Knox County Master Gardeners (KCMG) recognized members with awards at its February meeting. A total of 87 members received awards that recognize their volunteer contributions to the community.

Receiving the KCMG Meritorious Service Award was Nancy Howell, a master gardener since 2017.  The award is given to KCMG members who have made significant contributions to the KCMG mission throughout the year.

In addition, 69 master gardeners received service pins for the number of volunteer hours logged during the year.  Master gardeners volunteered a total of 22,071 hours in Knox County during 2025, with three members, Caesar Stair, Cathy Carpenter, and Brian Townsend, each volunteering between 1,000 and 1,400 hours in 2025.

Ten members were awarded 10-year badges; four received 15-year badges; one received a 20-year badge; and one received a 25-year badge.

KCMG also acknowledged Tom Welborn, who received the Citizen Activist Award from the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council. In addition to being a master gardener, Welborn is also the founder of Trees Knoxville.

Knox County Master Gardeners has approximately 250 members and trained 39 new master gardener interns in 2025. Founded in 1985, KCMG is a University of Tennessee Extension program.

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