2026 North Suburban Cook County Master Gardener - Request a Speakers Bureau Program

University of Illinois Extension provides speakers on a wide range of gardening topics through the Cook County North Suburban Master Gardener Program. If you would like to request a presentation for your Cook County North organization, please complete the request form and indicate your program preferences. All groups requesting talks must have a minimum audience of 15 people.

To best support your event, early requests are strongly recommended. Due to the high volume of inquiries and the need to coordinate both staff and volunteer schedules, requests should be submitted at least 10 weeks in advance. Please note that last-minute requests can only be considered based on program capacity and volunteer availability.

These programs are delivered by trained Master Gardener volunteers, and all events are subject to volunteer availability. We typically begin volunteer recruitment one month prior to your event date; therefore, early scheduling greatly increases the likelihood that we can meet your request.

To ensure equitable access across our service area, organizations may be limited to two programs per calendar year. April dates are extremely popular and often fill months in advance. Please consider selecting a non-April date when possible.

Please note:

Extension staff and volunteers cannot sign contracts, agreements, or waivers.
Programs cannot be held at private residences.
Recording of programs is prohibited.
All publicity or promotional materials must credit University of Illinois Extension.

Depending on topic and speaker availability, some presentations may be offered via Zoom only. All publicity or promotional materials must credit University of Illinois Extension.

If your organization is able, we request a donation of $50–$150 per program, adjusted based on your group’s available funding. Contributions from well-funded organizations help subsidize presentations for newer or smaller groups, allowing us to serve a wider audience equitably. A W-9 can be provided upon request.

Donation checks should be made payable to University of Illinois Extension with “donation” on the memo line. Payments may be mailed to:

University of Illinois Extension
Attn: Julianne Czubek
2800 S. River Road, Suite 240
Des Plaines, Illinois 60018

If you have any questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact Amanda Anderson, the Master Gardener Program Coordinator in North Suburban Cook County. Email: amandaea@illinois.edu and Phone: 217-300-9860. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your needs. University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. United States Department of Agriculture. Local Extension Councils Cooperating. University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

Program Descriptions:

Adult programs run between 60-90 minutes. These programs best suit captive audiences in a classroom-style setting with education and instruction. Some programs could include demonstrations and hands-on activities depending on the topic and supply availability. Educational handouts and supplemental materials are provided to accompany the presentation.

Backyard Composting (60 minutes) - Learn how to start and maintain a backyard compost bin. The program also includes information about indoor composting methods plus community composting efforts.

