29th Annual FLORIDA MASTER GARDENER CONTINUED TRAINING CONFERENCE November 2 – 4, 2009 Hilton Ocala Ocala, Florida

The planning for the 29^th Annual Master Gardener Continued Training Conference is well under way and we are sure this will be one of the best conferences yet.  This year marks the 30^th Anniversary of the Florida Master Gardener Program and we will be recognizing the founding fathers of the Florida Program and maybe even a volunteer from the very first class.  The conference will again include a learning field trip and great speakers.  Check back often for more updated information and a complete schedule.

I look forward to seeing you in November.

Sincerely,

Tom Wichman
Florida Master Gardener Coordinator
 

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Florida Yards & Neighborhoods

The Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program was developed to address serious problems of pollution and disappearing habitats by enlisting homeowners in the battle to save our natural environment. This program provides special educational and outreach activities directed at the community to help residents reduce pollution and enhance their environment by improving home and landscape management.

Master Gardeners who have received additional FYN training in their county can become Florida Yard Advisors and help homeowners evaluate and reduce the environmental impacts of their landscapes. All Master Gardeners play a key role in educating homeowners about the nine Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) principles:

• Right Plant, Right Place
• Water Efficiently
• Fertilize Appropriately
• Mulch
• Attract Wildlife
• Control Yard Pests Responsibly
• Recycle
• Reduce Stormwater Runoff
• Protect the Waterfront

All conference participants will attend concurrent sessions sponsored by Florida Yards & Neighborhoods.

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Monday, November 2, 2009  

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

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Go Green!

As a participant of the 29th Annual Florida Master Gardener Continued Training Conference, you have the opportunity to play a vital role in making our event sustainable. Below is a list of suggested actions that you can take to help make the Florida Master Gardener Conference green:

Travel to and from the conference:

• Offset green house gas (GHG) emissions associated with your travel by visiting www.carbonfund.org and clicking on “Offset Your Footprint”

• Book your travel via the most direct route possible as multiple take-offs and landings cause substantial increases in emissions

• Utilize shuttle services from the airport to your accommodations to reduce GHG emissions

At the conference:

• Recycle your bottles, cans and paper at recycling stations throughout the conference and to reduce waste

• When printing or copying materials, make sure to print double-sided versions

• Bring your own reusable mug, water bottle, pen, pencil and paper

• Collect business cards of presenters and have them e-mail reports and other information rather than collecting printed hand-outs

At your hotel room:

• Turn off any lights, TV, air conditioner or heaters when you leave your hotel room for the day to decrease energy consumption

• If your accommodation offers this service, take the option of not having sheets and towels changed every day to reduce consumption of energy, water and soap

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General Session Speakers

Coming Soon!

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County Displays/Exhibits Information

Coming Soon!

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Registration Information

NOTE: The guest room block and group rate negotiated with the hotel includes costs incurred to provide us with the large quantity of meeting space we require for our meetings. If we do not occupy a sufficient amount of guest rooms throughout the meeting, we will incur additional costs for meeting room rental charges. Therefore, we encourage all meeting participants to stay in the host hotel. Consequently, guests not staying at the Hilton Ocala during the conference will be charged a $100 facilities fee to cover their portion of meeting room rental charges incurred. [Explanation of Facilities Usage Fee]. See registration fees below. Please note: If your residential address is in Marion County, you are exempt from the Facilities Usage Fee stated above.

The Registration fee includes: 2.5 days of educational program, conference materials, a proceedings book of Speaker Handouts, a Monday Welcome Reception, daily refreshments breaks, the Tuesday Field Trip and boxed lunch, Horticultural Auction, and the Wednesday Awards Luncheon. If you decide to not stay at the Hilton Ocala during the conference, your registration fee will include a facilities usage fee to cover your portion of the meeting room rental charges. Please see the Explanation of Facilities Usage Fee above.

A “Guest Registration Fee” is available this year that allows participation in the Monday Welcome Reception, Tuesday Horticultural Auction and the Wednesday Awards Luncheon. Please note that ‘guests’ are not permitted to attend the daily educational sessions or refreshment breaks. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

We are also pleased to announce “One-Day Fees” that allow full participation in all events for that day only. Each day will have a different colored nametag to help identify the one-day attendees. We hope that this will help those attendees that can only come for one day’s educational sessions and networking.

Register early to ensure participation!

Refund Policy: Requests for registration refunds will be honored if a written notification of cancellation is received by the Office of Conference & Institutes on or before October 12, 2009. A $50.00 processing fee will be deducted from each registration refund. Sorry, no refunds will be honored for cancellation after October 12, 2009.

Special Needs: Participants with special needs can be reasonably accommodated by contacting the Office of Conferences & Institutes at least 10 working days prior to the conference. We can be reached by phone at 1-352-392-5930, by fax at 1-352-392-9734, or by calling 1-800-955-8771 (TDD). The TDD number can only be accessed from within the State of Florida.
 

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Meeting Site & Hotel Accommodations

          3600 SW 36th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34474
          Tel: 352.854.1400 • Fax: 352.854.4010
          Toll-Free Reservations: 877-602-4023 

The Hilton Ocala is offering participants of the 29th Annual Florida Master Gardener Continued Training Conference,  a very special rate of $99.00 per night (plus 8.5% state and local taxes), for up to 4 people in a room. The group rate will be honored three days prior and three days following the conference dates, based on availability.

NOTE: The guest room block and group rate that has been negotiated with the hotel includes costs incurred to provide us with the large quantity of meeting space we require for our meetings. If we do not occupy a sufficient amount of guest rooms throughout the meeting, we will incur additional costs for meeting room rental charges. Therefore, we encourage all meeting participants to stay in the host hotel. Consequently, guests not staying at the Hilton Ocala during the conference will be charged a $100 facilities fee to cover their portion of meeting room rental charges incurred. [Explanation of Facilities Usage Fee].

If your residential address is in Marion County, you are exempt from the Facilities Usage Fee stated above. If you have any questions, please contact Tom Wichman (twichman@ufl.edu) or Sharon Borneman (spb@ufl.edu). 

To Make a Reservation:

• Reservations must be made by Monday, October 5, 2009 in order to receive this group rate. Please be aware the block of rooms may fill before the deadline, so we urge you to make your reservation as soon as possible. After Monday, October 5, the discounted rate is not guaranteed on possible remaining rooms.

• You may also call the Hilton Ocala reservations direct line at (352) 854-1400 and identify yourself as a participant of the 29th Annual Florida Master Gardener Continued Training Conference to receive the reduced rates.

• Florida government participants: Florida government participants: To receive tax exempt status, payment must be made in the form of a government issued check or credit card and be accompanied by a Florida sales tax exemption certificate presented at check-in). Note: The Hilton Ocala has received its Green Lodging certification. For information about Florida’s Green Travel Policies, click here.

Please note:

• All reservations must be guaranteed with a major credit card. The hotel will not hold any reservations
  after 6:00pm on the day of arrival if not secured with a major credit card.

• The hotel check-in time is 3:00pm and check out is 11:00am.

• The hotel is offering participants of the 29th Florida Master Gardener’s Conference complimentary
  high-speed wireless internet. 

Click here for directions and map to the Hilton Ocala.

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Conference Sponsors
 

All the Master Gardeners and County Extension Offices who donate material for the Plant Auction

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Travel & Area Information

Map of Florida		Mileage Chart

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Related Sites of Interest

Bookstore	Environmental Horticulture Public Gardens Management

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Program Committee

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Questions?

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