The Master Gardener Program does not accept volunteer activity hours or continuing education hours on the following subjects:

Off-limits subject	Reason	Instead, focus on this
Using plants for medicinal or homeopathic purposes	There are legal, medical, and safety issues related to this topic.	Instead, focus on growing ornamental and edible plants in sustainable ways.
Food nutrition, preparation, preservation and recipes	There are safety issues related to this topic.	Instead, focus on growing ornamental and edible plants and using proper sanitation and hygiene in the garden to minimize foodborne illness.
Foraging for plants and mushrooms	There are legal, medical, and safety issues related to this topic.	Instead, focus on growing ornamental and edible plants in sustainable ways.
Identification and growing of mushrooms for human health or edibility	There are safety issues related to this topic.	Instead focus on whether or not the mushroom will have an impact on the health of your plants/gardens.
Diagnosing risk trees and recommending tree removal	There are legal and safety issues related to this topic.	Instead, focus on the right plant, right place, and proper maintenance of woody plants; refer individuals to tree-care professionals for more information.
Agronomic crops/agronomy	Agronomic crops/agronomy There are safety and financial issues related to this topic.	Direct individuals to agronomic professionals, including Extension staff, for more information.
Commercial horticulture including landscape, nursery, and tree-care professionals	There are safety and financial issues related to this topic.	Direct individuals to green-industry professionals, including Extension staff, for more information.
Restricted use pesticides	There are safety and medical issues related to this topic.	Instead, focus on IPM and judicious use of products available over the counter.
Environmental or human health safety issues involving pesticides	There are legal, safety and medical issues related to this topic.	Instead, focus on IPM and directing clients to appropriate pesticides using Extension resources. If a chemical product is to be recommended, focus on the proper use of products according to labels and MSDS.
General wildlife or animal husbandry (including beekeeping) that is unrelated to gardening	There may be safety and legal issues related to this topic.	Instead, focus on the gardening and horticulture aspects of these topics, such as the plants that support wildlife and pollinators, or managing nuisance wildlife in the garden.
Hardscaping, including water features installation or maintenance	There may be financial, safety and legal issues related to this topic.	Direct individuals to landscape professionals for more information.
Gardening lifestyle topics, including entertaining or garden photography	These topics are not addressed in the Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener Program
Education, restoration and maintenance of shorelines, waterways, and aquatic plants/systems.	There are legal and safety issues with this topic. These topics are not addressed in the Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener Program.	Please see the Extension Lakes program if this interests you.
Cannabis and marijuana	There are legal and medical issues with this topic. These topics are not addressed in the Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener Program.
Political lobbying, activism, or advocacy	These are activities you must not engage in as per the Code of Ethics.
Presenting on or creating marketing materials for the Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener Program	This topic is not appropriate subject matter or related to the growing and maintenance of and education about terrestrial plants.	Instead, focus on appropriate subject matter and direct individuals to mastergardener.extension.wisc.edu for more information.

Additional Activities that are Out of Bounds

• Travel time to and from the activity does not count for volunteer hours.
• Activities for payment and/or personal gain as a Master Gardener.
• Activities on private property, except when an appropriate volunteer-from-home (e.g. prep for presentation) or citizen science option is available.
• Activities for private/commercial/for-profit businesses or out-of-state organizations.
• Individuals – This means you cannot volunteer for non-organizations, such as helping your neighbor.
• Posting information on personal web pages and personal social media.
• General attendance of membership meetings of organizations.  This includes the business section of master gardener association membership meetings.
• Activities acting as a “free agent”. Master Gardeners must be able to say they are volunteering on behalf of an appropriate organization.