Beneficial Insects: Garden Warriors (60 minutes) - Gardeners focus on insects that eat their plants without paying attention to insects that act as warriors in the garden by either eating the bad bugs or parasitizing them. Learn about the most common beneficial insects and never accidentally kill a good bug again.
BodySmart Gardening (60 minutes) - Learn how to protect yourself from injury while gardening. BodySmart Gardening involves the tools we use and how we use those tools. It also addresses things within our control, such as skin health and preventing muscle aches and strains.
Conservation at Home Program Overview (60 minutes) - Conservation@Home Cook County recognizes and certifies properties that demonstrate environmentally sound landscape practices. Through the Conservation@Home certification program, residents of Cook County have the opportunity to shape their private and community landscapes in a conservation-minded way with guidance and criteria provided for them. The program will cover the basics of Conservation@Home concepts, such as connecting wildlife habitats, increasing biodiversity, improving water quality, and promoting healthy soils. Visit go.illinois.edu/CH for more information.
Container Gardening (60 minutes + demonstration, pending plant availability) - Whether you live in an apartment, condo, townhome, or single-family home, you probably have the space for the color and interest of container gardens, one of the hottest trends in gardening. Includes container selection, plant selection, simple design considerations, the proper planting and maintenance to help ensure success.
Cool Season Crops (60 minutes) - Cool season crops like lettuce, carrots, and kale prefer cooler temperatures and can be grown in spring or fall. Learn how to plant, care for, and harvest these quick-growing vegetables.
Fall Garden Prep (60 minutes) - Fall is a time of change, the plant and trees are preparing for winter and so can you by doing a few simple fall garden tasks. Come learn what your garden and lawn need in the fall to prepare for winter. Tips will include conventional and environmentally friendly gardening tips- both important for a happy and healthy landscape. This presentation is a part of the Cook County Conservation@Home program.
Growing Cacti & Succulents (60 minutes) - How about adding plants that can thrive with little attention to your garden or home? We will review their basic needs, including propagating and dividing them, as well as the best watering and light strategies, and offer a variety of garden and home design ideas.
Healthy Houseplants & How to Propagate Them (60 minutes + demonstration, pending plant availability) - Houseplants add life and beauty to a home. Learn simple tips to select and care for houseplants. This program will also show you how to propagate overgrown & leggy houseplants using several techniques, including leaf or stem cuttings, division, and air layering.
Herb Gardening (60 minutes + demonstration, pending plant availability) - Participants will learn how to select, plant, and maintain herb gardens to add beauty to the home landscape while offering added culinary and other uses.
How to Kill Your Tree: A guide of what NOT to do (60 minutes) - Sometimes, a tree's biggest pest is the homeowner. This presentation discusses common mistakes homeowners make when planting and maintaining their most valuable landscape investment: trees.
Indoor Edible Gardens (60 minutes + demonstration materials, if available) - Gardening is not limited to outside in the summer. The Edible Indoor Garden shows you how to grow your own fresh herbs, salad greens, and more any time of the year.
Monarch Butterflies (60 minutes) - Learn about our State Insect's life stages, habitats, journeys, and the challenges facing their populations.
Native Landscape Design (60 minutes) - When you incorporate native plants in your home landscape, you achieve beauty and provide habitat for native pollinators and wildlife. This presentation is a part of the Cook County Conservation@Home program.
Native Pollinators (60 minutes) - When it comes to pollination, honey bees get most of the attention. However, many insects play a role in pollination. This presentation will discuss different native pollinators and how to make your landscape attractive to them.
Natural Lawn Care (60-minute or 90-minute workshop) - This program will focus on environmentally friendly lawn care practices. Participants will learn techniques for taking care of and understanding their lawn and receive the tools to create a sustainable lawn care action plan to apply what they learn in the workshop at home. This presentation is a part of the Cook County Conservation@Home program.
Pruning Trees and Shrubs (60 minutes) - Correctly train young trees and shrubs when small to prevent the need for more expensive, dangerous pruning on older and larger trees. Learn how to prune a tree away from your home or other obstructions without harming the tree. Even if you plan on hiring someone to prune a large tree, you need to understand the basics of pruning to ensure you hire someone who knows what they are doing.
Seed Saving (60-minute or 90-minute workshop)- Most gardeners wait until the fall to decide they want to save seeds. This results in lower-quality seeds for next year. By planning your garden for seed saving, you can get high-quality seeds for the future! Learn important seed-saving concepts and techniques, such as open pollination and variety isolation, to get the best quality seeds for your garden! We will also discuss harvesting and seed storage.

Seed Starting (60-minute or 90-minute workshop) - Most gardeners start seeds indoors to get a head start on the growing season, but timing and technique are key to success! By planning your indoor seed starting, you can grow healthy seedlings for your garden. Learn important seed-starting concepts and techniques, such as choosing the right seeds, using quality growing media, and providing proper lighting and care. We will also discuss transplanting seedlings and troubleshooting common issues to ensure a thriving garden from the start.
Tomato Troubles (60 minutes) - Tomatoes are one of the most popular and commonly grown plants in home gardens. Learn about common problems plaguing tomatoes and ways to address them.
Vegetable Gardening in Raised Beds or Containers (60 minutes) - Vegetable gardening isn't complicated in raised beds or containers. We present tips to make your landscape work for you. Creating a partly edible, partly ornamental garden is an idea whose time has come. You can grow fresh, wholesome food in a small space with just a little time.
Worm Composting (60-minute or 90-minute workshop) - Worm composting is a fun way to make fertilizer from food scraps! It is excellent for small spaces, and kids love it. It is easy to do but takes a little more effort than basic composting. We will demonstrate how it's done for your group.

