promote <br />healthy people, healthy communities, and a healthy planet. <br />Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinics Wednesdays, 6 - 8 p.m., July 7 - August 18. Free! <br />Located in the Teaching Center at Bunker Hills Activities Center, 550 Bunker Lake Blvd. <br />NW, Andover, MN 55304 <br />For more information on the UMN Extension Master Gardener program in Anoka <br />County visit: anokamastergardeners.orq_ <br />