Outstanding Florida Master Gardener Volunteer of 2024: Joan Schneider
One volunteer’s commitment to her coastal community
Ghost, Silver, Clay, and Ollie.
These are names that were given to four citrus plants by passionate Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Joan Schneider. The trees were enthusiastically adopted by Joan as part of a home-citrus federal research grant. She nicknamed the trees her “citrus family” and devoted many hours to observing and documenting their health. This is just one example of Joan’s storied involvement with horticulture research and education in Charlotte County.
It is her proactive nature and impact on the community that makes her a key player in the Florida MGV program. Joan was named the 2024 Outstanding Florida Master Gardener Volunteer for her stand-out achievements. Everyone at the Florida Master Gardener Volunteer program is grateful for her commitment to community and incredibly grateful for the 1,065+ hours she has put into the program. We were honored to sit down with Joan and hear about some of her inspirations, projects, and favorite aspects of being a volunteer.
Gardening is in Joan’s roots. She grew up gardening in New England alongside her parents, and was so enamored by plants that she started her own personal vegetable garden as a young child. Joan carried this passion with her down to Florida when she moved after retiring. She learned almost immediately that plants that thrive in New England and plants that thrive in Florida are very different. Wanting to learn more about gardening conditions in her local area, she signed up for Charlotte County Master Gardening Volunteer classes in 2021.
It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that she completed her classes online. Once they began meeting in person, she quickly caught the attention of her MGV coordinator, Holly Bates. Holly noticed Joan’s enthusiasm and how readily she would volunteer to help with various activities and events. Over the years, Joan has been involved with numerous projects and has helped hundreds of people. Last year, Holly encouraged Joan to apply for this award. Holly recognized Joan’s dedication to the program and how essential she is to Charlotte County.
As a retired schoolteacher and librarian, Joan is skilled at connecting with people and translating complex ideas into something a little easier to digest. She can research and break down scientific information from UF/IFAS documents, a skill she uses in weekly plant clinics at Englewood Charlotte Public Library. Joan enjoys helping others when they approach her with a gardening question; she even has a regular following of people who request her specifically.
Joan not only provides educational material to residents, she also takes action during times of need. As someone who has always lived near the ocean, Joan has a particular interest in helping coastal communities with gardening-related challenges. To fully understand this community, Joan studied to become a Florida Master Naturalist, focusing specifically on coastal gardening challenges. She then created and distributed pamphlets on salt- and wind-tolerant native plants that can survive in her area.
Joan is also well acquainted with the storm conditions that frequent Florida. In fact, she has lived through 10 to 12 major hurricanes and is familiar with the damage that can ensue. Ian was one particular hurricane that took a toll on Charlotte County, leaving Joan and many others without power for 12 days. Countless homes had broken windows, standing water, and damage to screened enclosures from the storm. Mosquito protection was much needed, and as a Master Gardener Volunteer, Joan stepped up for the community by distributing mosquito traps during plant clinics.
One of Joan’s favorite projects was the citrus study she participated in, the USDA “Citrus in the Home Landscape” research initiative. This partnership with UF/IFAS studied the effectiveness of a mitigation effort on Huanglongbing disease (also called “citrus greening”) in home gardens. Joan monitored her plants daily, gathered monthly data, and created a photo journal to document the growth trends and treatment results of the citrus plants. Her involvement in the study further sparked an interest in citrus, so she decided to continue the momentum. Using what she had learned in the study, Joan developed and led educational workshops on best practices for citrus planting and care for the general public. The workshop series was so successful, it earned Joan and the Charlotte County MGV program a civic education award from the National Association of Counties in 2024.
With her home garden up to nine citrus trees, Joan jokes that her yard is becoming a “mini citrus grove.” But of all the plants on her property, Joan’s most cherished is a walking iris with an extensive family history. She inherited it from her mother, who inherited it from her mother, extending three generations. She often shares cuttings of this precious plant with friends and family, passing on some of its magic to others — in a similar grain, Joan passes on her knowledge to the community, planting seeds in the hearts and minds of the people she connects with.
We are honored to recognize Joan’s achievements and look forward to her future work with the Florida Master Gardener Volunteer program. Thank you, Joan, for your invaluable work and dedication.
Read about all the awards given at the 2024 Florida Master Gardener Conference