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Contact Information

First Name

Last Name

Street Address

Street Address 2

City

State

ZIP

Daytime Phone

Evening Phone

E-mail Address

Please provide a second contact person and best phone number to reach them in case primary contact cannot be reached.

Name of Organization

Location of the presentation, including the address. Please include any special directions such as which door to enter, which side of building, parking, etc. *IMPORTANT NOTE* We cannot deliver in-person presentations at private homes.

Requested Program Date

Is this date flexible? If yes, please list the alternative dates.

What time will the program begin? And how long would you like it to last? Please include start time and end time.

What is your estimated attendance?

Do you prefer in-person or virtual program delivery?

Virtual

In-person

Will you require registration for this program?

Please check the box if the following items are available for use through your organization. ***PLEASE NOTE depending on Speaker availability, some Speakers Bureau programs may need to be delivered via ZOOM rather than in person. Also please note our presentations must not be recorded. Thank you.***

Screen (required for most programs)

LCD Projector and Computer

Microphone

Program registration

Zoom meeting link

Internet Access

If other, what are some topics that your organization would be interested in? Please note that we cannot guarantee that someone will be available for the specific topic

How did you hear about the North Suburban Cook Master Gardener Speakers Bureau?

Has this group had Master Gardener speakers in the past?

Yes

If yes, when and what topic?

Any other questions, comments, or concerns?

I understand that Extension staff and volunteers cannot sign contracts, agreements, or waivers.

Yes, I understand that Extension Staff and Volunteers CANNOT SIGN CONTRACTS, WAIVERS, OR AGREEMENTS.

I understand that all publicity or promotional materials should give credit to University of Illinois Extension.

Yes, I understand that all publicity or promotional materials should give credit to University of Illinois Extension.

I understand that University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener presentations are proprietary intellectual property. Individuals and organizations may not photograph, reproduce, publish or post images of the slides in the presentations. Also any presentations delivered in person or online via Zoom, etc. must not be recorded.

Yes, I understand that University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener presentations are proprietary intellectual property. Individuals and organizations may not photograph, reproduce, publish or post images of the slides in the presentations. Also any presentations delivered in person or online via Zoom, etc. must not be recorded.

I understand Master Gardener Speakers cannot present in-person programs in private homes.

Yes, I understand Master Gardener Speakers cannot present in-person programs in private homes.

These programs are delivered by trained Master Gardener volunteers, and all events are subject to volunteer availability. Volunteer recruitment typically begins one month prior to your event date and will be shared with the site contact once a volunteer(s) is secured.

Yes, I understand that these programs are delivered by trained Master Gardener volunteers, and all events are subject to volunteer availability. Volunteer recruitment typically begins one month prior to your event date and will be shared with the site contact once a volunteer(s) is secured.

I understand that in making this program request that if a cancellation is needed by the requestor, requestor will email Amanda Anderson, amandaea@illinois.edu, AND Gemini Bhalsod, gbhalsod@illinois.edu, at least 24 hours prior to the activities agreed upon start time.

Yes, I understand and agree that in making this program request that if a cancellation is needed by the requestor, requestor will email Amanda Anderson, amandaea@illinois.edu, AND Gemini Bhalsod, gbhalsod@illinois.edu at least 24 hours prior to the activities agreed upon start time.

Civil Rights Compliance - Participant Info

As part of our commitment to providing equal opportunities in our programming, University of Illinois Extension is required to collect and report overall statistics about the race, ethnicity, and gender of program participants. Your responses are voluntary and appreciated.

Gender

Ethnicity

Race