Today's presenter was Lesley Perg from the Ramsey County Master Gardener Program sponsored by the University of Minnesota Extension organization. In order to become certified as a master gardener, one must apply, be interviewed, do 48+ hours of horticulture education and then be committed to volunteering in the community in events that promote horticulture education. The Mission of the Master Gardener Program centers on horticulture skills, growing food locally, promoting water-wise gardening, and educating in areas such as climate change and current areas of concern such as bee pollination. The focus of Lesley's remarks today was not about gardening per se, but on the importance of spending time engaging with nature outside. She spoke of the "Biophilia Hypothesis" which says that humans have a biological need to connect with nature; that it is important for our mental and physical well-being and that lack of nature encounters has negative health affects. "Communing with nature" helps us regulate our emotions and relate more effectively with other people. After 6 months of quarantine brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, I think most of us can relate very well to this theory.