The Busy Bee: Spotlight on Rick McCormick

The buSy bee

by: Gabrielle Sanderson

CheSTerfIeld maSTer Gardener IS reCoGnIzed for hIS ImpaCT on The CommunITy, hIS paSSIon for youTh eduCaTIon, and hIS boundleSS dedICaTIon To ServInG The exTenSIon maSTer Gardener proGram.

Elizabeth Andrew, author of “A Woman’s Work is Never Done”, once said that “volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” Rick McCormick, an Extension Master Gardener in Chesterfield County, joined the program in 2011 and has been volunteering since. Because he traveled out of his community as a consultant for more than a decade, he explains that becoming an Extension Master Gardener was an opportunity to invest a long-term interest in gardening and give it back to the community. McCormick is a busy bee and a man of many talents. He works with local schools, frequently provides his carpentry skills for Chesterfield County, and is an outstanding leader and educator in his community. McCormick’s ambition to volunteer is motivated by his desire to improve the quality of life for his community and his overwhelming elation to work in the capacity of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program. Ashley Moulton, the Extension Master Gardener Coordinator of Chesterfield County, says that “at the heart of this is his passion for sharing the joy and wonders of gardening to youth, and his pleasure in teaching others about the value of pollinators and about solid and sustainable land practices.” Rick will readily jump at any opportunity to work hand in hand with local schools and to serve the youth and adults of his local community. He has boundless knowledge about beekeeping that he shares with Chesterfield County Libraries, local garden clubs, and civic groups. “Twice a month he volunteers time to

teach afterschool garden clubs, has a huge following with the little ones, and is frequently complemented on his ‘boundless enthusiasm’,” explains Moulton. McCormick even takes in an observation hive with live bees to schools and Maymont Park, in Richmond, for summer camps. The impact he has on the community reaches hundreds of students every year. “Rick’s passion for youth education is contagious,” states Moulton. McCormick says that he “loves the inquiring minds that are just looking for mentoring in the wonders of nature, from gardening/ growing to recycling (composting/rain barrels) and all the pollinator fun from bees to butterflies to humming birds.” McCormick says that there are numerous memorable moments from his work in the schools. One of his favorite memories is a 3rd grader who tried radishes for the first time and declared, “I didn’t know I liked radishes! I am going home to tell my mother I like radishes.” McCormick is making a lasting impact on the youth in his community, which carries his knowledge farther than just his county. It impacts the world. Not only is he an excellent teacher and mentor, but McCormick is also skilled in carpentry and regularly creates educational resources that are fun and easy to use. McCormick crafted a “Pollinator Game” which is a spin-the-wheel game that stands at an impressive 4 feet and is used for family-friendly events. Moulton states that this creative game is used to “facilitate an understanding of pollinators and their adaptions to specific plants.” Recently, he even produced a custom observation hive that caught a wild queen bumblebee. This creation helped to demonstrate the differences between our native bumblebee and the European honey bees. “His handmade structures have been huge assets for our organization as they enhance the delivery of quality educational programming to the public,” states Moulton. Just as he builds contraptions to help educate the public, he creates a solid foundation of classes on soils for the new interns to the Extension Master Gardener program. He is supporting the program by being a patient mentor and a strong leader in his local community. Rick has lead the committee for the Bumblebee Jamboree for two years, 2014 and 2015. “His leadership efforts helped ensure this former one-time event at Maymont Park would become an annual celebration that is not only fun, but one where the community learns about the importance of bees in our ecosystem,” states Moulton. McCormick not only continues to remain active in the event’s coordination but he also introduces other Extension Master Gardeners to volunteer activities. His influence extends past his community and into the lives of others. Rick has even graciously volunteered with 20 other different organizations, apart from the Extension Master Gardener program, which include Rockwood Beekeepers, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Maymont Nature Center, and many more. “Mr. McCormick is one of our more proactive, reliable and cherished volunteers,” boasts Moulton. “We are happy to have him as part of our volunteer family!” When Rick was asked what the most important thing that the public should know about bees he said that “bees, including honeybees, bumblebees and all our native solitary bees, accomplish 85% of the pollination needs our agriculture industry needs for fruit, nuts and seeds, plus contribute to the food webs for many native wildlife habitats.” Just like bees, Rick is a large piece of the contribution to the web of the Chesterfield Extension Master Gardener program. He is a busy bee that is greatly appreciated by many.