Expertise
- Bay-Wise Program Coordinator
- Master Naturalist Program Coordinator
- Master Gardener Program
Wanda MacLachlan, Area Educator, Environmental Management, works in the area of landscape management focusing on residential environmental and water quality issues. She works with urban, suburban and rural homeowners statewide. Her ultimate goal is to have citizens reduce the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and pollutants they contribute to their local streams, rivers and eventually, the Chesapeake Bay. Bay-Wise landscape management is the name of the program she has created to address this water quality issue; topics covered include IPM, efficient fertilizer and pesticide use, composting, storm water management, water conservation and proper plant selection. Wanda conducts volunteer training and homeowner classes and writes Bay-Friendly fact sheets.
In 2010 she unveiled the Maryland Master Naturalist Program to address the need for trained volunteers in the natural resources field. This program is a unique volunteer training model for Extension. Although the volunteers are trained by local natural resource partners using a University science-based curriculum, they volunteer for organizations and agencies outside of University of Maryland Extension. Learn more about the MD Master Naturalist Program at http://www.extension.umd.edu/masternaturalist.
Wanda has been with Extension since 1984, starting in Baltimore City as the urban agriculture agent. In 1992, during budget cuts, she was transferred to Montgomery County where she worked as the commercial horticulture agent. In 1995, she switched over to become the Bay-Wise Program Coordinator and in 2008 took on the added role of Master Naturalist Program Coordinator.
