Abstract
Involving citizens in neighborhood beautification and public horticulture activities is effective in enhancing community development. Many local governments in Japan have set up training programs to train volunteers in neighborhood beautification. However, there is little guidance for such training programs in Japan. Using the United States' Master Gardener program as a model for Japan's volunteer training program has been considered, and the purpose of this study is to better understand the attitudes and activities of U.S. Master Gardeners and Master Gardeners-in-training. The result of our questionnaire survey indicates: 1) mature aged female volunteers in the United States are more active, 2) a successful training program is not simply managing the training course; it also includes a mechanism to support volunteers in the field after training has been completed.
