Science guides the Master Gardener Program. As you learned in the Overview module, Extension and the Master Gardener Program arose from the scientific work done by the land grant universities and partnerships with the USDA and other government agencies. In Wisconsin, the long and proud tradition of the Wisconsin Idea further promotes the combination of academic science and public outreach to influence actions beyond the boundaries of the classroom. The Master Gardener Program “educates, empowers, and supports volunteers to use unbiased university research-based information to extend the Wisconsin Idea, making a positive difference in lives and communities.”

Master Gardener Volunteers focus on horticulture, which encompasses both the science and art of growing plants. The art comes from years of personal experience, design inspiration, and current trends. The science, however, comes from facts and knowledge established by university-based research and the scientific process. Since most people are not scientists, Extension interprets this scientific information for the public. As part of your training, MGVs must learn how to find and explain science-based recommendations. You must also learn to recognize the bias, or lack of scientific neutrality, present in both your own perspective and that of the person asking for your assistance. Conveying scientific recommendations in an unbiased way can be complex, but we will walk you through the process.

From the Wisconsin Initiative of Science Literacy 

• Society is increasingly dependent on science and technology. It is essential for the well-being of our society that all citizens develop an appreciation of science, the benefits of technology, and the potential risks associated with advances in both. Citizens must gain “science literacy.”
• Science literacy does not require detailed knowledge of any particular field, but rather a broad appreciation and understanding of what science is capable of achieving and, equally important, what science cannot accomplish. Science literacy is necessary for the democratic process to work. We make a distinction between scientific literacy, expertise in a particular field, and science literacy, a broad appreciation and understanding of science and its practitioners, and of what science is capable of achieving and what it cannot accomplish.
• Science literacy enlightens and enables people to make informed choices, to be skeptical, and to reject shams, quackery, unproven conjecture, and to avoid being bamboozled into making foolish decisions where matters of science and technology are concerned. Science literacy is for everyone—scientists, artists, humanists, all professionals, the general public, youth and adults alike.
• Society makes progress in addressing critical issues by having both a skilled, creative, and productive work force and a citizenry able to judge the risks and enjoy the benefits of advances in science and technology.

👩🏾‍💻 Read more at http://www.scifun.org/wisl/wisl.html.

Bias

Our personal experiences cause us to have an inclination or prejudice for or against someone or something. This is called bias and it opposes the neutral, factual viewpoint of science. In gardening, bias can occur in the form of our plant preferences (natives vs non-natives; edibles vs ornamentals, lawns vs no lawns), chemical use (organic vs non-organic), and so much more. As a volunteer in the Master Gardener Program, you should consider your own horticulture bias when providing information to others. You must reach beyond your own personal preferences to convey unbiased scientific information that meets the needs of your audience.

Putting It Together

When interacting with the public, remember that you and your audience have biases, values, and varying past experiences. These elements all interact to form a complex web that can make effective communication challenging. But, being aware of your own biases and values in relation to your audience or the project that you are working with will help make your volunteer activities successful. Even simple things can matter!

Let’s look at a few real-life examples where experience, bias, and knowledge impact a gardener’s decisions. We also include a potential response as a Master Gardener Volunteer.

Horticultural Myths

“I need to sweeten my soil”

“My tree got too big so I topped it”

“Smack your tree with a rolled up newspaper to help it grow”

Gardeners use many practices that are not grounded in scientific research and can be strongly embedded in someone’s mind and personal experiences. These are often referred to as “horticultural myths.” Please use tact as you redirect gardeners to refer to and use research-based, unbiased information. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott from Washington State University has created a list of popular myths and the research to dispel them.